Can't find a marriage...help please!

[tisonlymoi]

Hi

Looking for marriage details for Archibald Davidson (born circa 1715) and Margaret Purves.
The first of their 7 children was born May 1774 in Coldingham (remaining children born Coldingham or Cockburnspath) so assuming they would have married before then but I can find nothing. Zilch.  Nada.

I'm looking to find parents of Archibald and Margaret but am hitting a wall - does help that there's 3 Margaret Purves born in Coldingham between 1713 and 1715. 

If anyone can help or point me in the rigth direction I would be eternally grateful 

[Little Nell]

If their first child was born in 1774, then I would expect Margaret at least to have been born cir 1750.  She would have been a miracle mum otherwise - aged 60 when first child born 

Where did Archibald's date of birth come from?

Do the children's names help at all?  Did they follow the traditional naming pattern?

Nell

[tisonlymoi]

Hi - you are right Nell.....think my head was that battered yesterday that I obviously wasn't looking or thinking straight.

Off for another look......will keep you posted,  thanks for pointing it out - how silly that soemthing so obvious escaped me completely.

[tisonlymoi]

Was Purves the Smith equivalent in Berwick in those days?  There's loads of Margaret Purves born around 1750.

Think I'm flogging a dead horse.  Without the marriage record there's no way I can see who her father was to go back any further.  Soooooo frustrating!

[Gadget]

Hi

The last child that I can find was b. 1787:

1774 - James
1776 - Archibald
1778 - Joseph
1780 - Thomas
1782 - Elizabeth
1784 - Archibald
1785 - Margaret
1787 - David

 I've checked baptisms for 1740 to 1758 for a Marg P*rv*s and there are two possibles if a naming convention was used and you're sure Margaret was b. Coldingham

9 Sept 1748 - Father - James Purvess
15 May 1743 - Father - David Purvess

both Coldingham

No mother's names given.

I've checked marriages in Coldingham for these two possible fathers:

6 March 1739  David to Elisabeth Landells

24 July 1742 David to Margaret Purvess

30 July 1734 James Purvess to Elisabeth  Purvess


Not sure if that narrows things down or not but at least some possibles 

Nothing in Cockburnspath where most of the children where baptised.


Info from SP as the IGI were submitted entries.

Maybe  MIs (Monumemtal Inscriptions) might help narrow things down.


How sure are you that Archibald Davidson was b. 1715?  I don't see any bpt. Berwickshire 1714-1759 using soundex although there are some bpt. in other counties.



Gadget

[tisonlymoi]

Hi Gadget - thanks for the info supplied.  The birth year for Archibald was supplied by a family member but I don't believe it's correct.

I've had some more info supplied this week from a descendent of Archibald with a marriage date for Archibald and Margaret but it just doesn't tally - 1779 when their first child was born 1774.  It just doesn't seem likely?

Alas I'm no further forward....we were in Coldingham a few weeks back and I took photos of any headstone with family name on but I didn't come across an Archibald Davidson anywhere.  The plot thickens!

[Gadget]

Are you able to get to Edinburgh to read through the Kirk Sessions minutes for Coldingham and Cockburnpath?

It's an outside possible of something being found in them.

I know how it feels - lots of info back to a certain point and then they seem to disappear into the mists 


Gadget

[tisonlymoi]

I keep saying I'll have a trip up to Edinburgh but have been saying that for 2 years and haven't managed it yet.  I've not heard of the Kirk Session Minutes...what are they?  It seems I still have an awful lot to learn when it comes to geneology! 

[Gadget]

The Church of Scotland was organised on a parish basis and elders met to discuss the organisation of kirk affairs and parish affairs. The minutes are a record of their meetings!

A bit here about them:

http://genealogypro.com/articles/NAS.html

They are, on the whole, rather boring but every so often you can find a real gem in them so it's worth getting to read them if you can.

I've spent a few days in Edinburgh (NAS)  reading through the relevant ones but only found a few snippets on my ancestors. They were interesting in parts though 


Gadget