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Census Lookups General Lookups => Census and Resource Discussion => Topic started by: littlepew on Monday 13 July 20 23:21 BST (UK)
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Would an "alien" have needed to provide a birth certificate from their country of birth (Scotland, 1878) in order to have become a naturalized American citizen (1907)? I ask because I have a copy of my Scottish grandfather's U.S. Petition for Naturalization but have unsuccessfully searched every site I can think of trying to find a Scottish birth certificate/registration. Perhaps there isn't one???
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What was his name and whereabouts in Scotland was he born? Any parental details known?
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Thanks for your LIGHTNING FAST response! His name was James W. (Wylie or Wiley) Ferguson and I have mostly seen his birthplace as Glasgow (according to the 1881 Census, his birth county was Lanarkshire and the town was Glasgow ~ Down Street) although I have seen Edinburgh once on a ship's manifest:-\ D.O.B. was 12 May 1878. Parents were William Ferguson and Margaret/Mary Wylie/Wiley ~ both emigrated to the U.S. around 1910 but James had preceded them to the U.S. James' paternal grandparents were James Ferguson and Maltilda Mitchell Ferguson. Maternal grandparents were James Wylie/Wiley and Mary Young Wylie/Wiley. Thanks you again for your incredibly speedy response . . . I look forward GREATLY to any clues you can share. :)
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I assume this is William and Margaret's marriage in Ireland:
https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/marriage_returns/marriages_1876/11173/8093689.pdf
Scotland indexes do not give a mother's maiden name for births in that time period so you would need to purchase some credits and look at all the James FERGUSON births, I would start with the reg. district of Dennistoun as that is where they were living in 1881. There are two in 1878.
https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/advanced-search
Debra :)
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Thank you, Dundee. I believe you found the correct couple's marriage registration ~ wonderful!! As for the 2 Dennistoun "Jameses," I checked both and neither of the fathers matched the name of my grandfather's dad. Also, the marriage dates shown for the parents don't match my greatgrandfather's either. (It's interesting that the marriage date of each couple was included in birth registrations then.) In any case, it was a GREAT lead and I really appreciate your very, very kind help. :)
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Did you have James' death record?
Name: James Wylie Ferguson
Event Type: Burial
Event Date: 1960
Event Place: Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Event Place (Original): Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Age (Estimated): 82
Photograph Included: N
Birth Date: 12 May 1878
Death Date: 15 Dec 1960
Cemetery: Northwood Cemetery
Affiliate Record Identifier: 88794920
Affiliate Image Identifier: 88794920
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The picture of the grave shows a Sarah E Ferguson buried with him in 1966.
If I have the right marriage:-
James W Ferguson to Sarah Eaton on 12th October 1916 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
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Thank you, Girl Guide. I appreciate your efforts and your kind help. I do have the marriage and death/burial information ~ but you were perfectly correct on everything. Interestingly my grandparents (Sarah and James) were married in a church my minister husband later pastored in Philadelphia (near where we live) and her sister was married in another church where he later served. Thank you for all the "leg work" you did.
Appreciatively,
Littlepew
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Scotland's People
FERGUSON JAMES M 1878 644/6 807 St Rollox
Parents match their marriage matches but his day of birth is off by one day.
Don
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Thank you, thank you, thank you, DonM!! I believe you have hit the proverbial nail right on the head. I remember my mother quoting her own mother as saying that in "those days" births were registered the next time someone "went into town." In James' case the birth was registered almost 2 weeks after his birth and being one day "off" on date of birth seems not to be a problem as ALL OTHER SPECIFICS are a perfect match.
In looking into St. Rollox I found a number of RootsChat posts from last year and one mentioned The St Rollox Business & Retail Park . . . is on the site of the old Caledonian Railway's St Rollox Locomotive & Carriage Works. (Thank you Henry7) which lends further credence to this being the correct James because my James' father lived for a time in the U.S. working for The Pullman Company (Chicago, Illinois), a company that produced railroad sleeping cars. 'Can't thank you enough, DonM!!!!! :) :) :)