• Find
  • Surnames
  • Bookmarks
  • Places
  • Dates
  • Cemeteries
  • Search People
  • Search Families
• Media
  • Photos
  • Documents
  • Headstones
  • Histories
  • Recordings
  • Videos
  • Albums
  • All Media
• Info
  • What's New
  • Most Wanted
  • Reports
  • Statistics
  • Notes
  • Sources
  • Repositories
  • Contact Us

Michael Bruce FORSYTH
1856 - 1923

Home    Search    Print    Login    Add Bookmark

• Birth	13NOV1856	Land St, Keith, Banff. Scotland   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Died	16MAR1923	27 Cochran St, Paisley. Scotland   [2]
  Person ID	I522	Jean Mailer Forsyth
  Last Modified	4 Mar 2012

  
  

  Father	James Alexander FORSYTH,   b. 1820C,   d. 20JAN1896, 68 Spittal, Aberdeen. Scotland
  Mother	Ann SHAND,   b. 1831C,   d. 10NOV1901, 5 Lorne Building, Bridge of Dee, Aberdeen, Scotland (East peterculter)
  Married	23AUG1851	Keith, Banff. Scotland
  Photos		For1851jamShand.jpg
  Family ID	F180	Group Sheet

  
  

  Family	Helen WHYTE,   b. 28MAR1855, Milnathort, Orwell, Kinross. Scotland ,   d. 10APR1942, 15 Craw Rd, Paisley, Scotland
  Married	06JAN1881	59 Cowane St, Stirling. Scotland   [3]
  Children	1. James Alexander Whyte FORSYTH,   b. 10NOV1881, Stirling, Stirlingshire, Scotland ,   d. 1955, Willesden, London, Middlesex. England   2. Robert Whyte FORSYTH,   b. 8AUG1884, Logie, Clackmannanshire. Scotland ,   d. 8JUN1903, Drowned in River at Forth. Scotland   3. Michael Bruce FORSYTH,   b. 1886C, Logie, Perth. Scotland ,   d. 1-3DEC1933, Drowned in pool near Jenny's Well Road, Paisley. Scotland   4. Jean Mailer FORSYTH,   b. 19FEB1889, 95 Lower Bridge St, Stirling. Scotland ,   d. 29DEC1968, Parramatta, Sydney. NSW   5. Ann Shand FORSYTH,   b. 18FEB1891, Causewayhead, Parish of Logie, Perthshire. Scotland ,   d. 1972C, Manchester, Lancashire. England   6. Andrew FORSYTH,   b. 25DEC1892, 15 Bruce St, Stirling. Scotland ,   d. 2FEB1968, Lower Hutt Hospital. NZ   7. Helen FORSYTH,   b. 14JUN1894, 15 Bruce St, Stirling, Stirlingshire, Scotland ,   d. 1977C, Manchester, Lancashire. England
  Photos		For1881mhmWhyte.jpg
  		Michael Bruce Forsyth 1891 Census.jpg
  		Michael Bruce Forsyth 1901 Census.jpg
  		Michael B Forsyth 1911 Census.jpg
  		MiHeAnMa.jpg
  Family ID	F179	Group Sheet

  
  

• Photos		For1856mb.jpg
  		59 Cowane St Stirling.jpg
  		For1923md.jpg
  		95lbst1999.jpg
  		James & Ann Forsyth & family 1871 Census.jpg
  		M B Forsyth christening 1857

  
  

• Notes

  Michael Bruce Forsyth was born 13Nov1856 at 6.15pm at Land St, Keith in the Parish of Keith, County of Banff. Keith is about 90 miles N. of Stirling. He was the son of James Alexander and Ann Forsyth (nee Shand). James was designated a Post Runner (letter carrier). In the 1861 Keith Census, Book 4, p 35 - Address - Back Street James Alexander Forsyth, head, aged 49, post messenger, born Huntly, Aberdeen Ann Forsyth, wife aged 29, born Grange, Banffshire Michael Bruce Forsyth, son aged 4, born Keith, Banffshire William Forsyth, son aged 1, born Keith, Banffshire. In the 1871 Census James and Ann are still living in Keith with four of their children - Bruce 14, Maggie 8, Robert 5 and John aged 1 - all at school. James is a 50 year old Foot Postman. Michael Bruce and Helen Whyte Forsyth were married on 6Jan1881 at 59 Cowane St, Stirling. Banns according to the forms of the United Presbyterian Church had been read. They were married by Rev Robert Whyte - probably a relation - *A Rev Robert Whyte (Photo) born about 1829 Milnathort, Kinross and died 2Sep1897 well documented file attached - Minister of Lauriston Presbyterian Church, Edinburgh. Witnesses were David Bonella and Jane Thomson. Michael aged 24, signed his name. He was a bachelor working as a clerk at the Railway Clearing House. Helen signed her name stating she was a spinster aged 25. Details are from their marriage certificate. In 1881 Census, Reg. District - Stirling. No 490, Book 12, page 13 - Address - 59 Corrane St, Stirling James Whyte, head, married, aged 66, Shoemaker, born Orwell, Kinrosshire Jane Whyte, wife, married, aged 68, born Milnathort, Kinrosshire Michael B. Forsyth, s-in-law, married, aged 24, Number Taker railway clearing, born Keith, Banffshire Helen Forsyth, daughter, married, aged 25, born Milnathort, Kinrosshire. Family stories say that the family contained a number of religious ministers and church was frequently attended, sometimes three times in one day. Michael was a great reader and illiterate people used to get him to write their letters. He had a red beard and smoked a pipe while reading in his study. There is a Group Photo of about 30 unidentified persons with Michael and Helen Forsyth in the centre. The background of the photo appears to be a solid bluestone wall of a building with 2 large windows. Michael is a bearded man with collar and tie. Helen is also photographed sitting in high straight-backed chair wearing a long dress with fur stole and cameo at her neck with a long chain going down passed her waist.Michael and Helen appear to be of similar height. There is also a photo taken of Michael, wife Helen, son Andrew and his wife Margaret. The photo was taken on 8Nov1920. (Andrew and Margaret left Scotland shortly after to settle in NZ) 59 Cowane (looks like Corrane St on certificate) Stirling, is still standing. It's a typical Scottish late 19th Century 'close' or tenement building (four floors of flats with a common door to the street and a stairway up the middle which has entrances to the flats opening off each landing up the stair). The 'close' next to it, which looks identical and joined onto it bears a stone dating it 1879, and No 59 itself bears a very old 'Cowane Street' sign. In the late 1880s this would have been a perfectly respectable working man's address. No 59 is no distance at all from the railway station - possibly where Michael worked as a Railway clerk Two of three doors along the street is a building which was a school until the early 1960s, and which is contemporary with No 59. Next door to that, up until the early 1960s, was a fairly imposing church which has now disappeared. The address - 95 Lower Bridge St - where Michael and Helen were living when their daughter Jean was born in 1889 no longer exists - I have photos taken of the approximate area where that row of houses used to be. In 1891 Census, Reg Dist - Logie (Royal Burgh of Stirling), Perth. No 374, Book 7 page 5. Address - Holland Cottage, Causewayhead Michael B Forsyth, head, married aged 34, Railway clearing house, clerk, born Keith, Banffshire Helen Forsyth, wife, married aged 36, born Orwell, Kinrosshire Michael B(ruce) Forsyth, son, aged 4 scholar, b Logie, Clackmannanshire Jane M Forsyth, daughter aged 2, born Stirling Ann S Forsyth, daughter aged 1mth, born Logie. In 1901 the family is living at Dundyvan Rd, Coatbridge. Michael Bruce 44 working in Railway Clearing House as a Number Taker as are two sons James A W 19 and Robert 16, mother Helen now aged 44. The five younger children - Michael Bruce 14, Jane M 12, Ann S 10, Andrew 8 and Helen 6 all at School. With the family lives Ann Christie Watson aged 21 (soon to be wife of eldest son James) In the 1911 Census Michael Bruce Forsyth is now aged 54, still working as a Railway Clerk. The family is living at 3 Blythwood Dr, Paisley. Helen states her age as 55 - married for 30 years with six or her seven children still living. Five of her children still live with the family. Michael Bruce 24, Machine Attendant/Cloth Finishing, Jane Mailer 22 Clerk/Preserve Manufacturer, Ann Shand 20 Shop Attendant/Newsagent, Andrew 18 Railway Clerk and Helen 16 Shop Attendant/Fruiterer. Michael Bruce died 16Mar1923 aged 66 years of Cerebral Haemorrhage. His occupation was Railway Clerk. His son Michael Bruce was the informant. University of Glasgow Graduate Record for Robert Whyte Degree Information: MA (1859) ; DD (1884) Countries of Association: Scotland Further information from the University records: Addison 1727-1897 reads: United Presbyterian Minister at (1) Kelso, (2) Pollokshaws, (3) Lauriston, Edinburgh; died 2nd Sep 1897. History of the congregations of the United Presbyterian church from 1733 to 1900.. (Volume 2) Fifth Minister. ROBERT WHYTE, M.A., from Milnathort. Ordained, 6th January 1864. Called to College Street, Edinburgh, in 1866, but kept by Kelso till 3rd December 1867, when he accepted Pollokshaws/ Then from Kelso, where he had been colleague to the Rev. Henry Renton for four years. Inducted, 23rd January 1868. There had been large increase under Mr Sprott’s ministry, and the stipend was now ¹400, with a manse. On I3th January 1874, Mr Whyte accepted a call to the collegiate charge of Lauriston Place, Edinburgh. Is saving faith merely intellectual assent? Robert Whyte (M.A.) – Religion - 1880 - book Merely Intellectual Assent ? BY Rev. ROBERT WHYTE, MA, LAURISTON PLACE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, EDINBURGH. EDINBURGH: MACNIVEN& WALLACE, 1880 Number of Pages: 81 Page Size 6 x 9 Lauriston Place United Presbyterian Church, Edinburgh: Centenary Memorial - 1887 Robert Whyte Printed at the request of the Session and managers by Daniel Macfarlane & Co – Length 54 pages Fleming Inglis, Robert Whyte 18?? - 171 pages - Collection of sermons, with questions and comments thereon, delivered at a series of gatherings held in the Assembly Hall, Edinburgh. Erskine Church of Scotland, Saltcoats. The congregation celebrated its centenary in 1892. To mark the occasion a booklet was published by the two ministers, Mr. Fairgrieve and Mr. Scott, outlining the history of the first 100 years and we are indebted to this publication for much of the information of the early years of the congregation. Interior of the Church, c. 1900 Centenary Services were held on Sunday 27 November 1892 followed by a meal and a soiree on the Monday evening. Tickets were 6d each. The guest preacher at the morning and evening services was Rev. Robert Whyte D.D., Edinburgh while the afternoon service was conducted by Rev. J. Brand Scott. The texts chosen by the ministers were: Morning: Hebrews 13 v. 8 "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today and forever." Afternoon: Psalm 102 "They shall perish, but Thou shalt endure." Evening: Proverbs 20 v. 16 "The congregation of the dead."




• Sources

  [S1050] Certificate obtained, Scot Reg 002271 in 1856 Number 161. [S1050] Certificate obtained, Scotland BMD reg 1923 Page 93 No 279 Paisley. [S1050] Certificate obtained, Scot Reg 005459 in 1881 Number 3.