Stuck with a Scottish problem

[JudiSutherland]

Hi all

I've got stuck with a relative named Peter Sutherland, born Wick, Caithness, 1843-44.  I've got his marriage cert. and death cert. which both indicate he was illegitimate with an "alleged father" Joseph Sutherland, farmer, and mother Catherine Forbes.  The couple never married. I've looked on ancestry.co.uk, familysearch.org and Scotland's people and I cannot find his birth cert. or any trace of a Peter Sutherland or Forbes of that age in the 1851 census who is not living with two married parents.

My question is - is there a reason why somebody would have a birth cert which is missing or never existed?  Were there exclusions from the census records for e.g. orphanages or workhouses, and where might I look for him?  I have a feeling he was not brought up by his mother.

all clues very gratefully received.

thanks
Judi

[CaroleW]

Doesn't help with your query but have you seen this IGI entry which gives his actual birthdate


https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.2.1/9W4B-N7C

EDIT - wrong parents - but what a coincidence with the parents surnames and the birthyear

[Seoras]

Hi Judi,if his birth was 1843/44 it would be parish registers I would think.Statutory births didn't come in till 1855 in Scotland.

Hi Carole,I thought that too,about the surnames,quite a coincidence,as you say.

[GR2]

The father given will almost certainly be correct. There may well be a reference to the illegitimate birth in the kirk session minutes for the parish. Possibly he is in the 1851 census under the name Forbes, perhaps staying with grandparents or other relatives. His mother could also have married and he could appear with the surname of his stepfather.

Graham.

[JudiSutherland]

Hi Graham

I've thought of that and thre is no Peter Sutherland or Forbes, aged 8, born Wick or nearby, living with anyone other than his two married parents, or in one case a widowed mum called Christiana.  Peter Sutherland is a common name up there.

I think Catherine was living with her parents in 1851, unmarried, but Peter is not there.  I think she may have married James Reid in 1855.

The mystery continues.

[CaroleW]

There is no 1851 entry under Forbes or Sutherland that fits his profile.  I have also looked under all Peter's b Caithness 1841-1845 with a mother Cath** but none fit his details

The only unresolved entry I can find is an 1841 for Catherine Forbes aged 25 with children James 4 and Catherine 1.  No husband shown

She is living in Wick with Donald & Esther George and family but I can't find her in 1851

Wick ED 6 Page  2 Line 740

[JudiSutherland]

Thank you Carole, for spending time on this, but I don't think that's her.  She's probably born 1825 and her father is Donald Forbes.  She appears to have no children prior to poor old disinherited Peter, when she was about 19.  Joseph on the other hand was a single farmer in his mid 40s when Peter was born - there's a great story there somewhere!

I would like to look up bastardy orders if I can work out how.

[RJ_Paton]

Bastardy orders are mainly an English legal tool, in Scotland you would need to check the Sheriff Court records or possibly more likely the Kirk Session records.

[tidybooks]

Hi,

In the 1841 census at Scottag, Watten, Caithness, there is a 35 to 39 yr old unmarried Joseph Sutherland, staying with his 70 yr old father George with 3 servants.

In the 1851 census, he is 48 yo Joseph Sutherland married to a 25 yo Margaret with a 1 month old daughter, unnamed in census.

Tom