Can anyone confirm my conclusion and add more info that James Inness b.1700 Canisbay, Caithness, SCOTLAND m.Jean Brodie b.abt 1703 whose family was also associated with Canisbay, Caithness, Scotland and they emigrated NC and lived at Point Pleasant Plantation, Cape Fear River, Wilmington NC?
This Col. James Inness d.1755 Winchester VA while on duty as Commander of NC Troops in the French & Indian War. The Widow, Jean (Brodie) Inness m.(2) Francis Corbin, agent for Lord Granville. Jean (Brodie) (Innes) Corbin & her two husbands were buried at Point Pleasant Plantation. (Info from (1) World Connect trees & (2) NC Archives & History).

...I find it interesting that the IGI only has the marriage registered in Banff. Aside from the NC archives, which states his birthplace as Caithness, and doesn't mention hers, do you have anything else to confirm/support that birthplace?...it just strikes me as odd. I'm thinking the NC archives had it wrong somehow.
I have too many stray Banffshire James', and a few Brodies who married Innes'. I haven't attempted to see if the Brodies are related.
I'd love to know if you get anywhere with this.
cheers
Pat

Here is a Scots source for Col. James Innes' birthplace: http://www.fife.50megs.com/highlands-america-anecdote.htm
and I quote from it: "Canisbay, Caithness A village on the north coast of Caithness District, 4m west of Duncansby Head. Birthplace of Col. James Innes who emigrated to America in 1734. He was appointed Commander-In-Chief of the expeditionary forces to Ohio in 1754. He later founded a school in North Carolina."

Fred,
From his Will and other sources, there is little doubt that James INNES came from Canisbay in Caithness, father Rev James INNES. And equally clear his wife's forename was Jean. But where did you discover her surname was BRODIE?

I ask this because of the James INNES Jean BRODIE marriage in Banff, BAN (per IGI - I haven't seen the OPR), and also because it has been claimed that James INNES was related to the INNES of Edingight, Grange, BAN, although in "Ecclesiastical History of Caithness" (1909) it is claimed he was from the [INNES?] family of Blackhills in Moray.

This query is in the context of two migrants in 1737 from Inverenss, INV to the Georgia Colony - James GADDIS & John GADDIS - who (a) were Scottish so probably the surname was really GEDDES, and (b) seemed to have aimed for Col James INNES' neck of the woods. The surname looms equally large, separately, both in Banffshire and Caithness, and I'm trying to establish whether these two were more likely to have come from Canisbay Caithness, or Banffshire/Moray which is where my lot come from.

Any help appreciated.

Howard Geddes

There were 3 items I based my conclusion on:
1. James Innes left a bequest to minister James Brodee & church of Canisbay, Caithness, Scotland.
2. James Innes came from Caithness Scotland probably in 1734 to America (several websites).
3. A Jean Brodie m.1723 James Innes (from Julia Henderson data at World Connect). But, I more recently found out from Clan Brodie that this was Rev. James Innes of minister of Banff (unlikely he would also be the soldier--although Clan Brodie notes he had a son who was: Col Alexander Innes). So, the 3rd prop for my conclusion appears negative.

Does anyone have any further info on this Jean ____ who m. Col James Innes immigrant to North Carolina? Was she a Brodie or no?

Have you seen The Highland Scots of North Carolina, 1732-1776, author Duane Meyer? There are several references to your James Innes, including mention of his will and the bequest to the parish of Cannesbay.
I am currently researching early Caithness emigrants to the American colonies, and have run across several statements online that the James Innes who rose to prominence in North Carolina was born in Canisbay, and I can't help but wonder if that is a conclusion reached strictly on the basis of his will? I find several James Innes born in Caithness from 1660 to 1700 but can find no record of a birth in Canisbay Parish of a James Innes.
There is, however, a Marriage entry on 25th Jan. 1690 in Thurso of a James Innes of Pennyland to a Jean Miller of Ormly. This might fit in with James Innes and wife Jean of Cape Fear. But that would mean this James Innes was born 1670 or earlier, and died aged 90 or older. Not very likely.

Other than the marriage in Banff of minister James Innes to Mrs. Jean Brodie daughter of Mr. Houne (or Horne?) of Elgin, I can find no Innes/Brodie marriage record anywhere. It appears the Innes of Banff and Caithness were connected ... at least according to The History of the Province of Moray, written in 1827, the Innes Baronets of Moray owned extensive Caithness properties in the 1400-1500s.
Don't know if any of this helps or if I've just further confused things. If I run across anything more I'll post.
Cheers,
Carol Thomas
Caithness

Thanks for that Carol. You're absolutely right about how the Will could be misconstrued. Hadn't thought of that! But I believe some good evidence can be found in the Fasti:

"JAMES INNES, born 1638, descended 1Q&7 of the family of Blackhills in Moray ; educated at Marischal College, Aber
deen ; M.A. (llth June 1666) ; entered 22nd Dec. 1667; did not conform to Presbyterianism in 1690, but was allowed to remain in the charge till his death on 24th Dec. 1704. He marr. Jean Munro, who died before 1725, and had issue Theodore, merchant, Edinburgh ; James, settled in South Carolina, who left 80 to the poor of the parish ; Barbara, marr. (cont. 19th Aug. 1732) John Sutherland, merchant, Thurso. [Caithness Sas., i., 441 ; Services of Heirs ; Macfarlane s Geog. Coll., i,, 155 ; TomlstJ]" - from http://www.archive.org/details/fastiecclesiu07scotuoft which is a reasonable OCR scan of the original.

My posting 7 Jun 2007 sums up where I'm coming from. Behind it all, for me, is the oft-repeated assertion that the James GADDIS & John GADDIS above were sons of George GEDDES of Nether Dallachy, Bellie, Banff and Kempcairn, Keith, Banff & his wife Margaret INNES (they marr 1707 - their marriage contract survives). She was eldest d/o John INNES 5th of Edingight, which brings in the INNES connection.

I'm now perfectly satisfied that this assertion is incorrect, for several reasons, the most obvious being that George GEDDES & Margaret INNES didn't have a son John and their son James GEDDES married Isobel TAYLOR and remained in Bellie/Keith. On the other hand, given the 'other' GEDDES hot-spot in Caithness and with Col James INNES' Canisbay connections (even if not origins), there is a sensible alternative to the immigrants' origins - Canisbay rather than Bellie.

My GEDDESes come from Banffshire (Fordyce and Deskford) and I've been trying to find a link back to the Bellie GEDDESes. Every loose end seems to involve a James and a John! So, James GEDDES s/o George GEDDES is still a candidate relative of mine, and worth trying to find a link to.

I have yet to come across any link between my 'indigenous' GEDDESes in Banffshire and those in Caithness (or Orkney) and not for the want of trying.

Further, we've since satisfied ourselves (via Fasti Ecclesiæ Scoticanae for Moray/Aberdeen) that Rev James INNES (h/o Jean BRODIE) cannot possibly be Col James INNES, so that line of inquiry came to naught. According to Clan Brodie, Rev James INNES is a Balvenie INNES which goes back to Walter INNES 1st of Innermarkie (as do the Edingight [Grange, Banff] and Orton [Moray] INNES.

Thanks again. Do let me know of any Geddeses you stumble across in your research!

Howard Geddes

I had supposed that the marriage of James Innes and jean Brodie might be that of the couple who settled at Point Pleasant on the Cape Fear River because the dates were sensible.

Could you please source for me that this Jean Brodie was a widow and this James Innes a minister.

Is Pennyland anywhere near Canisbay? If so, the 1690 marriage in Thurso could be a second marriage of the Rev. James Innes, to the mother of the three children recorded in Fasti. This would make son James the right age to have served in 1741 at Cartagena (as a Major commanding the North Carolina troops) and in 1754 at Fort Cumberland (as a Colonel, for 4 months commanding all the troops sent to the Ohio Valley).

I do not understand the significance of the statement in Fasti that Rev James Innes "did not conform to Presbyterianism in 1690, but was allowed to remain in the charge till his death" - could this be why there are no baptismal records for his children?

William Innes married Janet Barnet at Comest, Caithness, on 7th August 1709 and they had a son Theodore, born at Duncansbay, Cannisbay, on 25th December 1710 and christened at Cannisbay, Caithness, on 27th December 1710 - probably named for the late Rev. James Innes' eldest son.

Last Thursday i went to Point Pleasant on the Cape Fear River in search of the 3 graves described by Janet Schaw in her "Journal of a Lady of Quality" as being situated "at the bottom of the lawn", but concluded that they have been washed away into the river. The plantation house and its dependencies burnt about 1782, probably arson because its last occupant, Jean Corbin's executor John Rutherfurd was a staunch loyalist who entered his two sons in the British service and whose waiting man, Sandy, was murdered for having served as a guide to Cornwallis' troops.

Given the content of James Innes of Point Pleasant's will, there can be no doubt of his close connection with Canisbay: he left bequests “to pay for a Church Bell for the Parish Church of Cannesby, in Caithness” and of “One Hundred Pounds Sterll. for the Use of the Poor of the Said Parish”. His widow's executor, John Rutherford, did nothing towards implementing his main bequest to fund "a Free School for the benefite of the Youth of North Carolina". Innes Academy in Wilmington did not open until 1800, despite prompting Acts from the NC legislature in 1783 and 1788. Canisbay got £80 for its poor in 1804, and apparently never got its church bell.

Just a quick response ... it's a fine sunny day here in Caithness and it's not to be wasted by sitting here on the computer!
1) Pennyland Farm/House/Steading is on the west side of Thurso, in the parish of Thurso. Canisbay (the village) is about 15 to 20 east of Pennyland. The parish of Canisbay runs from the east side of the village of Scarfskerry to John O'Groats and then south to its boundary with the Parish of Wick, south of Freswick.
2) The mention in Fasti about Rev James Innes not conforming to Presbyterianism seems to indicate that, although he did not fall in line with the "established" Presbyterian Church in 1690, he was not ousted but was allowed to continue on in charge of his Canisbay flock. The fact that no children of his were entered in the parish records might reflect his views on conforming to the established church.

More later, after some thought. Cheers

johnc1941, don't quite understand your first query, but:

The Fasti for Aberdeen & Moray is clear: Rev James INNES & Jean BRODIE married 8 Oct 1723; he was Minister for Banff. He died 1753; she died 1800. This James INNES was son of Patrick INNES (also Minister of Banff) & Margaret JOASS, and (for the purposes of this thread) had no association with Caithness, Canisbay or Col James INNES.

The Fasti for Caithness makes it equally clear that Col James INNES is son of (another) Rev James INNES & Jean MUNRO.

The surname of Col James INNES' wife Jean is uncertain. The only evidence (I've come across) of her surname is in her husband's Will (www.caithness.org/caithnessfieldclub/bulletins/1983/october1...) where she is referred to as Jean Innes. But this of course might simply be her husband's surname.

Hope that clarifies things for you. Howard