John Wardlaw Reid

[Chiad Fhear]

JAP

John and James continually got mixed up back in these days ... as I've discovered on many an occasion ... even a James recorded on a Census as Jane!!

Christina BLACK was Helen's first child from the other side of the blankets so you could be right about John B Reid.

I'm planning another trip to New Register House in Edinburgh SOON and will see if I can sort this family out.

Regards

Chiad Fhear

[JAP]

Perhaps I should have spelled out my reasoning in detail.  I do so now.

Grandson John B REID, aged 9 in 1881, and James B REID (son of John W REID & Maggie Ann BROWN), aged 3 in 1891, could not possibly be one and the same.

In 1872 (grandson John B REID's approximate year of birth) John W REID (b 1861 as we know) would have been about 11 years old, and Maggie Ann BROWN (born 1867, as Margaret Ann BROWN, daughter of Melville REID & Agnes ANDERSON) would have been only about 5 years old!!

In the light of known ages, the only serious contenders for parent of grandson John B REID (b ca 1872, St Andrews) would be Helen's daughters Christian BLACK or Helen DRUMMOND.

The IGI does not have an appropriate John REID nor does it have an appropriate John DRUMMOND nor even a John WARDLAW.

What it does have is a John BLACK, b 26 Mar 1872, St Andrews & St Leonards, mother Christina BLACK, no father named.

JAP    

[JAP]

Chiad Fhear, You wrote as follows about Helen DRUMMOND:

...  In 1856, at the age of 24, she proved she could have children when her first-born arrived – i.e. Christian Black – and there’s no indication here who her father may be.  Two or three years later she had another daughter - Helen (Drummond) - followed three years after that by a son - James (Drummond) -  then another daughter - Janet (Haig Drummond).  All four children, incidentally, were stigmatised as ‘Illegitimate’ in the Scottish Records.   ... 

From the 1861 census it seems that Christian BLACK (8 in 1861) was actually born ca 1853 when Helen was ca 21 (she was b 1832).  Of her next three children, Helen DRUMMOND was b 1856, James DRUMMOND 1858 and Janet Haig DRUMMOND 1860.

You say that "All four children, incidentally, were stigmatised as ‘Illegitimate’ in the Scottish Records".  Where does that come from?  I've not found a birth/baptism for Christian BLACK.

Regards,

JAP