Robert Moon in Hosefield, parish of Logierait

Hosefield by Tulliemet

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Robert Mionn (Moon) in Hosefield

Hosefield is a small isolated settlement on the upland behind Tulliemet. There is some link between Blair Atholl parish and Hosefield which is unknown as even in the early 1700s people from the parish had been living there. James Stobie shows it as being in ruins in 1783 but less than twenty years earlier it had been home to Robert Moon. It is assumed that he would have been around 30 years old when he married in 1767, making his birth in the late 1730s. There are no obvious matches in the Perthshire OPRs and it must be assumed that his baptism was never recorded.

There is a tenuous link between Hosefield and Glen Fincastle in that Donald Moon, in Edintian of Glen Fincastle, married Janet Buttar in Hosefield, parish of Logierait, 9th February 1749. Alexander Moon and his wife Janet Ferguson were also living at Edintian. It is possible that all three were brothers.

Logierait, 15th August 1767
Robert Mionn in Hosefield and Margaret Robertson in Pitcastle of Balichondie entered their names for proclamation in order to marriage.

Margaret Robertson seems to have died soon after the marriage (childbirth?) as Robert Mionn married Isobel Eason in January 1769.

Logierait, 21st January 1769
Robert Mionn in Hosefield and Isobel Eason in Tulliemet entered their names for proclamation in order to marriage.

All three sons were born in Dowally parish.

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The Children of Robert Moon and Isabel Easson in Dowally

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George Moon and Janet Campbell in Dowally

Dowally OPR, 10 Mar 1806
George Moon in Guay and Janet Campbell in the parish of Logierait were married the 10th March 1806.

The corresponding marriage entry for Logierait parish is much more revealing.

Logierait OPR, 11 Mar 1806
George Moan (Moon), tailor in Guay, Dowally parish, and Jannet Campbell, daughter to the late Alexander Campbell in Middletown of Balyoukan, gave up their names for proclamation of banns in order to marriage.

There seem to be no baptisms for any children and George's wife died in 1820, as the Dowally Kirk Collections, 6th February 1820, records "From George Moon, for the mortcloth for his wife, 2s 6d". George remarried the same year but died only weeks later.

Dowally OPR, 1820
George Moon in Guay and Anne Munroe, servant with John Douglass, farmer in the same town, both in this parish, gave up their names in order for marriage, 29th October 1820. The said couple were married at Perth, 31st current.

The Dowally Kirk Collections, 24th December 1820, records "For the mortcloth for George Moon, Guay, 2s 6d".

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Robert Moon and Margaret Robertson in Guay, Dowally

Dowally, 24th November 1801
Robert Moon, weaver in Guay, and Margaret Robertson from the parish of Blair Atholl, at present servant maid with Robert Robertson, tenant in Guay, gave in their names in order for marriage, the 24th day of October 1801.

The first two children of Robert and Margaret were baptised and their names entered into the Dowally OPR, but the names of the other children have been discovered through census returns and death certificates. The Coupar Angus census returns state that their children Alexander, Janet and George were all born in Coupar Angus, 1811-16. Their father seems to have died in 1823.

The Dowally Kirk Collections, 20th April 1823, records "For the mortcloth for Robert Moon, Guay, 2s 6d". And 8th June 1823 "Received from Alexander Forbes, Elder, on behalf of John Moon, son to the late Robert Moon, Guay, deceast, £20".

The second part also raises questions. Robert's son John would only have been five years old and older brothers are not mentioned. Perhaps the widow, accompanied by her 5-year-old arrived at the door of Alexander Forbes the Kirk Elder with the £20 donation. If the family moved to Coupar Angus immediately afterwards perhaps this would account for them 'being born in Coupar Angus'. Certainly, there is only one recorded marriage between a Robert Moon (or Moan) and a Margaret Robertson, and that is the one in Dowally parish. Likewise, there are no entries in the Coupar Angus OPR which link to this family.

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The Children of Robert Moon and Margaret Robertson in Dowally

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Robert Moon in Logierait parish

A Robert Moon, unmarried pauper, died in the Union Poorhouse of Logierait on 3rd August 1886 aged 78 years. His parents were given as George Moon and unknown mother. This does not sound like the same fellow but the occupation of his father was given as Sheriff Officer, which is also mentioned on the death certificate of his (possible) brother John Moon. Secondly his age is close to that which would be expected if he was born in 1806. Lastly, there is no record of a baptism for a Robert, son of George Moon, in Logierait and the surrounding area. Unfortunately none of the census returns provide any further information.

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Alexander, Janet and George Moon in Coupar Angus

At the time of the 1841 census, Alexander, Janet and George were living with their mother in Barlatch Street, Coupar Angus. Their brother John had just married and was living just a few doors away

Margaret Robertson died before 1851 and the census for that year shows the family still living at Barlatch Street which was later re-named as George Street.

Janet Moon married Alexander Young the same year. Alexander died, unmarried, in 1857. George was living with his sister and brother-in-law, Alexander Young in 1881 and he died in 1888.

Janet Young, married to Alexander Young, warper, died at 6 George Street on 20th February 1898 aged 83 years. Parents given as Robert Moon, labourer, and Margaret Robertson, both deceased. The informant was her son James Young.

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John Moon and Marjory Thomson in Coupar Angus

The marriage of John Moon and Marjory Thomson is recorded in both the Coupar Angus and Cargill OPRs, but neither have any additional details.

Coupar Angus OPR, 17th February 1838
Proclaimed. John Moon, weaver, residing in this parish and Marjory Thomson in the parish of Cargill. 3 Sabbaths.

Cargill OPR, 4th March 1838
John Moon (C. Angus parish) and May Thomson.

In the 1841 census for Barlatch (or George Street) in Coupar Angus John Moon and his wife were living eight doors away from John's mother Margaret and the rest of her family.

The two Moon families were still living in Barlatch Street in 1851, but a new family named Moon were living next door to John's family

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Side-note of John Moon and Amelia (Emily) Menzies in Cupar, Fife

Considering the scarcity of Moons in this area, the arrival of widow Emily Moon and her daughter in the house next to that of John Moon would suggest that they were closely related, rather than it being a sheer coincidence. However, if this is the case, the relationship is far from clear. The information from the census return suggests that Emily was the widow of John Moon, who probably was the overseer of Russell Mill at Springfield, just to the west of Cupar in Fife. Their marriage lines appear in both the Cupar OPR and Perth OPR.

Perth, November 1831
Perth, the fourth day of November 1831 years - Contracted - John Moon, overseer in a spinning mill (at) Cupar of Fife, and Amelia Menzies in St. Pauls Church parish of Perth, daughter of Robert Menzies, farmer in Bankfoot - Elder, Andrew Robertson - The persons before named were regularly proclaimed and married on the 18th day of November said year by the Rev. Mr MacLagan, minister of the Gospel (at) Kinfauns.

The Cupar OPR contains the baptisms of two daughters to John Moon and Amilia Manzies (Amelia Mingus): Margaret, b 25 May 1834; and Janet, b 24 Oct 1836.

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The Children of John Moon and Marjory Thomson in Coupar Angus

John Moon, stoker in a linen factory, married to Marjory Thomson, died at George Street in Coupar Angus on 15th August 1880 aged 61 years. Parents given as Robert Moon, Sheriff Officer, and Margaret Robertson, both deceased. Informant was his son-in-law, Peter Shepherd.

1881 census - Marjory,