Where are you Mary Ann Clyne?

Rach · Post by **Rach** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 7:57 pm

This is my brick wall

Off and on for 5 years I have been looking for my grandmother's birth. According to all the other information I have about her she was born abt 1875 Berwick upon Tweed and her mother was Rebecca Clyne. However I can find no sign of her birth. She was illigitimate. Her mother married a William Collin about 4 yrs later. After the marriage the family lived in Berwickshire but there is no birth for her there either. In 1881 she was recorded as William's step daughter.
Rebecca and her siblings were baptised in the R. C. church in Berwick but I have gone through the records there and Mary Ann isn't in it.
Can anyone come up with any suggestions about this, please?
Rae

Post by **SarahND** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 10:48 pm

Hi Rae,
Is she the one known as Mary Ann McLean in the 1881?

1881
Commerce St, Eyemouth, Berwickshire
William Collin, 26, Head, born Eyemouth, Berwicks, Fisherman
Rebecca Collin, 25, Wife, born England, Berwick, Fisherman wife
James Collin, 2 Mo, Son, born England, Berwick
Mary Ann McLean, 6, Stepdaughter, born England, Berwick, Scholar
Rebecca McLean, 76, Visitor Mother In Law, born Garelochhead, Dumbarton

There is a Mary Ann McLean born in 1st quarter 1874 in Bellingham, Northumberland. Have you checked that one out?

or is this (all too likely, I'm afraid) just a transcription mistake made by Ancestry.com and the surname actually is Clyne? The age of the Mother-in-law is surely off... Have you seen the image?

All the best,
Sarah

Rach · Post by **Rach** » Fri Aug 29, 2008 1:24 pm

Thank you for your reply, Sarah.
Yes, that is Mary Ann in the 1881 census. I agree that the mother in law's age is wrong and I expect that they weren't sure of her age so just thought of a number. In 1861 the mother in law's family are living in the barn at Belmount farm, Eccles, Berwickshire, her age is given as 38 which is a much more realistic age.
I had thought about the Mary A McLean born Bellingham but as there is one aged 7 in the 1881 Census in Bellingham I presumed that was not my g'mother's birth.
Mary A' s family have been listed in different certificates as Clyne, Cline, Clain, Clynnie, McLean so it has been difficult to gather all the info I have, which includes all the censuses apart from the 1851 one, but I like a challenge! I should be very grateful for all I have found already but the one bit of information that I thought I would find easily was Mary A's birth

Will keep probing away at this.
Rae

Post by **SarahND** » Fri Aug 29, 2008 4:07 pm

Hi Rae,
I truly sympathize... Is there anywhere where one can trawl through the births in Berwick looking for Mary Anns? As I'm sure you know, according to Ancestry there are 28 Mary Ann births in the Berwick District of Northumberland from 1874-1876. Since registration was compulsory, do you suppose she is registered under her father's name, whatever that may have been? Or could her mother have danced back and forth over the border and avoided registering her at all...

Sorry, I'm not much help.

Sarah (with a similar brick wall looking for a Mary Isabel _____)

Rach · Post by **Rach** » Fri Aug 29, 2008 4:36 pm

Hi Sarah,
Dancing over the border sounds interesting. It paints a lovely picture! I too had thought that she may be registered under her father's name but don't know if this will be held in Berwick or not. Will have to look at the website. Berwick has an archives search room as that is where I found the R.C. records for others in the family. However, Rebecca was married in the Church of Scotland, Eyemouth, so she may not have had Mary Ann christened.
We are going down to that area soon but not on the days it is open - husband will be relieved!
Hopefully you and I will have an eureka moment one day!
Rae

Currie · Post by **Currie** » Sun Aug 31, 2008 9:42 am

Hello Rae,

In the Newcastle Courant, Saturday, March 9, 1805 there’s a notice, advertising for lease, Bromfield farm, 300 acres, and adjacent Belmount Farm, 80 acres, Parish Eccles, County Berwick.

If you haven’t seen this and you’re interested I could transcribe it or send you a copy of the image, whichever you prefer.

Alan

Rach · Post by **Rach** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 9:02 pm

Thanks for v. kind offer, Alan. I have photo as am not far from area. Will pm you tomorrow. Broke arm y'day & feel spaced out with pills at moment!
Rae

WilmaM · Post by **WilmaM** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 9:57 pm

You have broken your Arm Rachel?

Poor you, I hope it mends quickly.

Rach · Post by **Rach** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 12:23 pm

Thanks, Wilma. Keeping fingers x it heals well. Luckily it isn't my right arm so I can fill in time concentrating on the family tree!!
Rae