DONALDSON, Malcolm, ?born in Denny 1856/57 grew up in Glasgow

[Dingross]

I have been unable to find a birth registration for my great grandfather, Malcolm Donaldson, born around 1856-57.  In the 1861,1871 and 1881 censuses, he is in the household of George Donaldson in Glasgow and his place of birth is given as Denny Stirlingshire (Linlithgowsh. in 1871).  In 1861 and 1881 he is listed as "son" of George and Barbara Donaldson.  In the 1871 census, he is listed as "foster son".

Once married and head of his own household, he gives his place of birth as Glasgow in subsequent censuses.  He was a french polisher.

If he was indeed a foster son of George Donaldson, then I imagine his original surname may not have been Donaldson, which may be why I can't find his birth reg. 

Any pointers to how to solve this?

[loobylooayr]

Hi,

When and where did George and Barbara marry?
Looby

[Dingross]

George Donaldson married Barbara Turnbull on 2nd December 1842 in Glasgow. George was born about 1821 in Ireland and Barbara about 1817 in Greenock, Renfrewshire.

The only other child in the family was Mary, born about 1845 in Glasgow according to census dates, so quite a big gap between her and Malcolm.  Perhaps suggests sub-fertility and not unlikely that Malcolm was fostered/adopted.

[loobylooayr]

Hi again,
Did Malcolm name the Donaldsons as his parents on his own marriage Cert and are they recorded as parents on his death cert?
Just wondering if he knew his original surname? Could he have been another family member's son who the Donaldsons took on as their own?
Have you looked at the names of his own children for a clue - a middle name perhaps relating to his previous surname?
If he was born after 1855 their should be a certificate. But I know from experience how hard that is going to be to track down. I have a ggg- grandfather who was obviously born illegitmate probably in Glasgow circa 1855-1857. He is on the 1861 with his paternal grandparents in Ayrshire and using their surname -no sign of parents (his father is mining in Australia)- and I have yet to trace his birth cert as he must have been registered with his mother's name. On his marriage he names his mother as Jane Smith - probably a made up name- and hard to research.

Malcolm may not even have been his first name. Was he christened , by the way? Maybe a christening record could help?

Sorry for all the questions. Just posting my thoughts on the keyboard .
And I need to go out in 15 mins....
Hope you solve your mystery
Looby

[Gadget]

Looby

I've been following this up and can say that he names George and Barbara as his parents on his marriage cert.  I then chased up any Malcolm born Denny 1855-1857. There was only one. - I followed him up and found his mother had died in 1859. This looked hopeful as I couldn't find him on the 1861. However, I eventually  found him in Denny  with his widowed father and step-siblings under his middle name.

So, sadly, this was not him and can't think of any other way of finding him. It looks as if it could be a full name change or not born Denny.

Gadget

[Dingross]

Thanks Gadget.  I appreciate your searching.

Hi Looby,

As Gadget says, George and Barbara are given as his parents when he married Jessie Monaghan in 1882 and again on his death certificate.

The middle names bit is interesting and intriguing.  Three of his nine children, Mary, Robert and Adam, have McDougall as a middle name - but I think this relates to his sister Mary's husband, Robert McDougall.  Oddly, Mary and Robert also had children called Mary Robert and Adam McDougall.  Robert and Mary and their children were all living with George and Barbara Donaldson and Malcolm in the 1881 census.

Robert McDougall was born in Yorkshire in 1838.  In the 1861 census he was 22 and living in Northumberland with his parents Adam and Sarah (no sign of a son).  He married Mary Donaldson in 1865 and she would have been too young to have been Malcolm's mother.

Barbara Turnbull had 3 younger siblings.  I've tried looking at Turnbulls born in Stirlingshire around the time of Malcolm's birth, but there are none in Denny

[Dingross]

On the Turnbull theme - there was a William Turnbull born to a Barbara Turnbull in 1856 in Larbert, Stirlingshire - but he's still William and still with Barbara in Larbert in her parents' household in 1861, so not the Barbara Turnbull who married George Donaldson.  -  another blind end!

[MonicaL]

One wild poss from me! No idea how to prove this and events not in Denny but Kilsyth...

A Margaret ROUCHHEAD was having a number of illegitimate births in Kilysyth. The ones I can see here:

Malcolm 1857 https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FQT9-392
Agnes 1859 https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FQ4H-7QB and twin
Barbara 1859 https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FQ4H-HGM
Thomas 1865 https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FQT9-C99
Agnes 1867 https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FQ4H-7Q6
Thomas 1869 https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FQTS-SYH

I thought this 1861 entry might be young Barbara b. 1859:

Malcolm Mcculloch 29 Miner Ironstone
Agnes Mcculloch 28 b. Airdrie, Lanarkshire
Barbara Rouchead 1 adopted daughter b. Kilsyth

Address: High Craigends, Kilsyth

A possible for this Margaret in 1861:

Mary Braidy 47
Elisabeth Braidy 18
Ann Braidy 8
Andrew Braidy 6
Margaret Roughhead 28, boarder, cotton weaver b. Airdrie

Address: Oldtown, Kilsyth

Can't see a death for a Malcolm Rouchhead on SP up to 1861, with wildcards for spellings, so wondered if he may be the fostered son showing with the Donaldsons? A possibility which I can't think how to firm up further...

Monica

[MonicaL]

Agnes McCulloch and Margaret likely sisters. Agnes' marriage showing here for 1854 https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XY7D-62V

Both Margaret and Agnes show in Campsie, Stirlingshire in 1841 living with a Watson family. Maybe both twins too like Margaret went on to have?:

Agnes Rochhead 11 H L W App b. Scotland
Margaret Rochhead 11 H L W App b. Scotland

I think this is a bad transcription of 1871:

Margaret Rinckhead 38 cotton weaver b. Camberwell, Dunbartonshire
Agnes Sarver 4 daughter b. Kilsyth
Thomas Sarver 1 son b. Kilsyth
Ellen Cook 39 boarder b. Kilsyth

Address: Robt Lushman Land High Craigends, Kilsyth

Monica