The girls' given name, "Helen Watson"

[gelin5]

I noticed that the girls' given names, "Helen Watson" were used several times after 1800 in Scotland but rarely, if ever, before that time. Was there a famous woman in Scotland who people were naming their daughter after?

[Forfarian]

I noticed that the girls' given names, "Helen Watson" were used several times after 1800 in Scotland but rarely, if ever, before that time. Was there a famous woman in Scotland who people were naming their daughter after?

If so, I have never heard of her.

I think what is happening is that girls were being named after a grandmother or other relative, as was the tradition, but at first only the first given name was recorded at baptism. Only later did it become the norm to record middle names as well.

[gelin5]

Thanks for your reply, Forfafarian. Yes, I have thought of that possibility myself. I'll have to do some more researching, especially using familysearch.org to see if there was a change in the methodology of name recording.

[Forfarian]

Thanks for your reply, Forfafarian. Yes, I have thought of that possibility myself. I'll have to do some more researching, especially using familysearch.org to see if there was a change in the methodology of name recording.

I'd be surprised if there is anything hard and fast, other than more conscientious record-keeping and then the advent of civil registration.

Are there many of your Helen Watson xxxs whose names cannot be related to a grandmother/aunt etc? Or to the wife of the minister/doctor/schoolmaster/landowner etc?

[gelin5]

Hello again, Forfarian. I notice you are researching the name, "AITKENHEAD" in Lancashire. I am connected to the family by that name around Edinburgh. That family used the name, "Helen Watson", at least once, maybe more. My MCGREGOR line intersects with this AITKENHEAD LINE at the marriage of Isabella MCGREGOR & James AITKENHEAD. They probably married about 1825, they lived around Cramond, Midlothian and they had about 8 children until 1846.

[Forfarian]

Hello again, Forfarian. I notice you are researching the name, "AITKENHEAD" in Lancashire. I am connected to the family by that name around Edinburgh. That family used the name, "Helen Watson", at least once, maybe more. My MCGREGOR line intersects with this AITKENHEAD LINE at the marriage of Isabella MCGREGOR & James AITKENHEAD. They probably married about 1825, they lived around Cramond, Midlothian and they had about 8 children until 1846.

Ah yes. I remember looking at Aitkenheads in Edinburgh many years ago because my mother told me that my late great-aunt had been convinced that there is a connection between Thomas Aitkenhead, the only man ever hanged for blasphemy in Scotland, and our Aitkenheads. I looked at everything I could think of, including what Auntie wrote on the subject, and eventually concluded that Auntie must have just come across Thomas Aitkenhead's story and been interested in it, because she had found no evidence either to prove a connection, or if she did she never wrote it down.

Even proving a connection between Thomas and the James A who married Isabella McGregor would be difficult, I think. Thomas was executed in 1698, and he was the son of the keeper of the Netherbow Port in Edinburgh IIRC. My Aitkenheads were farmers in East Kilbride from the early 18th century.

I corresponded about 30 years ago with a MacGregor who was researching Aitkenheads in Edinburgh. Wonder if he is connected you?

[gelin5]

Yes, I had some contact with him. A Robert MCGregor, right? He's the one who told me about Janet Rankin being the mother of Margaret Primrose

[Forfarian]

Yes, I had some contact with him. A Robert MCGregor, right? He's the one who told me about Janet Rankin being the mother of Margaret Primrose

It wasn't Robert, actually, and I don't want to give his name in the public forum as he is probably still alive so it would be against RootsChat rules.

I don't recognise Janet Rankin or Margaret Primrose!

[gelin5]

Hi,

Here's a quick outline of my ancestors connected to this.

Margaret Primrose was born in Linlithgow, Cramond, Midlothian in about 1782. Her mother's name was apparently Janet Rankin, as shown on Margaret's death certificate. But the identity of "Mr Primrose" is unknown. This becomes something of a scenario out of a Victorain novel because the Linlithgow area was "Primrose territory", i.e. several estates owned by the Earls of Rosebury, i.e., the Primrose family. But no connection has been found between my Margaret Primrose and the Earl's family! She & her husband, Daniel McGregor seem to have been humble 'servants' or similar, according to the census returns. They married in 1800 in Dalmeny, West Lothian.

Their second child was named, "Helen Watson McGregor", b. 1803, Cramond, Midlothian.

Their third child was Isabell McGregor, b. 1806, Cramond. She married James Aitkenhead, probably in about 1825, and probably in either Cramond or Edinburgh city.

The seventh child of Isabell McGregor & James Aitkenhead was Helen Watson Aitkenhead, b. 1843, Duddingston, Midlothian.

I want to know why these two girls, in different generations, were using "Helen Watson" to name their daughters.