Alexander Hacket

  General Notes:

For the time being I've considered the Alexander Hacket of 3 marriages to be one and the same person. My reasons for doing this are:
1) The dates of the three marriages would fit with a scenario where he married at Mary Forrest at 22. There were no children and she died sometime before 1729 when he married Christian Wilson. There were only two known children from this marriage the second in 1730 after which she died. He then married Elspeth Lovie in 1833/34.
2) There are no children's names common to the second and third marriages.
3) The locations indicated by the marriages, baptisms and burial are consistent with this theory. At the time of his first marriage in 1722 Alexander Hacket is "in Pittulie" and Mary was from Tillinamount in Tyrie. Tillinamount was next door to Cairniewhing, Alexander's residence at the time of baptism of his first child to Cristian. The Pittulie connection appears again in this second marriage with the primary witnesses to both baptisms from there. Pittulie is in Pitsligo parish and is adjacent and to the west of Sandhaven which is the boundary between Fraserburgh and Pitsligo parishes. The Alexander who married Elspet Lovie was from Fraserburgh and was "of" Pettindrum in Sandhaven when their first children were baptized. This Alexander was buried at Peathill, Fraserburgh just north of Ardlaw where he "sometimes" farmed which is about 10k north-east of Carniwhing.

As I say this merging of the three Alexanders will do until it can be disproved.

Elspet Lovie was "in Alvah" when they married but their children were all baptised in Pitsligo. I'm not sure what the Alvah connection was but it is likely that Elspet was from the same area as Alexander and that her parents were John and Isobel Lovie also buried at PeatHill. Based on the naming convention their children strongly suggest that her parents were John and Isobel. Her bithdate is a bit contentious with the PeatHill MI transcription in the Aberdeen showing her as 76 in 1780 but the many ancestry.com family trees equally split between 1704 and 1713. 1713 would fit much better with the birth dates of her siblings but at this stage I have no other source for that date or those of the siblings.

So, if the naming convention is in place it would suggest that Alexander and Elspet's first child George was named for Alexander's father. If this Alexander is the same Alexander who married Cristian Wilson then how does George fit with the son named Alexander from his earlier marriage. Was he named for his father not his paternal grandfather or is Alex. who married Cristian not Alexander who married Elspet? And all this is assuming we have found all the children.

The witnesses at Alexander and Cristian's children's baptisms included "particularly" William Hacket and George Rofe, both of Pittulie. It is just possible that William may be Alexander's father but if not it seems very likely that he was a close family member maybe his brother. In Pitsligo Parish and I found two candidates for William the witness. A Wm Hacket was buried there in 1831 and a William Hacket was married there in 1833. It is at least possible that the former was Alexander's father and the other his brother.

For now I'll treat the married William as Alexander's brother in case I lose track of the connection. If I treat the Alexanders of the three marriages as one person the naming convention suggests his father was George or Alexander so for now I'll create a composite "father" with alternate names and include the William who died in 1831.

The second witness at both baptisms was an Alexander Wilson, schoolmaster, of Monquhitter who seems likely to have been Christian's brother.

"Here lyes the body of ALEXANDER HACKET sometime famer in Ardlaw d. 30 Apr 1773 aged 73; his spouse ELSPAT (sic) LOVIE d. 28 June 1780 aged 76; son JOHN HACKET sometime farmer in Ardlaw & about 10 yrs tacksman of Mill of Boyndie d. 20 July 1829 in 90th year"

  Chronology:

He resided in 1722 of Pitulie, Aberdeen. ⁴

He resided in 1829 in "of Carniewhing" , Tyrie. ⁵ <http://www.archive.org/stream/scothistorysoc51scotuoft/scothistorysoc51scotuoft_djvu.txt>:)

In this Parish are great Tracts of Mosses and Moors above Boynlie, where is a Loch to the south well called Loch of Carnie-whing belonging to the Lord Pitsligo wherein wild
goose and ducks much frequent in the Autumn and Winter. The forsaid Brook passing throw Boynlies Gardens or orchards is weel stored with trouts throughout.
\f3

He resided in 1733 in "in the parish of Fraserburgh". ⁴

He resided in 1737 in Coast Town of Pittendrum, Pitsligo, Aberdeen. ⁶

He resided in 1739 in Headroom of Pittendrum, Pitsligo, Aberdeen. ⁷

He worked as a "sometime" farmer before 1773 and resided at Ardlaw, Fraserburgh, Aberdeen. ⁸

Alexander married Mary Forrest on 27 Dec 1722 in Tyrie (Aberdeen).¹ (Mary Forrest was born Cal 1700.)

  Marriage Notes:

"Tillinamount 27th December 1722 This said day also, Alexander Hacket in Pitulie & Mary Forrest in Tillinamount who had been orderly contracted and proclaimed were married by the Minister before various witnesses and particularly before Mr Alexander Forrest Schoolmaster at Lornay & Patrick Gill at Miln of Pitulie"

Alexander next married Christian Wilson, daughter of Patrick Wilson and Isobel Mackie, circa 1728. (Christian Wilson was christened on 5 May 1706 in Monquhitter, Aberdeen ⁹.)

Alexander next married Elspet Lovie, daughter of John Lovie and Isobel Gaul, on 16 Feb 1733/34 in Alvah, Banff.² (Elspet Lovie was born in 1704-1713, died on 28 Jun 1780 and was buried in Kirkyard of Peathill ¹⁰.)

  Marriage Notes:

"Anno 1734 Febry 16th Alexander Hackat in the parish of Fraserburgh and Elspet Lovie in Alvah were contracted in order of marriage and for implement consigned pledges and married"