1758 Alexander Fortay and Margaret Melvil

As is stated on the previous page,
Alexander Fortay was born 27 March 1758 to Alexander Fortay and Margaret Touk (most likely in Kilmany) and christened 2 April 1758 in Kilmany, Fife, Scotland. No death date or place is recorded.

An old home in Kilmany Scotland

Another old home in Kilmany Scotland

Near Kilmany

Margaret Melvil was born 2 November 1760 as the third of four children (2 boys and 2 girls) to David Melvil and Agnes Gilchrist and christened the same day - in Kemback, Fife, Scotland. No death date or place is recorded. Kemback is a little over 4 miles, as the crow flies, south south-east of Kilmany.

A church in Kemback Scotland

Near Kemback

There are 2 dates recorded for their marriage.

One is on 30 June 1780 in Leuchars, Fife, Scotland. Leuchars is about 4 miles east of Kilmany and 4 miles north-east of Kemback.

This church was built in 1183 and was renovated in 1745 so it was already very old when they were married (they may or may not have been married here I still have to find out).

St Athernase Church - Leuchars, Fife, Scotland

The other date is 28 July 1780 in Logie, Fife, Scotland. Logie is less than 2 miles south-east of Kilmany and 3 miles north of Kemback so it could have been in either church (more research is needed).


Alexander would have been 22 years old and Margaret would have been 20 when they got married.

An old church in Logie Scotland

They had 10 children:
1. Alexander Fortie - son (my ancestor) born about 1780 in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland and christened 21 September 1782 in Logie. (It is interesting that he is the only one born in Edinburgh and so long before his christening - this may not be correct- again, more research is needed.)
(Note that Alexander's name is Fortie and the rest of the children are Fortay. This could have been an assumption on someones part perhaps because when his grandson came to America the people at Castle Garden wrote his name down as Fortie as the best spelling for what they heard Alexander tell them (often the family didn't know how to write or there was no set way to spell in those days) and people assumed his father and grandfather were Fortie as well, I don't know (more research is needed).) (See more on his son, Alexander, and grandson, also Alexander, on the next few pages.)
2. Jannet Fortay - daughter, born May 1781 and christened May 1781 in Logie. No marriage or death date or place is known at this time.
3. John Fortay - son, christened on 11 July 1784 in Logie. No marriage or death date or place is known at this time.
4. Margaret Fortay - daughter, born 15 March 1786 and Christened 19 March 1786 in Logie. No marriage or death date or place is known at this time.
5. David Fortay - son, born 27 August 1789 and christened on 30 August 1789 in Logie. No marriage or death date or place is known at this time.
6. Ann Fortay - daughter, born 18 February 1791, christened 20 February 1791 in Logie. No marriage or death date or place is known at this time.
7. James Fortay - son, born 28 March 1793, christened 31 March 1793 in Logie. No marriage or death date or place is known at this time.
8. Helen Fortay - daughter, born 8 October 1795, christened 11 October 1795 in Logie. No marriage or death date or place is known at this time.
9. Mary Fortay - daughter, born 6 June 1797, christened 18 June 1797 in Logie. No marriage or death date or place is known at this time.
10. Christian Fortay - daughter, born 15 May 1799, christened 19 May 1799 in Logie. No marriage or death date or place is known at this time.

Everything for this family seems to be within a 5 to 6 mile area in Fife Scotland, more research is needed.

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Famous people born in Fife. Alexander and Margaret may have known these people or their families or at least known about them.

Born in Carskerdo, near St. Andrews, Scotland to William Wilson and Alison Landall. James Wilson (September 14, 1742 – August 21, 1798) was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence. Wilson was elected twice to the Continental Congress, and was a major force in drafting the United States Constitution. A leading legal theoretician, he was one of the six original justices appointed by George Washington to the Supreme Court of the United States.

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James Clephan (1768–1851) was a lieutenant in the Royal Navy who took part in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. He rose from the ranks to become a Captain. Born in Scoonie in Fife in Scotland in 1768, Clephan was originally a weaver but joined the Merchant Navy when the weaving industry went into decline. He was involved in the war of 1812 with America. 

Clephan retired to Edinburgh and died there in 1851 aged 83.

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