RootsChat.Com
Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Midlothian => Topic started by: marcie dean on Friday 14 January 11 01:17 GMT (UK)
-
I am looking for her parents. There are so many choices
Her father could be Robert Laing or it could be James
She was born in Edinburgh and she married William Laidlaw.
Just going off to get further details.
Marcie
-
On an 1881 census it states that William Laidlaw was 36yrs old
and Margaret was 33 that means that she was born abt 1848 in Edinburgh City, Whilst William was born in Leith
On the birth of their one and only son Charles William Laidlaw
dob 23.08.1863 10.15pm
They were married 13th. February, 1863
full name Margaret Ann Laing
Cousin who is also researching thinks its James but they come from Stirling not Edinburgh , but again there are too many choices.
marcie
-
Hi Marcie
Just putting a link to the main post here on Laing/Laidlaw for background www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,503245.0.html
Have either your cousin or you considered viewing Margaret and William's marriage entry on SP (Hume had it down on the previous post in 1863 in Leith)?
Monica
-
Hi Monica,
Yes I did have that already, just forgot. Have not organised my papers properly. It is Robert Laing deceased occ Brush Maker cannot read witnesses very easily. Looks like Thomas Kingsland and Mary Walker No sign of mothers name.
The problem I have ;D is me, I grab a pc of paper, no matter what is on it and write down the information. On one side I have my nans info, on the other I have my grandads family info. And if someone wants help, I write that on there as well. must separate relevant names out.
-
Hi Marcie,
I'm not at all sure what information you do have (it could be on one of those bits of paper ;D), but I took a look at Margaret Laidlaw (neé Laing)'s death certificate for some clarification on her parentage.
Margaret Laidlaw died April 27th 1916 in Leith, aged about 72 years. Her parents were given as James Laing, brushmaker (deceased) and Elizabeth Laing m.s. [maiden surname] Melrose (also deceased). The death was registered by Margaret's niece, Elizabeth Blaney?.
Unfortunately there are only submitted entries for this family on the IGI .. children; Janet 1832 Edinburgh, Elizabeth 1837 Glasgow?, James 1838 Edinburgh, William 1842 Edinburgh, Margaret 1844 Edinburgh and Grace 1847 Edinburgh. However, there is an extracted entry from the OPRs helpfully showing Elizabeth's father. If you view the OPR, you will often find that an occupation will be listed for him too.
James LAING and Elizabeth MELROSE (daughter of James MELROSE), 18th June 1829 St Cuthberts, Edinburgh
This looks like the family in 1851 too:
Address: 4 West Bow, Edinburgh
James Laing, m, head, mar., 49, brushmaker journeyman, b. Edinburgh
Elisabeth Laing, f, wife, mar., 45, brushmaker's wife, b. Edinburgh
Janet Laing, f, dau., unm., 19, servant, b. Edinburgh
James Laing, m, son, unm., 13, errand boy, b. Edinburgh
William Laing, m, son, unm., 9, scholar, b. Edinburgh
Margaret Laing, f, dau., unm., 7, scholar, b. Edinburgh
Grace Laing, f, dau., unm., 4, scholar, b. Edinburgh
hume :)
-
Hume, that does look like the Laing family - good to get it all confirmed :)
Monica
-
The address given on the Marriage certificate states 16 Kirkgate Edinburgh
It definately states her fathers name as Robert.
Could the neice have been mistaken with regards his name, even if the mother is correct. I checked for Robert Laing married in edinburgh between 1811 and 1850 there were more than 7 possibles. 4 pages of the little perishers. Around Aberdeen, Roxburgh they were everywhere. ???
I have also taken a look at her death cert. I have a problem trying to load up the marriage cert. the computer freezes or I run out of time
If I give you the reference GROS which is one the top of the marriage cert. would that help defining whether the information you have is the correct one
It is a puzzle to me that he is noted as Robert on one and James on another.
-
Marcie, what was the name of Margaret's mother on the marriage entry you have? And names of witnesses? Hume would have to use his own SP units, as he has already kindly done for the death entry, to view the marriage entry you already have ::)
Monica
-
Hi Monica,
It did not state it. Just as if it was an immaculate conception but without the vehicle to being born. ::)
Gros 692/02/ 0033 and as you had found for me (Hume) 16/02/1863
sorry that is a horrible analogy
-
Hi Monica,
It is Robert Laing deceased occ Brush Maker cannot read witnesses very easily. Looks like Thomas Kingsland and Mary Walker No sign of mothers name.
I think Mary Walker is a cousin probably of Williams which is why Charles Laidlaw names one of his sons as William Walker Laidlaw (but he died) whilst a baby.
Hume, I owe you some. Is there another way that I can load this up so that you can view it.? email or something.
-
It's not a horrible analogy - it's funny ;D
In that case, I would be inclined to go with Hume's details as a possible family for her given the occupation stated for father - without being able to verify 100% given the discrepancies on her marriage and death certs.
However, from her death cert parents' names, Hume has found a likely family with parents as named on her death cert. and occupation matching for father (Robert). Also a Margaret in the correct age group from the 1851 census - likely her family I would say.
Any witnesses named on the cert?
Monica
Added: sorry posts crossed over. Witness names don't seem to be connected on the Laing side do they?
-
Hi Marcie and Monica, :)
I did have a wee look at William and Margaret's marriage entry, as I was rather confused whether we were looking for a James or a Robert Laing. Unfortunately I think it's perhaps been that the registrar has taken down some incorrect details and/or omitted information by accident.
I think it is very likely that James Laing/Elizabeth Melrose are the couple you are looking for.
It would be worth following them up with their deaths, provided they died after the start of official registration in 1855. This would confirm parents' names as known, and possibly one of the family registering.
As I noted in my earlier post also, the OPR marriage entry between James and Elizabeth would be interesting to see. It won't have the same information that a statutory certificate will have, but it should have some clues to James and Elizabeth's background.
hume :)
-
Hume,
If it turns out that her niece/neice made a mistake when registering her for her death certificate, it may well be that you have indirectly found a member of his family. A sibling
I must admit that I had hoped there would have been a witness which said sister, cousin etc. I am now thinking that Mary Walker is related to William because the name appears in the names of some of the children, usually William Walker Laidlaw whom have died before reaching the age of 2 . I might follow Mary Walker to see if that is her married name or not. at the same time as checking out James and elizabeth. I owe you my thanks plus a few credits
marjorie. Might be an idea to do some more census checks dont you think?
-
Marcie,
I had a look for the Laings on the 1861 census but only found Margaret living away as a domestic servant. The other siblings were similar and spread throughout Edinburgh and the county. This could be that the parents died between 1851 and 1861, leaving the children to find employment and homes in service etc.
hume :)
-
I saw that Hume. Thought it might explain some of the confusion on parents' names at the time of Margaret's marriage to William perhaps?
Monica
-
There is an 1851 census 272 Bells cls Canongate with
a Margaret Laing aged 48 occ Charwoman /Pauper with
Susan Laing aged 13
Margaret Laing aged 8
Grace Laing aged 6
The funny thing is there is also another (1871 census reg765/2 Meggett Peebles roll no cssct1871_176 Syart
William Laidlaw aged 40 occ shepherd
Margaret Laidlaw aged 28
Robert Laidlaw aged 5
Alexander Laidlaw aged 4
William Laidlaw aged 2
James Laidlaw aged 1 month I know that they are not this family I am researching, but I get the feeling that they are connected as the boys names are family names, but I have never known our family to farm, although I have had the inkling to do so. How weird is that? I accept your research and go with that.
marcie
-
Sorry, but you would have to know my family tree to see the weirdness. ;D
Marjory and John had
William, Agnes, Elizabeth, Lily,Margaret,Marjory,Robert, James and Alexander
Susan is another family name.
I did find a birth for a Margaret Laing with a father Robert and a mother Margaret but cannot remember her middle name was something like Hobbit last name Docherty? will look it up on Ancestry and let you know I wish they still had the ability to look up the address.
Thanks for all your help, may not seem like it, but I do appreciate all your help
and I did not mean to seem as though I was questioning you Hume, but I could not see how a daughter could forget or give the wrong info but could see a relative doing so. 8)
-
Hi Marcie,
Not at all - questioning finds is the only way of making sure you are including the full and correct information into your family tree. Otherwise, you end up with errors and discrepancies. ;D However, in this case (and as Monica noted earlier), this is one I don't think you will be able to verify 100%.
The discrepancy between the marriage and death certificate is one that may not be explained, but you are lucky enough to have full parents' names on the death certificate. These details were given by a niece [hopefully on Margaret's side] who surely would have known her grandparents' names.
From the parents' names, you have a marriage entry which could confirm father's occupation and an 1851 census entry which includes a Margaret of the right age and birthplace as their daughter.
hume :)
-
Hi Hume,
the one thing I have left to do is find out when her parents died to connect further back than that. As he was a brush maker, I am wondering if he suffered from ailments attached to his occupation.
I have Charles Laidlaws father already.
marcie
-
I have a Jane Melrose b. 1817 in Edinburgh, possibly to James Melrose and Mary (?). She has a daughter, Janet Moncrieff about 1838 from possibly a tryst. In 1842 she marries Robert Gillespie, a widower with children, and has several children with Robert including my grandfather. They lived in Falkirk after their marriage.
As with lots people who have Melrose ancestors, my family also said that Jane was not communicated with. Rumor has it that her father may have married a servant against family wishes and thus were expelled from the elite.
Does anyone have a James Melrose b abt 1792 who would have married a Mary and had a daughter Jane abt 1817 in Edinburgh???
-
ourfamilylines,do you know where james was from in 1792.? as if so may have found something useful.
T.