Richard Hood 1819 • Inveresk, Midlothian, Scotland?

[Garthkh]

I'm trying to verify this Richard Hood who, in my Ancestry tree, was born in 1819 • Inveresk, Midlothian, Scotland. I cant find any other ancestors.  This would be my g.g.grandfather on my mothers side. Searching ScotlandsPeople I only see a Richard Hood born in Gladsmuir on 30 Aug 1818 whith parents David Hood and Jane Steel.
I see another Hood family in FamilySearch who have these David Hood(LQ5L-3FS) and Jean Steel (224Z-M48) parents who have a Richard Hood (224F-7PY) as a child.  I wonder if this Richard is the same as mine?
I don't have any access to birth certificates etc and I'm hoping someone can help.
All I have is a Death Certificate for my Richard Hood  which is attached, It says he was born NEAR Edinburgh.
I believe my Richard Hood's birth detail was inserted by a cousin who had full membership of Ancestry and I presume the birth details were from an Ancestry hint, but we don't have the birth certificate. The death certificate is correct that Richard died on 2 Oct 1887 in King WilliamsTown, Eastern Cape,South Africa. The children listed are all of my family.

[ColC]

Church Records on https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk search for free, small fee to view record. Statutory Registration began in 1855 in Scotland.
 
RICHARD HOOD 30/08/1818
DAVID HOOD/JANE STEELE
Gladsmuir, East Lothian.

Edinburgh, Midlothian is 12 miles W of Gladsmuir, East Lothian

Colin

[ColC]

DAVID HOOD Married  JEAN STEEL
02/01/1800 Inveresk and Musselburgh, Midlothian

Other children: DAVID HOOD/JEAN STEEL/ STEELE/STEIL OR STEVENS.

Inveresk and Musselburgh, Midlothian
ANNE 30/10/1801, GEORGE 11/12/1803, THOMAS 23/02/1806
HELEN 27/04/1811, JAMES 29/08/1813

Newton, Midlothian
VILLOTTE 10/06/1808

Colin

[ColC]

On SP I do not see another Richard Hood born in Scotland 1818 1821 or a death in the next 100 years. Unless the records have not survived.

Colin

[Forfarian]

Using a date calculator, 68 years and 42 days before 2 October 1887 is 21 August 1819.

What evidence did the compiler of the Ancestry tree have to make them think that Richard was born in Inveresk?

I don't have any access to birth certificates etc

You have exactly the same access as everyone else, via Scotland's People www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk, but as this is long before the start of civil registration in 1855, there isn't a birth certificate to look for. At best there could only be a baptism record.

I see that he is described as a pensioner. At that time, this usually means that he was in receipt of an Army or Navy pension, so I suggest looking for military records.

There is a record of Richard Hood, born in the parish of Gladsmuir, who enlisted at Edinburgh, aged 18, on 15 September 1835. He served in the East Indies and South Africa, and was discharged as unfit for further service at Grahamstown, Cape of Good Hope, on 26 May 1857.

[Alb R]

Yes this is the same person. David Hood and Jean Steel  lived most of their life around Inveresk until 1813, then David had a brief stint in England. By 1816 the family were at Gladsmuir and Richard was born at Penston, Gladsmuir on 6 Aug 1818. By 1821 they were back in Inveresk.
Richard enlisted at Edinburgh for the 45th Regiment of Foot in 1835 and transferred the Cape Mounted Rifles in 1850 while in South Africa. His attestation for the army in 1835 gives Gladsmuir as place of birth and his discharge in South Africa from the Cape Mounted Rifles in 1857 also states Gladsmuir as his place of birth. (Richard's brother Robert, born in Gladsmuir in 1816, had joined the 35th Regiment in 1834).
Albert

[Forfarian]

So it looks as if the Ancestry tree is wrong (surprise, surprise - not!)

[Steve3180]

This is undoubtedly the same Richard Hood, Family Search has him born 6 Aug 1818 and baptised in Gladsmuir 30 Aug 1818. It is possible that he was born in Inveresk and baptised in Gladsmuir but more likely that this is a faulty recall or simple mistake. Many of his siblings, including Anne who is in my tree married to a distant cousion, were born in Inveresk, the family moved between various coal mining hamlets in the area no doubt as work required, they would have had few or no written records and would most likely be illiterate.

[Steve3180]

PS. I've just remembered there's a website about the Hood family http://www.hoodfamily.info