The Clarks of Bendochy

My grandmother Lizzie Clark Millar 1885 was born in Dundee to Elizabeth Wilson Clark 1863. The Clarks were farmers from Bendochy in Perthshire.

I use Google My Maps to show where the families in my tree lived. Often place names and parish boundaries have changed over the years so I can look at the Scotlands Places site to find old maps.

Bendochy parish is in the far east of the shire north of Coupar Angus

I’ve found that the place listed on a birth certificate before 1855 is not always the exact place but rather the parish which covered a wide area. Birth certificates before 1855 didn’t have much information on them but sometimes they will name the building or hamlet where the family lived.

Scotlands Places: Ordnance Survey record for David Clark of Craigie Den, Bendochy

David Clark listed here at Craigie Den at the Hill of St Fink is the nephew of my great great great grandfather William Clark c 1813.

David’s father (also David Clark) lived there in 1844 as listed in his daughter Margaret’s marriage certificate. It’s fun to see exactly where these people lived and what they did. David senior was a weaver but his sons were all farmers. My relative William was a pendicler, a small tenant farmer of a few acres, but two of his brothers farmed 92 and 36 acres. The brother David listed here was a laborer in census records but he did leave a will when he died in 1867 and owned his own house.

I had thought before I found his records that it was unusual for a small farmer to leave a will but apparently not.

There are no birth records for the Clark brothers, just marriage records and census records. In the early 1800s where they were born not everyone had their child registered as it cost money and required going into town. Birth records were not legally required until 1855 when the state took over from the parish ministers.

We know their approximate d. o. b. as they listed their age on the census which began in 1840 and occurred every 10 years.

David Clark 1770 married Elizabeth Wilson c 1774 of Blairgowrie in April 1797. Banns were called in both Blairgowrie and Bendochy parishes. They had five sons and a daughter and all the children remained in the area.

My ancestor William married a girl from Moulin (Jean Gow) and they settled in Ardler, near Meigle.

William Clark’s parents, siblings, and children

WIlliam’s male line died out as his only son William never married. My great great grandmother Catherine Clark left home after the birth of her illegitimate daughter Elizabeth and I can’t find her anywhere. Elizabeth was raised by her grandparents and Catherine was left out of William’s will - he gave her portion to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth was named after her grandmother Elizabeth Wilson. In the 1871 census she is listed as “Elizabeth Weatherburn” (misspelling of Wedderburn) aged 8. Catherine had filed a paternity suit against Robert Neil Wedderburn which he appealed twice. The third time the judge awarded Catherine extra damages so it’s very likely that Elizabeth was his child. Ten years later in the 1881 census she is Elizabeth Clark. Robert had died in 1873 and there was no reason to pursue the relationship. He died childless and left his estate to his widow, Elizabeth Hood Wilson.

For a few weeks I was confused as to why Elizabeth would have the same name as her father’s wife but then I discovered her grandmother Elizabeth Wilson! Just as now Wilson and Clark were common names.

What is Ahnentafel?

The Wedderburns in Dundee