James Bruce/Mary Jane Smith

[kirstieR]

I am looking for any information on my great grandparents. The info I currently have on them is very little and I live in the US so doing physical research is out of the question until at least October 2011.

My gran was born in 1927 (died 1997) in Glasgow and her name was Grace Bruce, her parents were James Bruce and Mary Jane Smith. Grace had a twin that dies at a very young age and had 7 remaining brothers and sisters.

I was told Bruce/Smith came from Aberdeenshire and possibly even cousins and at least one of the families had a farm. Their families were farmers but the farms was not enough to support all the sons so James became a train driver. Maryjane worked in the kitchen of a hotel in Glasgow.

On a 1901 Scotland Census, James Bruce is listed as a Farmers son so this does match the story I was given. I have found some family trees on ancestry.com that list a James Bruce and Mary J Smith from Aberdeenshire but no records of children. My aunt says they definitely came from Boddam in Aberdeenshire. A previous tip I have received: marriage in Glasgow on 30 Nov 1917, James's parents being James Bruce and Mary Robertson (may have married Old Deer, Aberdeenshire in 1880); Mary's parents William Smith and Margaret Foreman (may have married Boddam, Aberdeenshire 1887). "

 All these tips sound good but I just need to confirm if this couple did in fact have children and what their names are. Thanks in advance!

[Piglet01]

Hello Kirsty,

A question - do you have a copy of your grandmothers birth certificate?

If so, it should give both parents name and mothers maiden name and when and where they married.

Unfortunately tips are as only good as the people that give them and are no substitute for documented facts   :O) which you're well aware of.....

The offical govt website at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk is where you need to start.  It's free to register, but costs to download copies - not transcripts.

Min. spend £6.00 which buys 30 credits - allows for the download of up to 5 bmds or census records.

I'd have done a search but am already over budget and out of credits for the month.

A quick look on SP shows that there are only 2 marriages in all of Scotland from 1910 to 1930 for a couple with the name of James Bruce and Mary Smith  (entering the middle name of Jane) brings up no hits.  So, one of these 2 couples should be who you're looking for.  The marriage entry will bring up both parents names  and fathers occs. as well as mothers maiden name- address at the time and any witnesses etc.

Unfortunately you can only download birth entries up until 1910 - so if you wanted to be 100% certain about Graces birth and didn't have the cert you'd have to send for it - or if a kind soul was going to a Registrars to do research of their own they could do the look up to confirm parents marriage for you.

So, over to a kind soul heading for a Registrars office.

Regards,   Steve   

As a matter of interest, in all of Scotland 1920 to 1930 there are 9 Grace Bruces born, only one in 1927 though.



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[kirstieR]

Thank you so much Steve!

I will get a hold of my aunts (Grace's daughters) and see if any of them have her birth certificate. 

Good to know there was only one Grace Bruce born in 1927.