Alexander Gilchrist born c1847

[fmackay]

Hi Sarah and Annette
Many many thanks for your input - will check this out after Christmas.
Much appreciated.
Fiona

[fmackay]

Found him!
Decided to try one death cert and thankfully it was the right one!
Alexander died 19/11/1888, his age is given about 40. He died in hospital in Ayr of a tumour of intestine. His widow was informant. His parents listed as Alexander Gilchrist, Carrier, and Margaret Gilchrist, ms McBeth.
So that could tie in with the 1851 census.. Doesn't explain the name Gunn he gave for his mum on his marriage certificate.

[nelmit]

Found him!
Decided to try one death cert and thankfully it was the right one!
Alexander died 19/11/1888, his age is given about 40. He died in hospital in Ayr of a tumour of intestine. His widow was informant. His parents listed as Alexander Gilchrist, Carrier, and Margaret Gilchrist, ms McBeth.
So that could tie in with the 1851 census.. Doesn't explain the name Gunn he gave for his mum on his marriage certificate.

Glad you found him.

That was the reason I looked for a marriage between an Elizabeth Gunn (hoping there was one which could relate to Elizabeth on the 1851 census) and a male Mc Be(a)th. A few of mine gave their granny's maiden name on certificates.

kind regards,
Annette

Andrew I've done it again!!!!! Help! - corrected - AndrewP

[JulieAK]

Found him!
Doesn't explain the name Gunn he gave for his mum on his marriage certificate.

I've had a few situations like that. One relative gave his mother's name on his marriage certificate. Then on his death certificate, his family listed his stepmother as his mother. I think his birth mother died young, his father married again and he was raised by the stepmother.

The mother may have been previously married also. Or her parents weren't married and she used both her mother's surname and her father's surname. I had one do that - made census searching very confusing.

[SarahND]

Hi Fiona,
I decided to look at a few censuses, in light of the information you found on the death cert.

Here he is in 1861, with the addition of a little sister:

1861
Smarlie, Latheron, Caithness
Margret McBeath, 43, Head, born Swiney, Caithness
Alexr Gilchrist, 11, Son, born Lybster, Caithness, Scholar
Williamina Gilchrist, 8, Daughter, born Lybster, Caithness, Scholar

And, oh dear, this looks like his father, married to someone else with a child born in between Margret's two

1861
Village of Lybster, Latheron, Caithness
Alexander Gilchrist, 29, Head, born Latheron, Caithness, Carrier
Ann Gilchrist, 31, Wife, born Latheron, Caithness, Carriers Wife
Charles Gilchrist, 9, Son, born Latheron, Caithness, Scholar

And in 1871:

1871
Weydale, Thurso, Caithness
Margaret McBeatto, 54, Head, born Latheron, Caithness, General Servant
Alexander Gilchrist, 21, Son, born Latheron, Caithness, Labourer
Williamena Gilchrist, 19, Daughter, born Latheron, Caithness, General Servant
Donald MacKay, 19, Lodger, born Fan, Sutherland, Labourer

Alex Sr is hidden in the Ancestry index under the name Selchurt

1871
Village of Lybster, Latheron, Caithness
Alexander Selchurt, 41, Head, born Latheron, Caithness, Carrier (common)
Ann Selchurt, 40, Wife, born Latheron, Caithness
Charles Selchurt, 18, Son, born Latheron, Caithness, Carrier (common)

All the best,
Sarah

[SarahND]

Hi again,
Since it's raining, I just kept on looking


Here is Alex Sr. and family in 1881. Ancestry has the households all mixed up in their index, but I finally got it straight, I think...

1881
Main St Village East Side, Latheron, Caithness
Alexander Gilchrist, 51, Head, born Lathern, Caithness, Carrier
Ann Gilchrist, 48, Wife, born Lathern Caithness, Carrier's Wife
Charles Gilchrist, 27, Son, born Lathern, Caithness, Carrier

And Margaret & Williamina. Again, the households are a jumble in the index, you have to go through and hunt for the household and page Here, at least, the Gunn motif is introduced, as I assume that's what William's surname really is

1881
Farm Servts House, Olrig, Caithness
William Gann, 32, Head, born Halkirk, Caithness Shire, Farm Servant
Williamina Gann, 28, Wife, born Latheron, Caithness Shire, Farm Servs Wife
Ann S Gann, 6, Daughter, born Olrig, Caithness Shire, Scholar
Margaret Gann, 4, Daughter, born Thurso, Caithness Shire, Farm Servs Daur
Rose Gann, 3, Daughter, born Thurso, Caithness Shire, Farm Servs Daur
Margaret McBeath, 61, Mother-in-law, born Latheron, Caithness Shire, Farm Servs Mother In Law

To tidy things up, this looks like Alexander Sr in 1851 and 1841. Interesting that he didn't name either of his sons for his father. Do you suppose Ann MacGregor, the "visitor" is the one who later married Alexander?

1851
Smerby Lybster, Latheron, Caithness
George Gilchrist, 73, Head, born Lothbeg, Sutherland, Farmer of 7 Acres
Betty Gilchrist, 26, Daughter, born Latheron, Caithness, Farmer's Daughter
Alexander Gilchrist, 22, Son, born Latheron, Caithness, Farmer's Son
John Gilchrist, 16, Son, born Latheron, Caithness, Farmer's Son
Ann Gilchrist, 7, Daughter, born Lybster, Caitness, Scholar
Ann MacGregor, 23, Visitor, born Latheron; Wheel, Caithness, Formerly House Servant
Morison Snody, 3, Grandson, born Lybster, Caithness
Elizabeth Sutherland, 3 weeks, Grandaughter, born Lybster, Caithness

1841
Smerley, Latheron, Caithness
George Gilchrist, 60, born Caithness, Farmer Cancer
Ann Gilchrist, 40, born Caithness
Elizabeth Gilchrist, 15, born Caithness
Jane Gilchrist, 13, born Caithness
Alex Gilchrist, 11, born Caithness
William Gilchrist, 8, born Caithness

I wondered where John from the 1851 had got to and found that Ancestry had put him next door with the Clark family, since he was on the next page thanks to FreeCen for this (although the surname in FreeCen is Gilchriss)

John Gilchrist, 6, born Caithness

Also next door with the Clarks is a young man named Alexander Sutherland, age 15. Could he be the future father of Elizabeth Sutherland who was 3 weeks old in 1851 above?

There are a number of Margaret McBeaths in Latheron Parish in 1841, as you can see on FreeCen. Since the age was rounded down, it is hard to be certain which one is the correct Margaret. Three of them look possible. A peek at her death certificate might solve this.

So, when did Margaret die? Jumping forward to 1891, we find Williamina and now 8 children and father in law But no sign of mother Margaret. Were Alexander's parents both deceased on his death cert?

1891
Newlands, Olrig, Caithness
William S Gunn, 38, Head, born Halkirk, Caithness-Shire, Farmer
Williamina Gunn, 38, Wife, born Latheron, Caithness-Shire
Rose Gunn, 13, Daur, born Thurso, Caithness-Shire, Scholar
Susan Gunn, 9, Daur, born Olrig, Caithness-Shire, Scholar
Alexina Gunn, 8, Daur, born Olrig, Caithness-Shire, Scholar
Walter Gunn, 6, Son, born Olrig, Caithness-Shire, Scholar
William Gunn, 5, Son, born Olrig, Caithness-Shire, Scholar
Isabella Gunn, 3, Daur, born Olrig, Caithness-Shire
James Gunn, 1, Son, born Olrig, Caithness-Shire
Charlotte Gunn, 1Month, Daur, born Olrig, Caithness-Shire
Donald Gunn, 80, Father, born Halkirk, Caithness-Shire, Annuitant


There are two marg* mcbeath born 1818 +/- 3 years
One in Olrig, where she was living in 1881, the other in Thurso
The one in Olrig died in 1889 and was born in 1818. Looks about right, so she would have still been living at her son Alexander's death

Papa Alexander is also still living:

1891
Village, Latheron, Caithness
Alexander Gilchrist, Head, born Latheron, Caithnessshire, Carters
Anne Gilchrist, 58, Wife, born Latheron, Caithnessshire, Carters Wife

And in 1901, we get confirmation that he was, indeed, the father of Williamina, as her daughter is in the household as Grandchild

1901
Lybster Vilage Main St
Alexr Gilchrist, 71, Hea, born Latheron, Caithness, General Carrier
Annie Gunn, 26, Grandchild, born Olrig, Caithness, Domestic Servt
Kenneth McLeod, 20, born Latheron, Caithness, Carriers Assistant

William and Williamina finally named a son after his father, but both William and Donald have died. She is left with 7 children still at home (out of a total of 12 if I have counted correctly ) and a grandson...

1901
Newlands East Murkle, Olrig, Caithness
Williamina Gunn, 50, Head, born Latheron, Caithness, Farmer
Susan Gunn, 19, Daur, born Olrig, Caithness, Farm Serv
William Gunn, 15, Son, born Olrig, Caithness, Ploughman
Isabella Gunn, 13, Daur, born Olrig, Caithness, Scholar
James Gunn, 11, Son, born Olrig, Caithness, Scholar
Charlotte Gunn, 10, Daur, born Olrig, Caithness, Scholar
Donald Gunn, 8, Son, born Olrig, Caithness, Scholar
John Gunn, 6, Son, born Olrig, Caithness, Scholar
William Smith, 4, Grandson, born Olrig, Caithness

Have fun with all this!
Sarah

[fmackay]

Hi Sarah
Many thanks for the info - at least I'm looking in the right area now!!

thanks again.