looking for a birth record

[cathyaitken]

Hi  Having difficulty finding a birth record or burial record for mary ann gregorson  born illegitimate 1854/1855 lanark.
parents were isabella Mcinnes & angus gregorson both from oban argyll.
 I have details of her marraige in glasgow 1872 and death age 24 in 1878 both stating angus as her father.
On the 1861 census maryann gregorson 6 yrs born lanark living with grandparents donald & mary mcinnes back in oban.
Through research I believe isabella came to family in glasgow for the birth, she was never married to angus but maryann has his surname.Does this mean he recognised her or acknowledged her as his daughter in some way although he married someone else?.
Maryann married donald rankin & had 3 or 4 children her 1st child born in oban.
My guess is isabella was a domestic servant having worked for the gregorson family but  cant find details of this.
Why did she name her child gregorson instead of mcinnes.
hoping someone can answer the questions for me or clues to were I can find a birth record if it was registered pre 1855.
thanks very much in advance
cathy

[andycand]

Hi

Civil Registration did not commence in Scotland until 1855 so if she was born earlier then you are looking for a church record of the baptism. Unfortunately not all denominations records are online, Familysearch has indexed many of the registers for the Church of Scotland, and a small number of others, but they have few Free Church of Scotland, Episcopal, United Presbyterian etc records. Scotlandpeople has online the OPRs, which are Church of Scotland, and Catholic Parish Registers but not other denominations.

As far as the surname is concerned the baptism may be under the mothers name only but you would need to find the baptism to know for sure, it was not uncommon for children, even after Civil Registration commenced, to adopt the surname of the reputed father. Sometimes an illigitimate birth would be registered by the mother with no father named but with the reputed fathers surname as a middle name. The child would then drop the mothers surname and simply use the reputed fathers surname (the childs middle name) as their surname.

Andy

[MonicaL]

Cathy, there is an Angus Gregorson having a child in 1855 in Kilmore and Kilbride parish (you would need to check image to see if this was in or near Oban, but not your Mary Ann - https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XYPC-H8C (parents marriage in January of 1855 https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XYPC-H8C).

Likely Mary Ann born therefore before this and the start of official registration in 1855 as you have found.

Monica 

[cathyaitken]

Cathy, there is an Angus Gregorson having a child in 1855 in Kilmore and Kilbride parish (you would need to check image to see if this was in or near Oban, but not your Mary Ann - https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XYPC-H8C (parents marriage in January of 1855 https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XYPC-H8C).

Likely Mary Ann born therefore before this and the start of official registration in 1855 as you have found.

Thank you very much for the information i  will research this..I dont know exactly were she was born although the census states lanark. ...cathy

[cathyaitken]

Hi

Civil Registration did not commence in Scotland until 1855 so if she was born earlier then you are looking for a church record of the baptism. Unfortunately not all denominations records are online, Familysearch has indexed many of the registers for the Church of Scotland, and a small number of others, but they have few Free Church of Scotland, Episcopal, United Presbyterian etc records. Scotlandpeople has online the OPRs, which are Church of Scotland, and Catholic Parish Registers but not other denominations.

As far as the surname is concerned the baptism may be under the mothers name only but you would need to find the baptism to know for sure, it was not uncommon for children, even after Civil Registration commenced, to adopt the surname of the reputed father. Sometimes an illigitimate birth would be registered by the mother with no father named but with the reputed fathers surname as a middle name. The child would then drop the mothers surname and simply use the reputed fathers surname (the childs middle name) as their surname.

Andy

Very useful information thank you i will keep researching all many different resourses. Thank you very much