The James McKnight Conundrum

[Maggie1895]

So what exactly does James's death certificate (Glasgow, 1886) say about his parents?  That's where I was trying to get to.

[Maggie1895]

Southpaw, I think I'm missing something - can you give me more details on the 1841 census entry you have for Mary Bell and Jessie Lachlan?
I can't find either of them, and if Mary was 25 at that point, and James was 13 or 14, you have a very young mother indeed, but not impossible.   I can't find them so I'm obviously searching wrongly somewhere

[Southpaw]

James McKnight, Cotton Mill Tenter, Deceased

Mary McKnight, m/s Bell, Deceased

The death is recoded by a, son, Edward McKnight.  So he is stating that they were married.

There is no record of their marriage in OPR's

[Southpaw]

Southpaw, I think I'm missing something - can you give me more details on the 1841 census entry you have for Mary Bell and Jessie Lachlan?
I can't find either of them, and if Mary was 25 at that point, and James was 13 or 14, you have a very young mother indeed, but not impossible.   I can't find them so I'm obviously searching wrongly somewhere

I was told that in that census there was leeway in ages and that Mary could be 28.

Piece: SCT1841/842 Place: Moffat -Dumfries-shire Enumeration District: 7
Civil Parish: Moffat Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island: Moffat Village
Folio: 7 Page: 4
Address: Boghall

BELL       Mary       F       25               Dumfries-shire
           
MCGREGOR    John       M       4m           Dumfries-shire   
       
LAUCHLIN       Jesie       F       12            Dumfries-shire           
    

[Southpaw]

Southpaw, I think I'm missing something - can you give me more details on the 1841 census entry you have for Mary Bell and Jessie Lachlan?
I can't find either of them, and if Mary was 25 at that point, and James was 13 or 14, you have a very young mother indeed, but not impossible.   I can't find them so I'm obviously searching wrongly somewhere

From Scotland's People:

Enumerators were instructed to round down the ages of persons 15 years and over to the nearest five years. Hence a given age of 28 would be recorded as 25, one of 63 as 60 and so on. If a person lied about their age, this, combined with the rounding down, could severely distort the actual age. You will find instances where enumerators did not adhere to this instruction on age and inserted the given age.

[Maggie1895]

Southpaw, thanks for all that.    I do appreciate you must think I'm faffing about with things you already know, but I don't know them and am trying to build some sort of a picture to work back from, though I do realise why you have found it so frustrating, it's a real puzzle.

So James and Jessie married in Moffat on 30 September 1845, and the only fact it confirms is that they are both from Moffat.   One online tree gives that marriage date for both James and Jessie, and for James Snr and Mary Bell, which would be unusual, but the records certainly don't bear that out.

The number of possible marriages for your James Snr and his namesakes is considerable.   You already mentioned:
" Various researchers have claimed that James McKnight from Moffat is their ancestor. These two James McKnights have apparently married Mary Young, Jane Neilson, Sarah Wallace and Mary Bell. "
In 1829 there is a marriage to Janet Sloan, and in 1836 to Ann Fraser.  Both of those were in Dumfries.

I now completely understand the nature of your brick wall.    I'll keep on trying,  but but hope for your sake that someone else will have a magic answer for you.

[Southpaw]

Thanks for your help. 

I don't think I'll ever unravel this one.   

[larky]

I have james McKnight babtised 5 oct 1800 moffat dumfrieshire.......wife was jane nelson .....they had seven children all born in new lanark,lanarkshire....his occupation was a wood turner he died 21 jul 1862 castlehill,lanark and his wife died 14 mar 1888 thistle street gorbals Glasgow ....on his death cert parent listed as john mcknight ...tailor..and mary ...??......on his babtised cert parents john McKnight... tailor....at moffat and mary Johnston .........any reply about this family

cheers

[Southpaw]

I have james McKnight babtised 5 oct 1800 moffat dumfrieshire.......wife was jane nelson .....they had seven children all born in new lanark,lanarkshire....his occupation was a wood turner he died 21 jul 1862 castlehill,lanark and his wife died 14 mar 1888 thistle street gorbals Glasgow ....on his death cert parent listed as john mcknight ...tailor..and mary ...??......on his babtised cert parents john McKnight... tailor....at moffat and mary Johnston .........any reply about this family

cheers

I'm aware of this family, but can't find a connection between this James, and my James.

My James had a son with Mary Bell. 

I have researched your family.  I'm aware that they lived in the Laurieston / Gorbals area.  I know Jane Neilson was buried in the Southern Necropolis.

I believe James died as a result of an accident at a mill in Lanark.

I know someone who believes that my James McKnight is the man who married Mary Neilson, and had a previous relationship with Mary Bell.  However there is no evidence, although it remains a possibility.