Looking for Paul Davidson, born Aberdeen 1742

[DVB-Antwerp]

Am looking for this man, and confirmation of birth 7 feb 1742. Apparently, he appears at Herentals (Belgium) where he is baptised at 34 in 1758. He married a local girl (Johanna Catharina Vissers).

Who were his parents? Why does he move to Belgium?? (he is noted here as "Paulus Guilelmus", so I think his original name was Paul William..)

Thank you,
Dirk van Bogaert, Antwerp, Belgium

[CaroleW]

If he was 34 when baptised in 1758 - he could not have been born in 1742.  Think you mean 1724

Records that far back may be found on Scotlands People.  Free index but you have to pay via credits to view the actual entry

www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk - search using the Old Parish Registers

How do you know he was born in Aberdeen?

[ColC]

Paul is not a common first name in Scotland but is as a surname but from your post I suspect this is him below, however as mentioned the dates do not match.

WILLIAM PAUL DAVIDSON
JOSEPH DAVIDSON/ANN BEATTIE
13/09/1833
Banchory Devenick Aberdeenshire.

You can see the original record on https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk for a small fee.

Colin

[DVB-Antwerp]

Dear Carole, thx for your quick reply.. indeed 1724 (typed too fast..).
Via Geneanet, (various findings), say he was born there. I will also contact some of the authors of these genealogic research to find out, but must presume it is right. He probably was (re)baptised because he was gonna marry a local (catholic) girl.. I did not find any marriage record so far, but probably will within due course. Scotlands people gives no results so far.
I'll keep on searching.. I like this forum, it also helped me to localise my wife's ancertors in Liverpool and Dublin..
Dirk

[ColC]

Bear in mind the 1833 date on SP could be his baptism in the Church of Scotland not his birth date.

Colin
PS oops wrong century.

[CaroleW]

If he was born 1724 - he would have been 109 in 1833

[DVB-Antwerp]

There seems to be confusion on birth year.. Several people noted 1724, but based on a military document (his son exempted from service) he is said to be 73 yrs old in 1818, which brings his birth to around 1740-42?.. this makes sense, at birth of his youngest child, he would be around 50 (and not 68..), on top of that, he remarried the year after (for the children..?) and again a third time in 1797..
I checked FamilySearch, but cannot find him. note: his baptism in 1758 was a "conversion",
Thx

[CaroleW]

1758  baptism - if he was born 1742 he would only have been 16yrs old so the 1724 birth is more likely if he perhaps converted at age 34 in order to marry

However - that would mean he was 73 at the time of his 3rd marriage

The dates just do not add up

[DVB-Antwerp]

This search becomes more a "logical" exercise.. My saying that he was baptised at 34 was based on his presumed birth in 1724, which now seems really unlikely, as I found the transciption of the military record in de Belgian National archives. (www.arch.be) It says the son must sustain the father who is 71, in 1813.. He would then have been 16 at his "conversion" baptism. The overview of baptisms at Herentals states that het was baptised April 20, 1758. All other Davidsons in Herentals are the children of this couple, so my belief: he was indeed born around 1742.. Am trying to find the marriage record, maybe it mentions the name of his mother. He was married 1781, hence his baptism was not because he was gonna marry soon, but maybe because he lived in a catholic environment.