Alex was baptised on Saturday, September 4th, 1824 in Findochty. His parents were Alex Campbell and Helen Flett, who had been married in 1817 at Rathven. He was their fourth child of a total family of nine. At his baptism the witnesses were Alex Flett and Alex Campbell, the second possibly being one of my 3xgreat grandfathers, but no relation to Alex. Already in the family were William, Jane and Barbara, born in 1817, 1819 and 1822.

Alex was followed by John, Margaret, James and the twins, George and Helen, born in 1827, 1829, 1832 and 1834 respectively. All survived to adulthood, which was a remarkable achievement for the age and size of the family.

The first record that we have of Alex after his baptism was in the 1841 census return where we find him recorded as a 16 year old, `absent at the south', presumably with his father, a white fisherman. His mother was living in the east end of Findochty with children, Barbara, (16-19), John, (14), James, (9), and twins, George and Helen aged six. William had married Margaret Garden in 1839 and living in his own home, where we find his 10 year old sister Margaret. Jean was living close to her brother, employed as a female servant by a Sutherland family.

In 1843 Barbara married George Phimister, while Jean married Coast Guard Samuel Bisset Gorn.

Anne was baptised on Sunday, June 27th, 1824, in Portessie. Her parents were Alex McKenzie and Jessie Clark, who had been married on August 10th, 1799 at Rathven. She was the youngest of eleven children born to Alex and Jessie, of whom perhaps only six survived. Siblings Alex, Margaret and Janet certainly died in infancy or early childhood and another Alex and Isabel may also have succumbed.

Anne's surviving elders were Margaret, Janet, John, William and Jane born in 1809, 1812, 1814, 1819 and 1821 respectively. Sister Margaret married James Imlach in 1835, while John married Jane Reid from Portgordon in 1838. Janet married Alex Imlach in 1840 and in 1842, William married Jean Reid, possibly also from Portgordon. How many of these weddings mother Jessie saw is uncertain as she was dead by 1841 judging by the census of that year. Anne herself was living, probably as a servant, with sister Margaret, and her young family.

Sister Jane married David Flett,`Yankie' in 1843 and moved to Findochty, where after widowhood and a second marriage in middle age she died in 1901. Possibly through her sister's having moved to the neighbouring village enabled Anne to meet Alex resulting eventually in their union.

The couple were contracted in marriage on June 7th, 1850. Anne, their first born, and my great grandmother, was born in the following November. In the Findochty census of 1851 the Alex and Anne were living quite near Alex's parents, with their three month old daughter and Anne's fourteen year old niece, Margaret Imlach, from Portessie who was a living in servant.

From 1862 three children, Alex, Jane Gordon and James were born at three yearly intervals. In April, 1861, the whole family had gone to Caithness for the white fishing season and were recorded in the Dunbeath district of Latheron parish. In 1862, daughter Helen was born and thereafter three children, John, and twins David and Isabella were born in 1864 and 1867, but none survived infancy.

In 1868, Alex's father died aged 76 and his widowed mother went to live with Alex's sister Helen. His daughter Anne, now twenty, gave birth to a daughter, also named Anne and shortly after married the father James Flett,`Yankie' in 1870. In 1871, the census recorded Alex and Anne, now in their mid forties, with seventeen year son Alex, now a fisherman, Jane Gordon, a fourteen year old servant in the house and James and Helen still at school. Also in the household at that time was James Campbell, Alex's nephew, his brother James's son and a general servant, Elizabeth Smith, from Portessie. In August of that year, Alex's mother, Helen, died aged 76.

In 1876, eldest son Alex married Mary Flett,`Sailor' and in 1880 Jane Gordon married Alex Grant in the Buckie Catholic Chapel. In 1881, the Alex and Ann were recorded at number 127 Findochty, later renamed Back Street, and with them was son James, now a nineteen year old fisherman, daughter Helen, now aged 18, unmarried and learning the fisher and domestic skills at home as a servant. Also living with her parents was Jane Gordon and her two children, Mary Ann and Helen Grant. Alex and Anne's oldest grandchild, Anne Flett, now aged 10 was also and seems to have been brought up by her grandparents. An eighteen year old Wick born, fisherman, George Phimister was recorded as a visitor at #127. Also in a separate part of the house lived son Alex and his wife Mary, who within six months of the census was to die of TB.

Son Alex took a second wife, Ann Flett, in 1883, who also settled at #127. In the following year daughter Anne's husband James Flett also died of consumption. Daughter Helen married William Smith about this time and son James also took a wife, probably called Ann Flett, but as yet not identified.

In 1891, Alex and Anne were recorded sharing the house with son James's and daughter Helen's families. Still living with them were grand daughters Ann Flett, now 20 and looking after the house, and Mary Ann Grant, probably only visiting, who was now a twelve year old school girl. Son Alex was recorded at number 167 Findochty, daughters Ann and Helen were at 104 and widowed daughter Jane was still at New Street, Buckie, in her father-in-law, John Grant's house, and possibly acting as his house keeper as his wife Mary Cowie had died.

In 1896, Anne developed cancer and on Thursday, December 3rd of that year she died at 1.30am. She was 72 years, 5 months and 17 days of age and her death was certified by her son James and she was buried in the Old Kirkyard at Rathven.

Alex died in 1905 at the family home in Back Street on Friday, September 29th. He was 81 years and 25 days old and had been suffering from broncho pneumonia for two and a half months. The informant was his eldest son, Alex, residing at 167 Findochty. Alex was buried in the family grave at Rathven on November 3rd, 1905. The family home at 127 was seemingly then occupied by son James until at least 1913.