William Stephen and wife

[ruthhelen]

Cant find Williams death in registers either went back and checked the paper date and it was correct 11/12/1873

Odd isn't it? I can see how the registration of a birth might slip through the net, but a death? Especially as it's been reported in the paper. All I can think is that it must have been registered in a different registration district - or the spelling of the name is somehow different enough not to be picked up in a search...

Ruth

[simon tree]

Birth cert arrived for Elsy
Her mothers Mary maiden name was Barclay
So William Stephens married Mary Barclay a quick search  and found them marrying on 17 May 1846 at King Edward Aberdeenshire Elsy arrives on 1st March 1847 Maker Cornwall
Elsy married James Smith who was born in Cummistown Aberdeenshire a quick google and I find King Edward is 7 miles away James mother was a Ann Barclay who's parents were Alexander and Isobel so was Mary related ?? did James marry a cousin of some sort ??

Simon
 

[ruthhelen]

Birth cert arrived for Elsy
Her mothers Mary maiden name was Barclay

James mother was a Ann Barclay who's parents were Alexander and Isobel so was Mary related ?? did James marry a cousin of some sort ??

You might be on to something there  From what I can see, Alexander Barclay married Isobel Morison on 2 Jan 1813 in the parish of Monquhitter (which is where Cuminestown is). They had four daughters and two sons that I can see - James' mother, Ann Barclay was born 3 Apr 1816, and her sister, Mary Barclay was born 4 May 1818... Which does tie in neatly with the age of Elsy's mother, Mary... 

So James and Elsy may well have been cousins - their marriage certificate, if you have it, may confirm that - I know marriage certificates in Scotland normally recorded if the couple were first cousins, but I don't know if English records do likewise...

I have a hunch James Smith was illegitimate - the baptism in the parish records may confirm that - his mother, Ann Barclay appears as unmarried in the 1851 and 1861 census, and James is living with his grandparents, Alexander and Isobel Barclay in 1851. In fact, they have four grandchildren with them - two of whom appear to be Ann's: James Smith and Alexander Barclay (b. 1835), and two of whom seem to be children of Ann and Mary's younger sister, Barbara - Isobel Gaul and Christian Stuart (Barbara goes on to marry Robert Stuart, the father of her second child).

Ruth

[simon tree]

Thanks Ruth
 Came across James being illegitimate before have now sent for James and Elsy Marriage cert hopefully to find they were cousins (that sounds strange)

I have never been able to find a marriage for Ann Barclay so believe she may never married
 
So now need to find where William Stephens was born Don't know if marriage certs are available for 1846 If they are whats the best place to order Scottish Certificate's from

Regards Simon

[ruthhelen]

So now need to find where William Stephens was born Don't know if marriage certs are available for 1846 If they are whats the best place to order Scottish Certificate's from

The definitive source is the Scotland's People website, where you can find the majority of records online, for a modest fee. Prior to 1855, all you'll get for marriages is any entry in the parish records - these are variable in quality, and some haven't survived at all.

However.... because I feel like I know this family personally now, and had some spare credits for Scotland's People - I've had a look at William and Mary's marriage entry  It reads:

May 17th: William Stephen in the parish of Maker, County of Cornwall, and Mary Barclay in this parish, declared their purpose of marriage and were married

So, on the plus side, we know we have the correct couple - but it doesn't enlighten us as to where William Stephen was born, only that he was already residing in Cornwall by the time of his marriage to Mary.

There are some Stephens in both Monquhitter parish and King Edward parish at the time of the 1841 and 1851 census, but I haven't yet found anything that ties them to our William Stephen 

Ruth

[simon tree]

RUTH THANKYOU VERY VERY MUCH

So William was already living in Cornwall and returned to marry Mary was not expecting that I need to go and look at the 1841 census to see if he was in Maker in that year

Thanks Again
Simon