Fisherfolk and tee-names

Some parts of my wife's ancestry is rather complicated.

Several of my wife's ancestors come from very small fishing villages scattered along the cost between Aberdeen and Fraserburgh. Many of these fishing villages were very isolated and made up of several families who shared only a few surnames. Family relationships between people in these villages could be very complicated. This resulted in many people getting a sort of nick-name that distinguished them from others who shared the same surname. These 'nick-names' are known as tee-names. The tee-names were passed from one generation to another and worked almost like another surname.

One line of my wife's many fishing ancestors comes from Broadsea, a small village about half a mile from Fraserburgh. Her 5g-grandfather was Alexander Noble born in about 1740. Alexander Noble's tee-name was Gunner - subsequent generations referred to him as 'Old Gunner Noble'. His son James was also known as Gunner. James's son, Alexander, was known as 'Lengie Gunner'. Lengie Gunner married Elizabeth Noble from a different Noble family (tee-name 'Gibb') in Broadsea.

Lengie Gunner had several brothers and sisters including Barbara Noble 'Gunner' who married John Noble 'Shankie' and Geordie Gunner who married Mary Noble 'Joseph'. So, there were at least four families named Noble in Broadsea at that time - carrying tee-names of 'Gunner', 'Gibb', 'Joseph' and 'Shankie'. These four families almost certainly share a common ancestor named Noble, but he has not yet been traced.

One of Old Gunner Noble's daughters had an illegitimate child by James Gordon of Kinellar, son of John Gordon (Lord Saltoun). This illegitimate child, named James Noble ('Jeemsie Gunner'), was brought up as a son, by Old Gunner Noble his grandfather.

Footnote: James's daughter was grandmother to Christian Watt who wrote the 'Christian Watt Papers'.