TalkingScot.com

You never know just what will come down in the last shower of rain!

Alarms and excursions all round this week.

Did they ever catch the Edinburgh monkey, I wonder?

I hadn't looked for the 1861, but that is interesting Margaret Gray 67 Head Oxton, Berwickshire Margaret Gray 24 Dau Gifford Helen Gray 21 D Gifford as the "List of Births with no Father's name 1855-1874" also has a Helen Gray in the list! Andrew GRAY 30 October 1870 Helen GRAY Find the father Marga...

It's amazing what a quick 'google' unearths! I popped in Gray of Yester Parish and got this:https://www.oldscottish.com/yester.html#PoorAppeals Board of Supervision poor relief appeal s - with a link to a Margaret Gray ! it's £3 for a copy mind you, but could be worth it. Plus: List of Births with n...

Is this the 1871 you have pencilled in? Name: William Gray Age: 16 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1855 Relationship: Son Mother's Name: Margaret Gray Gender: Male Where born: Yester, e lothian Registration Number: 725 Registration District: Yester Civil Parish: Yester County: East Lothian Address: The Ma...

Glad you worked it out yourself.

These old relatives do like to keep us on our toes.

(I would like to point out to any writers of the above letters, who happen to be reading this, that you’ve already been paid your five shillings, and I will not be paying five shillings to anyone.) Oh spoil-sport! Just think of the riches they could buy nowadays with a 5 Bob-Bit - a 1930's 1 shilli...

If he was born in 1854, he may never had his birth recorded, statutory registration began in 1855. Parish registers are great, if a. they baptised the child, b. The act was recorded c. The church records survived. Have you checked for a marriage for the people on his marriage cert. ( again not full ...

Love it!
The language is wonderful :
trauchled housewife
guidman comes hame at e’en
Divine service last Sabbath
the puir body spent the rest of the nicht in a pitiful manner.
sprauchle across the strand, and then sprauchle back again

Adds so much extra colour to the tale.

Please get that bottle forensicly examined, it could hold the cure !