Email from Jason Cross - 2 May 2019.
Descendent of the former David Cairncross who changed his name to David Cross after residing in Massachusetts USA during the Revolutionary War.
My reply - 2 May 2019.
Hi Jason,
Thanks for the email. I may need more information in order to attempt to find your family tree. My master document containing all the Cairncross family trees runs to 269 pages of A4, and I tried searching using the keywords 'revolutionary' and 'Massachusetts', with no hits. It would be futile using the name David as the basis of a search as there are likely to be scores of that name.
Perhaps if you give the names of your father, then his father, up as far as you can, with dates of birth if you have them, I may stand a better chance.
Regards Ian Cairncross.
Email from Jason Cross - 3 May 2019.
Good evening, Ian,
Thank you for the reply back! So David was born in Dundee City in Scotland on 6 Apr 1755 and died in Massachusetts on 04 Jan 1852 (last name shortened to Cross after defecting the Army).
In doing the research for my family history, my wife also was able to trace that back too. She even found the story that Cairncross defected the British Army for the love of an
American girl after the battle of Saratoga (or something like that). Prior to joining the British Army he ran away from his home in Scotland.
That is far as I have been able to trace back. I hope this may help a little but that is all I have been able to find so far. Thank you for the help.
Best regards,
Jason Cross
My reply - 4 May 2019.
Hi Jason,
Thanks for sending me so much information regarding your enquiry about David Cairncross, later to be known as David Cross.
I only wish I could bring you better news, having conducted a detailed search. I have used the keywords; Grace, Moody, 1755, Stannergate, Mulholland and 1852. Lots of ladies named Grace, but none married to a David. No matches on any of the other names or dates.
It is disappointing for me as I prefer to have more success than this.
In addition, I did a search within Ancestry, but could find no David Cairncross born 1755 in Dundee with a mother called Grace.
It may hep if we can go back another generation; do you know the details of any other family members going back in time.
In my observation lots of Cairncrosses born in Scotland, including Dundee, moved to other areas of the world. We are a well travelled family.
Sorry I was not more helpful.
Regards, Ian Cairncross.
Email from Jason Cross - 3 May 2019.
Ian,
Enclosed below is a little more history including David's parents names in Scotland. I've hit a roadblock from there and hope you may be able make sense of the family history in Scotland.
My DNA history from Ancestory.com shows a 52% heritage to the Scotland region.
Jason
Family Name in Scotland was Cairncross.
David Cairncross* (see name change information below), son of David and Grace (Moody) Cairncross was born in 1755 in the Stannergate section of Dundee, Dundee City, Scotland. He "ran away from home" and enlisted in the British army coming to America during the Revolutionary War. He fought under General 'Gentleman Johnnie' Burgoyne, and was captured in the Battle of Saratoga.
While the column of captured soldiers was marching back to Boston under the watchful eye of Sgt. James Mulholland, they stopped for the night near the home of Sgt. Mulholland in Chester, Hampden, Massachusetts. One of the women who came to pass out food to the captured soldiers was 16 year old Nancy Mulholland, daughter of the sergeant. David was smitten with the beautiful young woman, and after the column continued on to Boston under new guards, he slipped away and eventually returned to Chester and Nancy.
*Following his return to Chester, David dropped Cairn from his name, and never again contacted his family in Scotland.
He worked as a farm hand for her father, and for seven years he courted her, as one story tells, until the townsfolk decided he was worthy of her hand. They married before 1787, probably in Chester, Hampden, Massachusetts.
(Note: The Mulholland family changed their name to Holland, in the late 1700s)
Children of David & Nancy (Mulholland/Holland) Cross:
1. James, born 1789, married Abigail Whittemore
2. William, married 1st Samantha Dibble, married 2nd Waity Ann (Newton) Swan, widow of Nathan Swan
3. Polly, born 1787, married John Geer, Jr.
4. Minerva, married 23 September 1813, William Bell
5. Nancy, born 1796, died 6 March 1851
6. Samuel, born 1798, married Nancy Simmons
7. John G., born 1803, died 5 March 1860
David & Nancy (Holland) Cross lived in Chester, Middlefield and Washington, Massachusetts. In Washington they lived on Cross Farm Road.
David Cross died in Washington, Berkshire, Massachusetts of old age on 4 January 1852 at the age of 98 years, 8 months, 28 days.*
Source: Massachusetts Archives, Columbia Point, Boston, MA
Deaths: 1862 Volume 66 Page 50
Recent search for information from Scotland's People Births (Old Parish Registers Births 310/30 319 Monifieth) Page 319 of 445 states 6 April 1753 David Cairncross,
son of David Cairncross was baptized. This information would change his age at death to 98 years if it is true. Further search is needed
Email from Jason Cross - 7 May 2019.
Hi Ian,
Thank you so much. I'm going to keep reaching out to distant family members who may have more clues to David's past in Scotland.
Once I get more details, I will be sure to reach out to you again. If I may, I would like to include your internet link with all your Cairncross history to my family's history Facebook page.
Thank you again for everything.
Jason
My reply - 7 May 2019.
Hi Jason,
I'm disappointed I could not be more helpful. In all the years I have been doing this, it often works out like this. Having access to all these family trees
gives me more chance than anyone else to find links to people. But there are many occasions where Cairncrosses simply do not fit into one of the trees.
Your offer to promote the family site on your family page is one I welcome.
Do come back to me if you come across more information.
Regards, Ian.
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