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Hi Lesley, 

I have just come across your post about the Annfield Inn and I wondered if you would be in a position to help me.
For a number of years I have been trying to trace details of my mother-in-law, who according to all records did not exist !!!.   Her DoB does not relate to her name in either Scotlands People or the National Archives in England.
She lived in Edinburgh but claimed to have been born in Berwick upon Tweed. When I was living in England and we used to take her down for a visit we would travel down the A68,  this would be in the mid 1970s.   As we traveled over Soutra and came down towards Channelkirk, the ruins of a building were still standing, and every time we passed she would tell us that was where she lived as a child, walking every day to Channelkirk School.  Now I believe that the building was the remains of the Annfield Inn.

Her name was Agnes Douglas Tait and according to her Marriage Certificate, her DoB was 15th September 1915.  Her father was George Tait (a fisherman) and her mother was Robina Tait (m.s. Robertson).

The first census she could possibly appear on would be 1921, not available till 2021, but I wondered if in your research you have a Robina Robertson associated with the Annfield Inn.

This has been a mystery which has been plaguing the family for about 15 years and it has always been a brick wall.    Unfortunately my wife passed away last year, but I would like to carry on with our family tree and hopefully pass it down through the generations.
Any help you could give would be gratefully appreciated

Neil

Not sure if I have posted this in the correct area, but it was the only way I could see to make a post.

I am trying to find out where my brother John Summers Russell was buried, he was born in 1940 at the Glasgow Maternity Hospital and died two weeks later.  My parents came from Dumbarton and I have checked local records in Dumbarton without any success.

I don't think they would have crematoria in those days.  I would like to find the grave and lay some flowers.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Neilr65

Hi Ann,
Thanks for idea, I've not contacted Berwick records office, although I did apply for a birth certificate for that date with a place of birth of Berwick but with no joy.  I retire in a couple of months and as I'm only about 50 miles from Berwick I will nip down and make further enquiries there.

Thanks for your interest, good luck in your own research.

Neil

Thanks for the replies.  I had spotted Robina Agnes Tait at St Machar, there are similarities but also a few questions. It is possible that her father who was, according to her marriage certificate a fisherman could have had a trip to Aberdeen, but my mother-in-law always maintained she was born in Berwick.  I intend to visit the Scottish National Archives during the Easter break so will look up that extract.
Regarding marriage certificate for her mother and father, we can find no trace at all either in England or Scotland.  She was very reticent about her past and maybe there was something she was not happy about and did not want anyone knowing.  I will put a post on the Scottish side of Roots chat and see what it brings.
I know of a cottage where she said she lived as a child near Oxton in Scottish Borders and know it was still standing but derelict in the 1980s.  I am trying to find the name of the cottage, unfortunately the main piece of information that could help me would be the 1921 census, but that is a long way off before it is released.
I sent an email to the archivist in the Scottish Borders trying to find the school records for that period but they believe they are still held in the school.   I emailed the head teacher about a month ago but never received a reply.  I might go down there when I next get a day off, it is not too far.
I love a good mystery and this is  proving a  real challenge