How and where to locate Records for Kirkfield banks,Lanark Cunningham birth

[ziggy2]

Can any one help me to find records In Kirkfield Banks Lanark or where to go to search for them?
I was told my great great grandfather John Cunningham born in Kirkfield Banks in 1843-1844.
John's Parents were Esther Smith and Robert Cunningham.  I can not seem to find anything that will help me. Can not find John Cunningham's birth with Parents of Esther and Robert. I can't find him in the census either.
John Cunningham was married in the Parish of Whitburn on December 21,1866 to Jane Heggie.

[mirrin]

The spelling is Kirkfieldbank, all one word.  It is a village about a mile from Lanark, in South Lanarkshire.  If you have already tried on Scot. People then you could try Lanark library for advice.

[MonicaL]

Hi Ziggy2

Gosh you have had a hard search for John haven't you 

Just adding a link to this older post which starts here www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=464020.msg3513820#msg3513820 with lots of background info on John's later years provided by Meg (she is amazing isn't she with her wealth of knowledge in these areas of Scotland  ).

Reading through those posts see that there is different parent info for John on his registrations:

Marriage 1866: Robert Cunningham and Esther Smith
Death 1876: John Cunningham & Elizabeth Kay Or Ray

A couple of questions to try to help in this new post. What were the occupations showing for fathers Robert and John in each registration? Again, for each registration of marriage and death, did parents show as alive or deceased?

What is the source of the place name Kirkfieldbank, in the parish of Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire, for John?

Monica

[MonicaL]

To confirm details for John on the census you do have him in after his marriage to Jane in 1866. From 1871:

John Cunningham 25 miner b. Lanarkshire
Jane Cunningham 25 b. Cores, fifeshire
Euphemia Cunningham 3
Ida Cunningham 1

Address: East Whitburn, West Lothian

Monica

[ecksdochter]

Hello Ziggy2 & Monica,
          Re: 1871 Census, East Whitburn, West Lothian.
     Thought Jane's birthplace (Cores, Fifeshire) would likely be Ceres, Fifeshire. 
     FamilySearch has a Jane Heggie born 9th January,1846 at Ceres, Fife.
     Daughter of Peter Heggie & Euphemia Davie.
               Regards,     Dod.
     

[ziggy2]

Monica,
John and his father Robert Cunningham were both coal miners according to the marriage certificate.
On the Death certificate it states John's father Robert was dead and his mother was still living.
All i know is in the 1871 census is says John was born in Lanark. Family has John born in Kirkfieldbanks.

Thanks,
ziggy2

[MonicaL]

ziggy2, I was about to post in despair of giving up, but think we got lucky  If nothing else, a start...

We have no trace of a marriage between an Esther Smith and a Robert Cunningham. Been looking for marriages for an Esther for that mid 1840s period and had found one in Carluke between an Esther and a William HAY (Kay/Ray came up in John's DC from what was mentioned on the other post?) https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XTYZ-4J9

Been looking through the censuses, and found this entry in 1851. Below is from transcript (FreeCen also have this entry, correctly transcribed in terms of spellings etc):

William Hay 33 Handloom Weaver b. Shotts
Earter Hay 26  b. Carluke...maybe this entry https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XTLC-858
John C Stay 5 b. Lanark...guessing the 'C' for Cunningham?
Robert Stay 3  b. Carluke
Margrate Stay 1  b. Carluke

Address: Braehead, Carluke Lanarkshire

Can't see any children showing them registered before 1855 and the start of official registration (likely why you are also not finding John's entry. Only about a third of events were registered before 1855).

Post 1855, the following show:

James 1856 https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FQX1-27N
Catherine 1858 https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FQ88-347
Thomas 1861 https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F772-MVN
George 1863 https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FQF3-F7X
Mary 1866 https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FQ9B-9J2

The later births should include date and place of parents' marriage to let you confirm that Carluke marriage from 1846.

Monica 

[MonicaL]

Again, working off questionable transcriptions, I think this is the family, without John in 1861:

William Hay 43 cotton weaver b. Carluke
Caster Hay 34 b. Lanark
Robert Hay 14 cotton weaver b. Carluke
Alexander Hay 9 b. Carluke
William Hay 6 b. Carluke
Catherine Hay 2 b. Lanark

Address: North Vennal, Lanark

Closest I can get so far for John in 1861 at the moment:

John Hay 15, boy on farm, b. Lanark working at the farmer Stark's household in Over Williamston, Midcalder, Midlothian.

There are a few other possibilities perhaps also under Cunningham.

At this time, remember that names were always very fluid (not just in terms of spellings but also how people changed surnames around) so it wouldn't surprise me to find John under Cunningham or Hay for example. If we have the right entry, his mother Esther's new husband (if she was actually married to Robert Cunningham before) would have been around from when John was very little.

Who were the witnesses to John's marriage from his cert.?

Monica

[MonicaL]

OK, I'm doubly happy now! Found a reference to Kirkfieldbank, but not in the way I was expecting.

Trying to find a reference to Helen Smith's death on SP. She has been misindexed with her maiden name of Smith showing as a middle name rather than a surname. Search for her using just first name Helen Smith and then Hay (ref. 649/02 0001). She died in 1917 at the age of 89...at Kirkfieldbank 

From 1901:

Esther Hay 74 b. Carluke
Ester Stevenson 14, grandchild Woollen Winder, b. Lesmahagow...mother Mary Hay I think.

Address: Kirkfieldbank, Lesmahagow, Lanark

Monica