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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Dumfriesshire => Topic started by: Russell48 on Thursday 04 April 19 18:00 BST (UK)
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I am looking for information on John Cook born around 1834. He married my ancestor Jean Bisset in 1858 in Keir, Dumfries. He was living at that time in Locharbriggs, working as a quarryman. His parents were Joseph Cook and Mary Cook, not sure if they also lived there. Any help or advice would be most welcome.
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Hello
His death cert 6 May 1871 gives his age of 37 years from heart disease.died suddenly ,no medical attendant
Wife Jean Bissett ,parents Joseph Cook quarryman and Mary Blond? both deceased.He is living at Bruce Cottage Irongray and a farm labourer.
Father Joseph Cook died 3 Mar 1862 at Kirkinahoe .Age 62 or 52 years .He was a labourer .Father Joseph cook ,mother I can't read.Inf William cook junior.Joseph had suffered for 7 years from what he died of.I really can't read most of it ,perhaps the original is better but I'm looking at a bad copy online.
Mother Mary Ann Cook nee Blain died at the same place 24.7.1868,widow of Joseph labourer .Age 64 years .Father Gilbert Blain.she died of paralysis.Inf her son Samuel Cook.
1861 census Kirkmahoe
Joseph Cook 60 ag lab born Penningham Wigtonshire
Mary 57 Mochrun
Margaret 11 Dumfries
Samuel 9 Kirkmahoe
Thomas 5 grandson Dumfries
Ciderdrinker
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Thank you so much for the info on John Cook, every bit of information helps to build a picture of my ancestors.
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He is in 3 trees on Ancestry - have you tried to contact the tree owners, and looked at what they have posted online?
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I have looked at other trees, most of the information they have is the same as mine. I like to try every avenue to make sure I have the correct information. The one thing I don't have is Jean Bissetts death cert, her name seems to change from Jean to Jane, makes things difficult. Thanks for your help in this.
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Did Jean/Jane marry after the death of John Cook?
Presumably she did as you claim her as your ancestor.
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her name seems to change from Jean to Jane, makes things difficult.
That's very common indeed. The two names are equivalent and interchangeable.
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Also could have used Jenny, as some of mine did.
(I think Jane and Jean are completely different to my ear, and liking, and cannot understand why they are regarded as interchangeable, but I accept that in Scotland they are)
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Also could have used Jenny, as some of mine did.
(I think Jane and Jean are completely different to my ear, and liking, and cannot understand why they are regarded as interchangeable, but I accept that in Scotland they are)
Both are feminine forms of the masculine name John. I think of Jean as being more Scottish and Jane more English, but both names occur as the other.
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If his parents were Joseph Cook and Mary Blain he was 10 years older than he later stated as he was baptised in June 1824 (15 on 1841 census, and 24 on 1851 census when with his family.
Annette
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A wee story...
Approx. 8 yrs ago I came across a very elderly woman (living at the time) being referred to & written by people as Jean/(Sheena) which initially had me raising my eyebrows & I enquired as to why the 2 names but nobody could tell me.
I thought about it & then the 'penny dropped'...
Jane/Jean in scottish gaelic is Sine (pronounced Sheena) i.e. I told those people I'd realised why both names & they looked at me as if I had 2 heads!!! ;D
I doubt they believed me :-\
Annie
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Thanks for the comments. I agree about the age difference on the census which caused me to question if they are the correct parents. I recently downloaded a copy of the marriage details from Scotlands People and found that there is no Mary Blain. John Cook married Jean Bisset my ancestor in 1858, Jean was 20 at time of marriage , her birth I have is 1838, her parents were Thomas Bisset and Janet Bisset. His parents are Joseph Cook (quarryman), His mother is Mary Cook nee Blawlean, at least that's what it looks like. Too many letters for Blain. Unfortunately I have no information as to what happened to Jean after John Cooks death. I will keep looking.
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Could you post a snip of that certificate, so we can look at 'Blain' ?
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Could you post a snip of that certificate, so we can look at 'Blain' ?
I would love to but I am not sure how to do that. I could email the whole thing to you I think, that may be easier.
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For surname
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So what do you think, not Blain as some of the ancestry trees have.
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Certainly not Blain - it is clear enough.
But if you search for Blawlean in the SP home page there isn't a single reference to it, so it has to be a variant spelling of another name, and Blain is reasonably close to it. Imagine it pronounced with strong emphasis on the last syllable - 'bl-LANE' and it's not that much different.
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Widow of Joseph when she died in 1868, Mary Ann's maiden name is clearly written on register as Blain. Death reported by her son Samuel.
Added: Again from a/try trees with original images, Joseph and Mary Ann's son, also called Joseph, had mother reported as Blain on his death reg.
Monica
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Mary's death reg only gives her father's name, Gilbert Blain, a labourer.
Her census entries give Mochrum as her birth place.
I think these might be her details:
Mary Blain
Christening 17 Nov 1805
Christening Place MOCHRUM, WIGTOWN
Father's Name Gilbert Blain
Mother's Name Ann Harvey
Monica
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Thank you all so much for helping with this dilemma. Sometimes it takes a few people to sort it out. I do understand that saying a name a certain way can be misconstrued. I have found my ancestors name Bisset can be written as Bissart, Bissert, so many different ways. It can take someone else to see what I don't see. Thanks once again.
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I asked scotlandspeople if they could make the image clearer, and said that the surname did not exist, and got this really helpful reply, agreeing with what has been found:
'The name as recorded on the page does appear to be "Blawlean" but I suspect it was taken down by the registrar as it sounded. Whilst I have no concrete proof, I think it may be "Blain" as there is a son born to a Joseph Cook and a Mary Blain in 1832, also called Joseph Cook. His father's occupation is "quarrier" and this matches the occupation recorded on Jean Bisset/John Cook's marriage entry in 1858. In the 1841 census Joseph is an "Ag(ricultural) Lab(ourer) & stonecutter" in Dumfries. They later seem to have ended up in Kirkmahoe.
Whilst I can't definitely say that Mary's maiden name was meant to be Blain I would say it is quite likely.'
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Thanks so much for your help and Scotlands People. Have already added Blain to the tree.