Steamship Edinburgh lost near shetland October 1860

[tkgafs]

According to the census where was Martha born?

It is consistently stated that she is born in Leith, so its probably correct although with this familys record keeping anything is possible

[tkgafs]

...in 1884 Martha junior gets married to Robert Scott on the marriage certificate Marthas parents are listed as John Ferrier and Christina Laidlaw both deceased, but there is no trace of a death or marriage for either of them or a birth certificate for Martha Ferrier.

Her death info is very different  Father Archibald, a shoemaker, and mother a Mary Kinnear...not that there is any trace of them either! Although, Kinnear was used for a middle name for one of their children b. 1898, Martha Kinnear Scott?

Monica

Welcome to the bizarre world her son John Scott who registers the death, seems to have lived in, He has a particular fondness for making occupations shoemaker on certificates.

the Archibald Ferrier is actually Archibald Hunter who indeed was a shoemaker, he was married to Marthas Aunt Helen Ferrier, the wrong info was actually helpful in tracking them down.

The mother Mary Ferrier ms Kinnear is simply wrong, but the name Kinnear seems to come from a Margaret a sister of Robert Scott, Marthas husband who marries a David Kinnear in March 1869 and is then widowed in the June of the same year, making her a sort of married spinster, she never re-marries.

Martha and Roberts daughter Martha Kinnear Scott born 1898 is presumably named after him/her.

It seems to be a family trait to give children middle names after surnames of men the women married

for instance their first son is called Stewart Luckie Scott born 1897

Martha has an Uncle William who has a daughter Margaret Luckie Ferrier born in pembroke 1878

the name Stewart Luckie comes from the husband of Margaret Ferrier another aunt of Marthas, they married in 1856 he was from Dundee.

hope you're all following this !!!

thanks again

Tkgafs

[flst]

Is there anything on Martha's marriage certificate to indicate that her parents were married? If they were, then it should read Christina Ferrier m.s. Laidlaw. What occupation did her father have?
flst

[tkgafs]

yes it looks as though it is assumed they were married

it states Father John Ferrier Engine Fitter (Deceased)
              Mother Christina Ferrier MS Laidlaw (Deceased)

She was living at 6 Ferrier St where they also married - How ironic is that !! on 27th March 1884

one of the witnesses was a Martha Fairgrieve which was John Ferriers mothers maiden name, but in this case seems to be either an aunt or a cousin, as Martha the grandmother died the year before.

Tkgafs

[tkgafs]

Many years later ...

just goes to show you never give up on brickwalls

Christine Laidlaw is proved as the mother of Martha Ferrier via dna testing,so our conjecture was correct all along

still no sign of John Ferrier's death certificate though !!

[MonicaL]

Well done for persevering, tkgafs 

Monica