Fishermen on the Shore
James says:-
Left to right: unidentified, Andrew 'Puffer' Finlayson, my grandfather James Reid (1878 - 1930), my great-grandfather John Merrick facing away from camera (1856 - 1933)
Note: Does anyone know when & where Andrew 'Puffer' Finlayson died? (Also see picture #244). My mother told me Puffer was married to "Eppie Jigger" and she remembered them both fondly from her visits to Cromarty in the 1920's to visit her grandparents. I am trying to verify if Puffer is the brother of my great grandmother Elsepeth (nee Finlayson) Merrick (1848 - 1935)".
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20 Comments
Sorry for the error, the name of the man second from left should read Alexander "Puffer" Finlayson and not Andrew.
Comment left on 26 March 2005 at 03:15 by James Barr
The unidentified gentleman could be my uncle the late George Finlayson better known as Georda Dont.
I remember Puffer and Eppie Jigger, and will attempt to get answers to your questions. Comment left on 29 March 2005 at 13:58 by Anne Short
I remember Puffer and Eppie Jigger, and will attempt to get answers to your questions. Comment left on 29 March 2005 at 13:58 by Anne Short
Anne, Do you know if your late uncle, George Finlayson had a sister named Margaret (b. Apr. 9, 1897 / d. before August 1929) who on Sept. 3, 1915 married John Merrick (b. Jan. 20, 1890 / d. Aug. 21, 1929)? Margaret Finlayson was the daughter of Andrew Finlayson who married Annie Watson on September 24, 1889 at Cromarty. Thanks, Jim
Comment left on 29 March 2005 at 19:45 by James Barr
Jim, George had 3 sisters - Annie married to Leonard Smith, Jessie - Spinister, Alice married to Hugh Jack, and my Father (the eldest) married Peggy Robb.
Comment left on 30 March 2005 at 12:31 by Anne Short
Anne, Thanks for your speedy reply, could you tell me the names of your fathers parents? Do you know the connection of your uncle George "Georda Dont" Finlayson to Alexander "Puffer" Finlayson if any? Thanks, Jim
Comment left on 30 March 2005 at 16:27 by James Barr
Puffer & Eppie were my great grandparents. As far as I know, his siblings were Hugh, Benjamin, Anne, Donald, Christina & John. I remember visiting 40, Shore Street as a child in the 50's, but I cannot remember when they died. I visited Cromarty churchyard and couldn't find a relevant headstone. If anybody knows when they died, I would love to know. Researching from afar isn't easy.
Comment left on 13 April 2005 at 15:53 by Margaret Austin (Finlayson)
Margaret, Recently Andrew Bathie was generous enough to share information with me regarding your great grandparents. Alexander 'Puffer' Finlayson who was born in Cromarty on 9 July 1865 and married Elspet 'Eppie Jigger' Hogg on 3 October 1890 at Cromarty. Elspet 'Eppie Jigger' Hogg was born at Cromarty on 29 July 1867. Both died in Cromarty, in September, 1950. I will be searching for the exact dates and will pass to you when I locate them.
My mother (Elsie Finlayson Reid Barr, 1910 - 2003) spoke fondly of both Uncle Puffer and Aunt Eppie as she referred to them fondly, being close chums of her grandparents, John Merrick (1856 - 1933) and Elspeth Finlayson Merrick (1848 - 1935). My mother would travel to Cromarty in the mid and late 1920s with her mother (Ann Merrick Reid, 1879 - 1946) and her brother Bert to visit her grandparents who lived in the Vennel in Fishertown. My mother told me that her brother Bert had a small band with his buddies and would play at dances in Cromarty and surrounding area during trips to visit the grandparents. My mother would sing with the band and her brother would play the fiddle. As mom would say, she would 'take over the piano' when regular player took a break to dance with the local maidens. Comment left on 14 April 2005 at 00:54 by James Barr
My mother (Elsie Finlayson Reid Barr, 1910 - 2003) spoke fondly of both Uncle Puffer and Aunt Eppie as she referred to them fondly, being close chums of her grandparents, John Merrick (1856 - 1933) and Elspeth Finlayson Merrick (1848 - 1935). My mother would travel to Cromarty in the mid and late 1920s with her mother (Ann Merrick Reid, 1879 - 1946) and her brother Bert to visit her grandparents who lived in the Vennel in Fishertown. My mother told me that her brother Bert had a small band with his buddies and would play at dances in Cromarty and surrounding area during trips to visit the grandparents. My mother would sing with the band and her brother would play the fiddle. As mom would say, she would 'take over the piano' when regular player took a break to dance with the local maidens. Comment left on 14 April 2005 at 00:54 by James Barr
James, thanks for the info. I still think Puffer & Eppie died later than 1950 as I don't think I would remember them at 3 years old. I remember Puffer sitting mending his nets out the front of 40, Shore Street. What I remember about Eppie was her very long hair, the fact she was tiny and I seem to remember she was quite abrupt when she spoke. Maybe I am imagining these things, but I would love to know for certain when they died.
Comment left on 03 May 2005 at 20:10 by Meg Austin ( Finlayson )
your right meg i was born in 1954 i think t was about 8 when i was taken to see my great granny eppie
Comment left on 30 October 2005 at 13:41 by Jean Shepherd [finlayson]
Thanks Jean, good to hear from you.
I have a photo of Eppie & Puffer's 60th wedding anniversary from the newspaper. Unfortunately the date isn't on it, but if they married in October 1890, it must have been 1950. John & Ethel, our grandparents were in East Lothian at the time as we were. We didn't move up North till I was 5 (1952). I remember Puffer & Eppie vividly, but don't know how old I was. Would there be any records in the church to say where and when they were buried. I couldn't find a headstone with their names? Comment left on 31 October 2005 at 19:00 by Meg Austin ( Finlayson )
I have a photo of Eppie & Puffer's 60th wedding anniversary from the newspaper. Unfortunately the date isn't on it, but if they married in October 1890, it must have been 1950. John & Ethel, our grandparents were in East Lothian at the time as we were. We didn't move up North till I was 5 (1952). I remember Puffer & Eppie vividly, but don't know how old I was. Would there be any records in the church to say where and when they were buried. I couldn't find a headstone with their names? Comment left on 31 October 2005 at 19:00 by Meg Austin ( Finlayson )
Hi Meg I will ask about and see what i can find out. Jean Shepherd (Finlayson )
Comment left on 04 November 2005 at 14:20 by Jean Shepherd
Thanks, Jean. It will be great to find out, just wish I had started the family tree before Dad died. Most of the info he told me was about his Mum, Ethel MacKay, and I managed to get quite a lot about that side of the family
Comment left on 05 November 2005 at 15:36 by Meg Austin ( Finlayson )
Thought you might like a word from Finlaysons in America. My husband descends from Frank and Isabelle Finlayson Regan who lived in Northern Illinois. Don't know if they immigrated through Canada. The unidentified man on the left in the photo looks amazingly like my late father-in-law, Ralph
Anderson, even though he was two generations down from Isabelle, his grandmother. The same good looks, even the same curly hair! No doubt a really strong bloodline, the Finlaysons! They must have been homesick for Scotland as they settled in the colder climate of the U.S., and near the Great Lakes which are really inland seas. Comment left on 15 March 2006 at 20:24 by Shirley Anderson
Anderson, even though he was two generations down from Isabelle, his grandmother. The same good looks, even the same curly hair! No doubt a really strong bloodline, the Finlaysons! They must have been homesick for Scotland as they settled in the colder climate of the U.S., and near the Great Lakes which are really inland seas. Comment left on 15 March 2006 at 20:24 by Shirley Anderson
can anyone help I am trying to find out if there are any of my relatives still in Cromarty. My great granfather was Alexander Finlayson, a fisherman, my maternal granmother was Annie Finlayson, who married A seaforth highlander, Thomas Taylor, my mother was Margaret Taylor. Annie Finlayson had brothers Donald and Bennie. Bennie died at loch glass in 1979. Possibly others. After the first world war my granmother left cromarty to live in Newcastle in England. All of her life she sent cards to her cousin who lived in Vancouver, Canada. I and my sisters would love to know if we still had family in Cromarty.
Comment left on 12 January 2008 at 00:24 by Maureen Rippon
Jean Shepherd (Finlayson) is my mother -in-law and I'm trying to work out John's family. Not easy! I've got a birth certificate for a John Finlayson whose parents were Alexander Shepherd and Elsie Hogg, living at 40 Shore Street in 1901 with other children Hugh and Benjamin. Does that sound like Puffer and Elsie?
Comment left on 09 February 2010 at 20:03 by Margo Shepherd
To all Finlaysons in Cromarty, i am still looking for any ties to my family. Does anyone remember my great uncle Benny Finlayson, or his sister Annie, brother Donald. They would have all lived in little Vennel in Cromarty around 1900's. My sisters and i would love more information about them all, their father was Alexander Finlayson. As far as we know he was a fisherman, and possibly a pilot on Cromarty Firth.
Comment left on 30 March 2011 at 12:42 by Maureen Rippon
Hi Maureen. I think your grannie Annie Finlayson also had a brother John born 1894 and that they are both the children of Alexander "Puffer" Finlayson. John's grand-daughter Jean is my mother-in-law. That means you are probably related to a good number of living Croms!
Comment left on 30 June 2011 at 14:48 by Margo Shepherd
I am a distant relation of Puffer. If you wanted to get deaths for them you could go onto Scotlands People. I think they both died in September 1950: that was on a family tree :)
Comment left on 29 August 2011 at 21:18 by Scott J Mackenzie
Thank you for your comment. It's true my gran had a brother called John. She also named one of her sons John and I have a cousin John. I am glad you got in touch, sorry I was away all of June and have only just picked up this message.
Comment left on 31 August 2011 at 19:25 by Maureen Rippon
Hi James, My name is Gina (nee Stirton) Nuttall. John Merrick was my great great grandfather and Elsepeth (nee Finlayson) Merrick was my great great grandmother. I was overjoyed when my husband found these family photographs on this site during our ancestry search. I would treasure a higher resolution scan of this photo 'Fishermen on the Shore' and the one of John Gordon, my grandmother Mary Ann Gordon's brother '3 Friends on their way to Cromarty'. Have you any other family photos of John & Elspeth Merrick?
Comment left on 29 June 2012 at 13:50 by Gina Nuttall
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