Occupation Opinion - 1861 Census - Dundee, Scotland

[Skoosh]

A woodturner, so furniture work, bowls, bagpipes etc'.

Skoosh.

[ianhughscott]

A woodturner, so furniture work, bowls, bagpipes etc'.

Skoosh.

Yes - I have in my possession and that has been passed down, a wooden bowl that he made. He apparently dabbled in metal turning as well - a handmade brass candle holder has also been passed on to me.

My main reason for trying to verify what is written in the census record is to confirm this is the family I'm researching. The census record has the right mother, and 3 children - and I know that one would become a woodturner.

However, the census record does not show the father. It also has new children I was not aware of.

So, looking for clues that this either is or is not the family

[ianhughscott]

The children you can't find registrations for - are they younger than the 13 year old?  I don't know anything about Scottish records, but could they be "adopted" although I see that official adoption wasn't introduced in Scotland until 1930, and birth registrations in 1855, so plenty of loopholes.

So, most of the old Scottish "birth" records are actually a record of their baptism. Presbyterians and Roman Catholics both baptized children as infants, and the church kept a record of that, and usually recorded the birth date as well.

I just realized something - it's possible that some in the family I am researching would not have a record of baptism.... they were among the early "Brethern" Christian fellowship in Dundee - and this Christian group did not believe in child baptism; instead immersion of believers only AFTER they had expressed a faith in personal conversion and faith in Jesus Christ as their "personal" Savior.

Something others perhaps might want to consider when unable to find a birth/baptism record before civil registration began.

[MonicaL]

You mentioned that father had died four years after the 1851 census? Was this 1855 or 1854? An 1855 death cert would normally give you how many children father had (their names and ages when he died).

Monica

[ianhughscott]

You mentioned that father had died four years after the 1851 census? Was this 1855 or 1854? An 1855 death cert would normally give you how many children father had (their names and ages when he died).

Monica

Hi Monica - no, it is the 1861 census, not 1851. The death cert is 1865, lists his address, his occupation, his wife's name, and parents' names including mother's maiden name. No place for children (other than it was one of them, his son, that reported/registered the death).

I may have other research to do on the census. It only provides an address of Stewarts Court - but there were several street names in Stewarts Court, Dundee. The death cert has Gellatly Street, Stewart's court, but the census does not seem to have that information that I can see.

I realize the family in the census is probably the one I'm researching - but I don't like "probables" if there are ways to get to "definites."

[MonicaL]

Sorry, misread the 1861 for 1851! Pity. All 1855 certificates, the first year of Scottish official registration, carried a lot of extra details. By 1856, certs had been modified and the info collected reduced.

Monica

[MonicaL]

1874 photo of the general area www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/88116/stewarts-court-looking-seagate-towards-gellatly-street-dundee

The family showed at Seagate in 1851 didn't they?

Monica

[MonicaL]

Also, a description of the place names coming up for you https://scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/digital-volumes/ordnance-survey-name-books/forfarshire-angus-os-name-books-1857-1861/forfar-angus-volume-28/41

Monica

[ianhughscott]

1874 photo of the general area www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/88116/stewarts-court-looking-seagate-towards-gellatly-street-dundee

The family showed at Seagate in 1851 didn't they?

Monica

You are very observant! Yes, they were at Seagate in 1851.

Thanks for linking to the photo. Doesn't look like a place I'd like to live.... imagining living in such a neighbourhood and having lots of children... I think I would have stayed in Dysart