Stumped - can anyone offer any suggestions?

[ceitidh.]

I am trying to track down the death certificate for the wife of one of my ancestors, but i'm having difficulty getting anything. The person in question is Margaret MacMaster/McMaster MS Stalker. Margaret married Ewen MacMaster in January 1871 aged 22 according to the marriage certificate, putting her year of birth at around 1849. In the 1851 census, Margaret is recorded under the name "Peggy" and is living with her widowed father and two older sisters in Glenelg Parish, Invernesshire. In the 1861 census, Margaret is recorded as being a visitor in a household in Airor, Knoydart.

Anyhow, Margaret married Ewen MacMaster in 1871 and thereafter is recorded in all the census' up until 1891. In the 1901 census, Ewen is recorded as being a widower and still has five of his children living with him, the youngest who was born in 1894.

Based on this, it seemed obvious the Margaret had died sometime between 1894 and 1901. However, I have been unable to find any death certificate for her on scotlandspeople and have tried numerous variations of spellings etc to try and find her, but to no avail.

The only thing I don't know is Margaret's mothers maiden name as it is almost completely illegible on the marriage certificate.

Does anyone have any suggestions/ideas on how to track down this elusive individual who seems intent on hiding from me? I don't think i've missed out on anything obvious and have tried everything I can think of, but its entirely possible that I can't see for looking.

Any suggestions etc would be very much welcomed!

Ceitidh.

[Gadget]

Hi 


She's down as Maggie McMaster, 1896, Knoydart on SP.

Gadget



* Other surnames are down as Mceachen and Stalker

[ceitidh.]

Thank you so very, very much. I was starting to tear my hair out in frustration - just shows what a fresh pair of eyes can do!

Many thanks again,

Ceitidh.

[Gadget]

You're welcome 

Just say that I've done a lot of searches on SP 

I need a fresh pair of eyes at the moment - the Highland midges have had a real go at them today 

Poor Maggie/Peggy would certainly have had to cope with them in Knoydart - and no repellants or creams 


Gadget

[ceitidh.]

Ah yes, the good old Highland Midge! I always found them to be slightly endearing, sort of part of the whole "Highland Experience", along with the delightful cleg's of course! I discovered that rubbing fresh bog myrtle over your skin keeps the midge's away, and for some strange reason cleg's don't seem to have much of a liking for skin that is healthily slathered in suncream.]

 

Ceitidh.

[ali.ruadh]

I'm not sure that midgies were a problem back in those days !  Certainly not much to be found in Gaelic literature, poem or song.  Surely a pest of this magnitude, if it existed then as it does now, would have featured prominently ?

Alasdair

[ceitidh.]

Hmm. I suppose people probably wouldn't have thought much of it, maybe it was just an accepted part of life. Though having said that, I don't think I could ever get used to them when they are really swarming! They just seem to get everywhere!

Ceitidh.

[Gadget]

They were here I'm certain of it  but probably there were other nasties  to worry about. I'm sure in one of my old 'remedies' books I found the Bog Myrtle  trick.  I'll check through other bits and pieces. I have quite a collection of literature on the beasties 

Gathered a few lumps today - even in the sun and  wind!


Gadget

[ceitidh.]

I reckon they must have. For as long as there've been people for them to feast upon, i'm sure they've been around!

I love Bog Myrtle, the smell of it always reminds me of "up North". I'm not quite sure how we stumbled upon the idea of using it as midge repellent, but i'm very sure we weren't the first to "discover" its effectivenes.

Ceitidh.