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Messages - BrianPurdyTX

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1
Lanarkshire / Re: Marion Weir
« on: Thursday 10 March 11 13:11 GMT (UK)  »
Hi Mary,

I noticed that you mentioned that enumerators rounded down to the nearest 5 years. From what I have seen, that is generally true. I have studied many census records and found that it isn't 100% true that the recorded ages are within this time frame. These may be because people lied about their age or because another family member answered for them in error. I still believe that occasionally the enumerators rounded down to the nearest 10 years.

A thought for you.. A Grace Weir married James Christie on 7 Apr 1833. I would suggest that this was Helen Naismith's daughter (I am not the only one to conclude this).

Also, I wanted to comment that in 1841 there is a Helen Weir in the census with three children: Helen, Robert, and Jean. This is probably Robert Weir's wife Helen MacKie. This is possibly (or maybe not) a record of Robert and Helen's daughter-in-law and grandchildren.

On the other hand, it's hard to imagine that someone married at age 24 (Helen Naismith) and having a children at age 41 and 43 wasn't having children from age 25. It is not unlikely to assume that births occurred every two to three years which would leave us with 5 to 7 additional children (other than Grace and Marion). It also seems likely (in that age) that some did not survive to adulthood. So, taking all that into account, there may be 2 to 5 additional children (one of them being the Helen who married George Craig). There are many marriage records for Weirs in Hamilton before 1840, and I suspect if someone wants to sift through all the families, they might find other siblings.

Brian

2
Lanarkshire / Re: Marion Weir
« on: Wednesday 09 March 11 22:38 GMT (UK)  »
Hi Mary,

I don't know how much you're using to using the Scotland census records, but I find that you have to allow for "generic" ages. What I mean is that sometimes the record states a decade instead of an age. For example, an age of 20 could be anything from 20 to 29 where an age of 30 could be from 30 to 39.

So, in 1841, Marion Weir, Helen Naismith's daughter, was about 25 or 26, which certainly could have been recorded as age 20 on the census. So, it seems to me pretty clear that the Marion Weir on the 1841 census is the daughter of Helen Naismith.

In regard to that, we know that Robert Weir and Helen Naismith published marriage banns on 11 Nov 1798 in Hamilton, Lanark, Scotland.
We also know that there are birth records for:
Marion (1815)
Grace (1817)

Assuming that your birth record of 20 Nov 1774 for Helen Naismith is correct, and she was daughter of Thomas Naismith and Marion Craig, Helen would have been 43 years old when Grace was born. It is doubtful that Robert and Helen had any more children after Grace. It also seems likely that there were more siblings, maybe several (including Helen who married George Craig).

Also, the Marion Weir who married Thomas Wilson was the daughter of James Weir and Janet/Jeanette Reston. I haven't been able to verify that your marriage record for Grace is correct, either. It is possible that she was married before 1841, or was not even alive at that time. She would have been age 23.

Brian



3
Aberdeenshire / Re: I lost my Gran, Ann Wallace, Shand. 1906- 1924
« on: Friday 10 September 10 13:11 BST (UK)  »
I don't know how James Baxter fits into the picture, and I suspect the best way to track him will be from his descendants, if there are any. He was born about 1903 and would have been an infant for the migration to Canada. I can think of some possibilities, but I could be off on those as well:
1. He was a child of Helen before she married Andrew Connon (perhaps illegitimate)
2. James Baxter came from Alexander Lawrie's family.

I don't know which of these is likely. It's also possible that there is a different scenario entirely or that they used the term nephew loosely.

Also, did you see my message about Barbara Findlay being a McBain and not O'Brien? Have you had a chance to check into this possibility? A cursive McBain could possibly be mistaken for O'Brien. The reason I ask is that Alexander McBain is my direct ancestor. There is an inscription that includes his name in Kinellar Kirkyard, but it makes no mention of Barbara Findlay, even though there are will documents for him with her name on them. So, it's possible that it's a different Barbara Findlay.

Also, there are several memorial inscriptions that include Barbara Findlay's name in Aberdeenshire. Here are a few:
1. 1878 - Kirkyard of Udny (with Barbara and William Singer)
2. 1904 - Kirkyard of Kinellar (with Robert Simpson and Annie Findlay)
3. Kirkyard of Fyvie (Includes Andrew Findlay, Jean Shand, Alexander Findlay, Jane Fowley, Mary Findlay, other Findlay)

The actual text of the inscriptions can be ordered from Aberdeen & North East Scotland Family Historical Society for a fee.

Brian

4
Aberdeenshire / Re: I lost my Gran, Ann Wallace, Shand. 1906- 1924
« on: Sunday 22 August 10 08:22 BST (UK)  »
Upon further review, Charles Alexander Shand, born 16 Nov 1881 to Charles Shand and Ann Wallace died 24 Jan 1929 in York, Ontario, Canada.

There is the death record of an Annie Shand for 21 Apr 1920 in Toronto, York, Ontario, Canada. (birthplace Scotland, estimated birthdate 1852.)

I would suggest that this Charles is the same as the Charles A (age 8) on thf 1891 census.

Also, for pretty good evidence, see the 1911 census of Canada, Ontario, York Centre, 8 Etobicoke, page 10.

Family (line 14-17):
Shand, Alec, m, head, s, nov, 1882, 28, Scotland, 1903, scotch, canadian, presbyterian, gardner
Shand, William, m, brother, s, Dec, 1889,  21, Scotland, 1906, scotch, canadian, presbyterian, gardner
Baxter, James, m, nephew, s, Mar, 1903, 8, Scotland, 1908, scotch, canadian, presbyterian, none
Shand, Annie, f, mother, w, Jan, 1858, 63, Scotland, 1908, scotch, canadian, presbyterian, none

This is very clearly the same Shand family, so it makes the Annie Shand above the correct Annie -- mystery solved. The 1858 date on the census is obviously in error and should be 1853 for the date and 68 for the age. Alec is obviously Charles Alexander and matches the death cert listed above.

Brian


Please let me know if this helps or if this was already solved! Thanks!

5
Aberdeenshire / Re: I lost my Gran, Ann Wallace, Shand. 1906- 1924
« on: Sunday 22 August 10 07:30 BST (UK)  »
I have a couple things to add about this Barbara Findlay, mother of Ann Wallace:

Barbara Findlay was married to Alexander McBain later in life. There is a record in Kinellar for this dated 21 May 1870. Alexander died 12 Jan 1887 with has last address being 104 Commerce Street, and having lived at 69 Holburn Street, Aberdeen. This part is easily verifiable by parish records and Aberdeen Sheriff Court Inventories, REF SC1/36/100.

Now, I haven't established the certainty of the following, but it appears that she was previously married to William Milne (former husband of Isobel Taylor); And, he (Alexander McBain) I think was previously married to Rachel Hay, brother of William Hay, the somewhat renowned schoolmaster at Tillydesk, Ellon. William and sister Rachel Hay's parents were apparently William Hay and Rachel Rainie (Rainey?, Rennie?).

Also, it seems that this Barbara Findlay (there are two) was born in Old Deer on 23 Mar 1824, the daughter of James Findlay and Mary Cooper. Barbara Findlay and William Milne have marriage records dated about 19/20 Feb 1852 in Old Deer and Logie-Buchan.

So, interestingly, I also found a marriage record for James Wallace and Isobel Taylor on 18 Nov 1841 at Fyvie. I have no idea if this is the same Jame Wallace, but if it is, that certainly makes the whole deal quite strange.

I am sorry in advance if this does nothing for your quest to find Ann Wallace's death, but hopefully it is useful, anyway.

Brian

6
Aberdeenshire / Glasgoego
« on: Wednesday 18 August 10 16:50 BST (UK)  »
Perhaps, I should post this elsewhere, but the subject pertains to the general area of the Glasgoego Cottage being discussed.

My research has traced my great-great grandmother Jessie McBain (b. 26 Jul 1854 w/o Samuel Poole Greenlaw) to Kinellar, Aberdeenshire, Scotland and shown her to be the daughter of Alexander McBain and Rachel Hay.

This particular McBain family can be found on the 1851 census living at the home farm of Glasgoego with constable John Henderson, next door to John and Christina Duncan as well as William Clark of Woodhill Cottage living with Charlotte and Mary Henderson.

Does anyone have information on "the home farm of Glasgoego" or this McBain family?

Thanks,
Brian

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