Donald Cumming and Margaret Dewar in Grandtully, parish of Dull
9th March 1844, Dull OPR
Donald Cumming and Margaret Dewar, both in West Park of Grandtully, both in this parish, gave up their names in order to marriage.
Donald Cumming's wife was the daughter of Donald Dewar and Margaret Fraser. She was born 25th October 1824, Dull parish, the fifth of eight children.
The couple seem to have had only one child, born in Cupar, Fife.
28th March 1845, Cupar OPR
William George, son to Donald Cumming, excise officer, and Margaret Dewar his spouse. Born 14th January and baptised 28th March 1845.
At the time of the 1851 census, their son William was staying with his grandparents in West Park of Grandtully, but the whereabouts of the parents is unknown.
| Dwelling | Name | Occupation | Related | Status | Age | Birthplace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Park | Donald Dewar | farmer of 23 acres | head | marr | 53y | Dull |
| Margaret Dewar | wife | marr | 50y | Dull | ||
| Robert Dewar | son | u/m | 26y | Dull | ||
| Jane Dewar | dau | u/m | 22y | Dull | ||
| William Cumming | scholar | g.son | u/m | 6y | Cupar, Fife | |
| Elizabeth McKinnon | scholar | g.dau | u/m | 5y | Dull |
William Cumming and his widowed mother were living with Donald Dewar at West Park, Grandtully, in 1861.
| Dwelling | Name | Occupation | Related | Status | Age | Birthplace |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Park | Donald Dewar | farmer | head | widower | 66y | Dull |
| Margaret Cumming | dau | widow | 36y | Dull | ||
| Jane Dewar | dau | u/m | 33y | Dull | ||
| George Dewar | son | u/m | 29y | Dull | ||
| William Cumming | scholar | g.son | u/m | 15y | Cupar, Fife | |
| Catherine McEwen | dom. servt | servt | u/m | 23y | L. Dunkeld | |
| Robert Murray | ploughman | servt | u/m | 15y | Logierait |
It would appear that Donald Cumming, the exciseman, died before 1851 and that his wife sent their son to live with her parents. It is impossible to say where he came from as neither his parentage nor his date of birth are known. As excisemen rarely worked in areas where they had been brought up, for obvious reasons, Donald Cumming was an outsider - possibly from Aberdeenshire or Inverness, both whisky-making areas. Another possibility is Kirkintilloch where 28 year old Donald Cummins 'disappears' after 1841.