Renfrewshire Parish

[MacShuibhne]

Hi all

Hoping someone can help in deciphering an entry in an 1851 census return

I have recently acquired from SP an image of the 1851 census for my 4G grandparents William & Catherine Hunter (ms Weir) who were listed at 186 Main Street, Anderston in the Barony Parish of Glasgow. [GROS 622-00 072-00 011]

I am struggling to interpret the place of birth for Catherine.  Her County of birth is recorded as Renfrew, and the Parish looks like "Ashent" but I cannot find any information to support this parish ever existed.
 
Catherine's age is given as 45 which would give her a birth year c1805.  I have looked at the available mapping for this time period (and later) on National Library of Scotland website but cannot see a Parish even remotely similar to that recorded in the Census.  To date all information on this family locates them between Partick and Yoker on the north side of the River Clyde part which would have been within the County of Renfrew.  Even considering the possibility of boundary changes I still cant find this place.

The only working theory I have is that the enumerator may have recorded a placename (farm, house, village etc) instead of the parish name.  Is this probable? possible or perhaps a common feature.

All contributions welcome
Regards

MacShuibhne

[CaroleW]

Can you scan the part of the image showing her birthplace and upload it so we can have a look at it.

[seekthem]

On freecen 1851 Catherine 45 has been transcribed as Ashton Renfrewshire.   .  (Didn't see either of them freecen 1841.)  Think this is Ashton, Gourock, Renfrewshire.  (Google on Ashton, Inverclyde)  There are still streets in Gourock with the name Ashton.  Liz

[MacShuibhne]

Hi

Carole - The second line on the attached extract shows the detail I am having difficulty with.  Even comparing each individual letter against others  it is not obvious what the third letter is althought I read it as "h"

Hoping a fresh pair of eyes is more successful



Liz - Thanks for the assist.   I'll zoom into Gourock on NLS to try and locate Ashton, although this would support the theory that not all recorded County and Parish.

regards
MacShuibhne

[fifer1947]

Not a Parish according to Genuki.

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/sct/RFW/rfw_pmap2.html

Could it be an area within the town of Renfrew itself?  To be fair I don't see two upper stroke letters in the middle to suggest Ashton though there appears to be a "t" on the end. 

[fifer1947]

although this would support the theory that not all recorded County and Parish.

I would agree that this list does NOT show Parishes, in fact it shows County followed by Town or Village.

[MacShuibhne]

Hi Fifer1947

Thanks for the comment.  I'm still no further forward with this one.

I'll put a post up on the deciphering/recognizing help board, see if a wider audience can help.

regards
MacShuibhne

[Ronbucks]

Ashton was located in the south-west of Gourock in the Parish of Innerkip.

Just googled it

Regards Ron

[MacShuibhne]

Hi All

Many thanks for your comments and suggestions.  I posted the query on the Deciphering board and "macintosh" suggested it may be a phonetic variant of Erskine.  This backs up the theory that Census entries recorded towns/villages etc and not parishes as I previously thought .

I will follow up on Erskine and Ashton.

Regards
MacShuibhne