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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Lanarkshire => Topic started by: Lavender13 on Thursday 01 August 24 10:25 BST (UK)
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Hi everyone. Been trying to track my 2nd great grandfather John Ralston (1871-?). He was born in Tradeston, Glasgow 3 April 1871. He was one of 4 boys (1 died as a baby) born to William Ralston, a house painter, and Janet Ballantyne.
I've been gathering as much info as I can about him. He married in 1891 to Elizabeth Love. They had 11 children before her untimely death in 1909.
He married again in 1911 to Margaret Purdon nee McDonald, a widow with children of her own.
I have found his birth certificate, census records 1881-1921, and Valuation Rolls where he owned a yard with an office.
He was a carter by trade but also owned a fruit shop which he later gave to his step daughter Martha Miller Purdon, she owns it as shown in 1935 & 1940 valuation rolls.
He also bred horses and dogs, running a business where the horses were used for his cart business.
My grandmother knew him and claims he passed away in the 50s. She thinks she was young when he passed. There's a photo of her atop her grandfather's horse when she is quite young. I've seen it. She's maybe 3-6 and she was born 1944, so I know he was alive at least until late 40s, early 50s but I've found no death certificate on scotlands people.
His two other surviving siblings, Walter & Robert, I have their death certificates but not his. I've tried all of Scotland for his death certificate but nothing fits with him.
He was known to travel according to my grandmother. She says that her mother told her that the children wee left in the care of their step mother often while he was away. The step mother wasn't very nice to them.
This fits because I do have a newspaper article of him in 1925 arrested for being intoxicated while driving a cart in Kirkintilloch. He has his son, 6, with him according to newspaper reports which is one thing I am confused about. All his children and step children were grown up and lived in glasgow, who is this child? he was 54, feasable could be his child but still.
Where do i go from here? Last documented trsce of him was 1940 valuation record of him owning that yard and office. Is there any way to track the ownership of that?
His wife died in the 1930s and afterwards I'm unsure where he lived. Possibly with step daughter Martha, she lived two closes down from his Yard & Office.
I've tried a little to search for English death thinking maybe he travelled but I'd have to check every single record I'm not sure about and that would be a lot of time and money so I'm trying to narrow things down a bit.
Thank you for reading. I know there is a lot of info here, just trying to provide context and background that may help in finding him
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RALSTON, JOHN
Aged 79
1951
644 / 19 / 551
Cathcart (Glasgow)
RALSTON, JOHN
Aged 84
1956
644 / 4 / 844
Springburn
Have you looked at these, they are the only ones I can see that are close in age?
Debra :)
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There is also a death in Glasgow College District in 1948 for a John Ralston age 76 (born c1872) according to transcript on FindMyPast :-\
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The Valuation Roll below may help?
JOHN RALSTON
Tenant 1940
YARD AND OFFICE 111 BARRACK STREET (Still there in Calton)
GLASGOW
Colin
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RALSTON, JOHN
Aged 79
1951
644 / 19 / 551
Cathcart (Glasgow)
RALSTON, JOHN
Aged 84
1956
644 / 4 / 844
Springburn
Have you looked at these, they are the only ones I can see that are close in age?
Debra :)
Images of these 2 strongly suggest not "our man"
DD
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There is also a death in Glasgow College District in 1948 for a John Ralston age 76 (born c1872) according to transcript on FindMyPast :-\
This one would fit but I can't locate it on SP. It is supposed to have been sourced from the Civil Registers.
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There is also a death in Glasgow College District in 1948 for a John Ralston age 76 (born c1872) according to transcript on FindMyPast :-\
This one would fit but I can't locate it on SP. It is supposed to have been sourced from the Civil Registers.
There’s a John Ralph death on SP aged 76, registered 1948 in College. I wonder if Ralston has been mis-indexed or mistranscribed?
GROS ref 644/7/13.
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Here he is
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John Ralston buried at Riddrie Park Cemetery, 15 Jan 1948
Age 77 yrs
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS1G-V3NV-D
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His son’s address as informant gives rise to why he is buried in Riddrie Cemetery as Robroyston Avenue is very close to the cemetery .
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Here he is
Amazing! That's him alright! How did you find him? I must be searching wrong because it is still not showing up for me. Thank you so much for finding him! This has been bothering me for years.
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Thank you everyone for your help and quick responses, I really appreciate it!
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We initially found him correctly indexed on FindMyPast, then SS found the entry wrongly transcribed on Scotlands People
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We initially found him correctly indexed on FindMyPast, then SS found the entry wrongly transcribed on Scotlands People
What is he transcribed as? Thank you, I will search findmypast. Brilliant!
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John Ralph
:)
There is also a death in Glasgow College District in 1948 for a John Ralston age 76 (born c1872) according to transcript on FindMyPast :-\
This one would fit but I can't locate it on SP. It is supposed to have been sourced from the Civil Registers.
There’s a John Ralph death on SP aged 76, registered 1948 in College. I wonder if Ralston has been mis-indexed or mistranscribed?
GROS ref 644/7/13.
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He married again in 1911 to Margaret
Burial of a Margaret Ralston at Riddrie Park, 23 March 1937
Age 63
Has same grave ref as John Ralston, A 7761
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS54-SQSF-4
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Found the lair book with A 7761!
Proprietor John Ralston, 133 Barrack St
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS1L-L3ZH-2
Buried with Margaret and John is Martha Purdon on 28.7.64. Age 54
Confirmed in the burials, left page, second bottom
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS1G-V3JK-9
This must be John's step daughter?
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We initially found him correctly indexed on FindMyPast
You are so modest, Rosie.
Well done!
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We initially found him correctly indexed on FindMyPast, then SS found the entry wrongly transcribed on Scotlands People
SS, I hope you have reported the error to Scotland's People?
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We initially found him correctly indexed on FindMyPast, then SS found the entry wrongly transcribed on Scotlands People
SS, I hope you have reported the error to Scotland's People?
Like a good citizen I reported their transcription error yesterday :)
SS
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:)
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Lovely email from scotlandspeople just received informing me they will amend records asap and they refunded me 12 credits for the wasted image downloads previously taken.
SS
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Yes, they are very good about that sort of thing.
Unlike some web sites that don't seem to care about inaccuracies.
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A really good result getting those credits back SS :).
Freebmd and FindMyPast are also good at amending their errors :)
We initially found him correctly indexed on FindMyPast
You are so modest, Rosie.
Well done!
Thank you John :)
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If anyone needs a sp odd look up let me know, I’ve 12 spare credits left
SS
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Freebmd and FindMyPast are also good at amending their errors :)
Agree that FreeBMD is good but FindMyPast, while good at correcting minor transcription errors, is not so good at correcting some of the major howlers in their census transcriptions.
I've been trying to convince them that various streets and areas are in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, not in Lanark, Lanarkshire, that Stoer in the parish of Assynt is not in the County of Moray; and several other similar errors emanating from misunderstanding or mistranscriptions of the page headers.
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Found the lair book with A 7761!
Proprietor John Ralston, 133 Barrack St
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS1L-L3ZH-2
Buried with Margaret and John is Martha Purdon on 28.7.64. Age 54
Confirmed in the burials, left page, second bottom
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS1G-V3JK-9
This must be John's step daughter?
She is indeed! I had no idea she was buried with them. My great grandmother didn't talk much about her step siblings so I know nothing of that side of the family. Brilliant find!