Quixotic – “preoccupied with an unrealistically optimistic or chivalrous approach to life; impractically idealistic” – a fair word to describe William M Groundwater, my great great uncle? William Moncrieff Groundwater was born on 11 March 1849 in Orphir, Orkney, first child of John Groundwater and Williamina Moncrieff, and died on 16 October 1936 at Cruan | more…
Blog category: Family Stories, page 5
N is for next generation
We tend to think of family history as people before us but it’s important to record current generations too. The next generation will thank you for it, eventually! How to help the next generation Have you added names to all your family photos? Hardcopy ones, yes maybe? But what about all the digital ones? Here’s | more…
Alexander Moncrieff, schoolmaster, and the Houton estate
Moncrieff is one of the more unusual surnames in my family tree. Unusual for Orkney that is. The name links to Houton, formerly a small estate in the parish of Orphir, Orkney. Map (name spelled Houston) Moncrieff origins I’d never investigated where the Moncrieffs came from but last year I had a client whose ancestry | more…
