Helen Turnbull (Parents Turnbull/Aitken)

[BW252]

Annette

you are a star - I just do not understand this either but this sideof the family has caused me problems galore (and a bit of cash)

many many thanks

Harry

[MonicaL]

Annette, that was a great find. Well done with that!

Monica

[BW252]

I totally agree with you Monica.

How you managed it Annette  I do not know.    All I have to do now is find the birth !

Harry

[Annette7]

In the end it was easy.   As I was getting nowhere with a David Scobie I wondered whether they'd possibly been some kind of transcription error with the surname   Decided to do a search (on familysearch) for a Helen Turnbull who married in Edinburgh between 1861 (when still single) and 1868 and discovered the marriage to a David Alexander.   Had a few odd credits left on SP so decided to look at the certificate and all the details apart from his surname were correct.  (Mind you, if they'd married elsewhere I probably wouldn't have found it).

With no likely David Scobie on Army service records this time I looked for David Alexander and there he was.

Annette

[BW252]

The plot thickens.   I cannot find a David nor his parents John and Susan (Scott) in any census.    I know David went abroad to Ceylon in 1863 until1868 and then to East Indies 1868 to 1882.   Back home to hospital in 1882 and discharged in 1883.

Cannot find him in either births for Leeds/Yorks nor can I find any birth in 1868 under his name, although if he was abroad he was not necessarily the father!!!

All Januarys budget now used up Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh

Anyway - Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year to you all

Harry

[BW252]

will have to admit defeat on this line.   I just cannot see a birth/death for a child in 1868 to Helen.   Her address on her DC is Burnets Close, High Street, Edinburgh and it is her sister Margaret Robson who is the informant.   How Margaret got the name Scobie as Helens husband who knows.   It does not look like David Alexander came back to the UK after leaving for Ceylon in 1863.   Cannot find him in the 1891 census either.   Also no trace of his parents or him in any census.

Oh dear another mystery

Harry

[Gadget]

Hi

I've just been reading this thread and wonder if the child might have been still born/miscarrriage. In this case there would be no birth or death registration at that time.

brevitas

[BW252]

Thanks Brevitas

I wondered if this was the case but was not aware that there would be no registration

H

[Annette7]

This is getting most bizarre - have found David Alexander's death:

21/5/1887 Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh - David Alexander 45   Agricultural Labourer, Army Pensioner - usual residence 6 Brown Street Lane (?)
Married 1st - Elizabeth -------- (left blank)
Married 2nd - Mary Malcolm, formerly Reeking (? - some of the writing is difficult to read)

Parents John Alexander, Gardener (deceased) and Susan Storrie(or Starrer? - hard to read) Alexander, formerly Scobie (deceased).

Died of Acute Pneumonia - informant was wife Mary Alexander.

I then looked for marriage to Mary Malcolm and found it 10 (?) January 1884 in Edinburgh - this time father is named as before, deceased, and mother Susan Alexander formerly Starrer (?), deceased.   

Clearly the right man but his mother's details vary slightly from certificate to certificate.   Presumably the 1st marriage shown to an Elizabeth should be Helen Turnbull but perhaps 2nd. wife didn't know precise details.

All the various documents involved in this saga indicate he was born 1839 to 1842.

His second wife was only 30 when they married so wonder if they had any children between 1884 and 1887.   

Annette