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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Dumfriesshire => Topic started by: doreen gall on Thursday 22 June 06 11:56 BST (UK)
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I've waited for the full 1841 census to come on line in the hope of finding Christopher Buchanan , but I seem to have waited in vain as I can't find him.
Found a record of his first sons christening in Middlebie DFS 1843, Thomas Buchanan mother Jean Blacklock.
Found Christopher on the 1891 back to the 1851 census in England, his place of birth on all is Dumfries.
In 1852 Jane (Jean) dies in the village of Cartmel , Ulverston. 1854 Christopher weds for a second time in Cartmel on the wed cert he names his father as James Buchanan occupation Farmer, Christopher is down as a Shepherd.
Can't find his birth or first marriage in the OPRs at Scotlandspeople site, going by the English census he was born between 1819 and 1821.
My only hope now is to try to find him on the 1831 census living with his father somehere in Dumfries, can someone help me with this please.
Doreen.
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Hi Doreen
Hate to disappoint you but there is no 1831 census to look up.
The earliest nationwide record was the 1841.
Any earlier records which have survived would probably not give you very much information anyway.
Another approach might be to trawl through the Old Parochial Records films from the LDS and see if you can locate him from them. In a small town or village it's not too massive an undertaking especially within so narrow a time span.
Its a fascinating way to spend an afternoon. Some of the entries are interesting even if of no relevance to you.
There may be Kirk Session minutes surviving from the parish church although they are most likely to be in the National Archive in Edinburgh.
If they were very good - or very bad, they might be mentioned in a minute.
There is a local Family history Society who might be able to help too.
Russell
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Hi Russell,
Thanks for your reply, thought I may be grasping at straws. I was thinking of getting intouch with Edinburgh to see if they would carry out a search.
There is a LDS office in Livepool I could give them a call to see if they can come up with the films.
Once again thanks.
Doreen.
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What is his approx age Doreen, I've got a few extraneous sources for Dumfriesshire ?
Gadget
Just reread your first posting - I'll go looking
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Hi Gadget, he was born approx 1819 -1822, however, on his death cert 1897 he is stated to be 73 at that time, making his birth abt 1824, I do think this is wrong, as on his second wed cert in 1854 he is 32.
Thanks for the offer. (oops you are there.)
Doreen
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First thoughts -
I've taken his first name with a 'pinch of salt' - my lot used to use different names occasionally
Nearest I've come up with so far in Dumfriesshire , with father James is from BIVRI 2nd Edition:
Archbald Buhannan, bpt. 1818, Dryfesdale, Dumfries, Parents - James Buhannan and N Ladlaw
and a brother -
Benjamin Bell Buchanan, bpt. 1822, Dryfesdale, Dumfries, Parents - James Buchanan and Helen Laidle
I would think this is the same family - poorly transcribed - Helen Laidlaw probably :-\
Not very good matches but I'm still looking!
Another possible is that he might have been illegitimate and that's a whole can of worms but his father would usually have been mentioned.
Again, there was quite a lot of secession from the established church and he could have been baptised outwith this.
Gadget
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Hi Doreen
Gadget, like me, is an unbeleiver when it comes to the information on Death Certificates.
They are notoriously inaccurate for spelling, ages, places and , worst of all the names of the person's parents.
Most sons registering a father or mother's death only knew his grandparents as "Grannie Brown" or "Grandpa McKay" and sometimes mixed up the names of the two sets of grandparents.
Even marriage certificates did not always reflect the persons 'actual' age. ladies could confabulate a little and fudged their age to be younger. If they were born before 1855 no one could contradict them could they ?
A great uncle of mine made himself older so he could become a boy soldier but a couple of years later, when he went to get married he had to continue the fiction, so his records all have the wrong age on them.
Even Memorial inscriptions can have wrong dates. Sometimes they were put up years after the burial when the family could afford it and a wrong date could be given to the sculptor.
It all makes the hunt more exciting when you overcome the obstacles.
Russell
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An example of memorial inscription errors, Russell, is my 4 x granny, Jean Spalding - amazingly seems to have given birth at the age of 59 - and my overseas cousins had included it in their trees until I questioned them about it and went all the way to New Galloway to examine the edifice!
Obviously a mason's error or granny registering the birth as her own :-\
Gadget - the other unbeliever ;)
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Well I never, he named his his first son Thomas , so was he a Thomas ? his second son was a James, he did have a son named Christopher .
Doreen.
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My doubt, Doreen, is that I haven't come across many Christophers in D & G - female Christian's but Christopher :-\ :-\ :-\
I'd like to know what Russell thinks about this one.
Gadget
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OK Gadet ,have to take a dog for a walk ::),also should make a phone call.
Thanks for your input.
Doreen.
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There's a very interesting looking Jane Blacklock bpt Canonbie, 23 March 1826. Parents Thomas Blacklock and Martha Irving.
It wasn't that unusual for the naming pattern to be modified
Gadget -dogless now :(
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Hi Doreen and gadget
I would agree with your comments about Christopher Gadget and Christian was more common pre-1800 generally. I have seen it as a male name as well as, but less commonly than, as a female name.
Even by 1820 it was mostly female and often modified to Christy or Kirsty so it was more common on the West coast where it seemed to fit with the Gaelic speaking and pronunciation.
I have relatives through Roxburgh, Hawick, Penninghame and have not seen a Christopher. Doesn't mean there aren't any but I've looked at an awful lot of name lists as you have too.
Just a thought Doreen , on an earlier response you thought of trying Edinburgh. I think you may not yet have enough to make a search viable and cost effective.
I think there's a possibility that Christopher may have anglicised his name when he went south of the border.
:o ???
Russell
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As he was a shepherd, an off chance might be to look at any estate records where he worked. One of my ancestor (from D & G) was a shepherd on a large estate in North Wales - but if it was for a smaller farmer then that would be no use.
I do recall that there are a mass of records for Ulverston/Cartmel online. It might be worth having a look at what is there and try working backwards.
There are the Kirk Session minutes. I've already checked the online ones and can't find anything.
Have you looked for wills of a James Buchanan, farmer on SP - it's another possibility.
It might be one of those that is put on the back boiler for a while.
Gadget
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H i Gadget and Russell,
I think there is a strong family connection with the parish of Middlebie, I did find a Christopher on the IGI, born abt 1808 wed to Margaret Bell submitted details by a member of LDS.
They had a daughter Janet Buchanan born 1840 at Middlebie, Janet is on the 1841 and 1851 living with her grandmother Isabella Bell at Wallace Hall Middlebie. No trace of the parents on the 1841 or 1851. Christopher the shepherd was at Wallace Hall in 1843 this address is recorded on his sons baptism record .
A John Buchanan age 56 farmer is on the 1841, address Pokeskine Middlebie and appears to live close to Isabella Bell, he may be a relative.
I'm wondering if perhaps Christopher on the LSD is mine and did he marry both ladies or perhaps only one of them.(the mind boggles) What do you both think about this possibility?.
I will try to find out more about the estates, both in Middlebie and Cartmel, who knows something my be found that could lead to Christopher and perhaps is parents.
Cheers
Doreen
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Hi Doreen
I think that building up a total picture of the family name/areas is probably one of the only ways we're going to solve this one. I've got this prob with my Carson line (see Kirkcudbright thread).
I leave them for a while then go back again and build up a bit more info.
Gadget
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Hi Gadget,
Seen your Carson's on the Kirkcudbight thread,must send your head in a spin at times.
With a John Buchanan, the Bells and Blacklocks in Middlebie, I think I'll follow them and see what comes of it.
Both you and Russell have been a great help, hopefully something will turn up.
Doreen.
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Hi Doreen
I think that building up a total picture of the family name/areas is probably one of the only ways we're going to solve this one. I've got this prob with my Carson line (see Kirkcudbright thread).
I leave them for a while then go back again and build up a bit more info.
Gadget
Hi Gadget,
Found the Family at last- but not Christopher, may be he was up in the hills with his sheep.
Found his father and mother and a sister plus two brothers on the 1851 Scottish census at Ancestry , the name was transcribed as Buchannon, they where all born in Middlebie and living in Canonbie.
Then went on the SP site and had a field day via the search for their deaths , found Christopher's grandparents recorded on his father James and mother Janet's certs . I now have Jackson's, Little's, and Davidson's as part of my tree.
I also found a John Buchanan living in Miidlebie he turned out to be the elder brother to James , having the same parent's recorded on his death cert . His wife was Elizabeth Hope their son Gavin registered his death so I think I will to find a lot more on the SP site.
I think Christopher was named after someone from the Little side of the family as there were a couple of Christopher Little's living in Middlebie and Canonbie.
I need to go back further than 1855 for death or burial records , do you know if burial books from Society's would give as much detail as the S P site
Cheers from Elated
Doreen