help finding james stewart

[helenjohn]

Can anyone help to find the parents of james stewart 1828- 1830 in Aberdeen
I have downloaded from Scotlands people the possibles for the period but after having ruled out some of them I am still stuck.
I have the following records that I know are correct so if anyone can point me to his parents I would be extremely grateful as this is becoming an obsession in finding his parents!!

James Stewart marries Susan Leslie 1848 in Old Machar
1851 Census lives in Young Street
1861 Census lives in Catherine Street his occupation is combmaker
I know he has 7 children but only Susan and James survive beyond 1861
at some point he moves down from Scotland and I then find him on the next census
in 1901 in Wakefield and then dies in Wakefield at 74

hope someone can help

[LesleyB]

Hi helenjohn
And welcome to Talking Scot

IF you have the census data, in order to help us to help you cn you give us a littel more info?
1851 Census lives in Young Street - where does he say he was born and how old is he in 1851?
1861 Census lives in Catherine Street his occupation is combmaker - where does he say he was born and how old is he in 1861?
Is it Aberdeen as in the city, or Aberdeen the county?
Also, What are the given names of his children, oldest to youngest?

Best wishes
Lesley

[helenjohn]

hi there thanks for your reply the following information as requested
1851 Census living at 23 Young Street age 23 occupation Combmaker born in hard to read but looks like starting with A and ending with f Aberdeen
1861 Census living at 60 & 62 Catherine Street occupation Combmaker born Abdn. Aberdeenshire age 33

Additional information
Wife Susan Leslie 1829 - 1862

children
Alice 1849 -1857
James 1851 - 1892 (died in Wakefield)
William 1853 - 1856
Susan 1856 - 1918 ( died in Wakefield)
Jane Allen 1858 -1859
John 1860 -1860
Alexander Gordon Mitchel 1861 - 1862

I have the copies of death certificates for all of these

Hope this helps

[AndrewP]

Hi Helen,

Aberdeenshire.PNG

I reckon the place name in the 1851 census is AberdeenS, Aberdeen [AberdeenS being Aberdeenshire]

All the best,

AndrewP

[helenjohn]

would that mean it could be anywhere in aberdeen or just aberdeen city it would help if I could just narrow it down I have taken some out of the list because they have a James on the 1851 census. Still left with at least three choices of parents two being in Glenmuick within two weeks of each other and the other is in Old Deer. Been round in circles that many times not sure.

[AndrewP]

Hi Helen,

It should mean the city of Aberdeen (in Aberdeenshire). You are fortunate that the others are a distance away from the city of Aberdeen, so are not in the parishes next door to the city, which could have been given as Aberdeen by some people on some documents.

All the best,

AndrewP

[helenjohn]

thank you I think you might have helped me crack it ------ watch this space !!!!!

[helenjohn]

not sure again this one is aberdeen city James and Barbara Mitchel but he is not born until 1831 and he gives his age at 23 on the 1851 census.
but on his 1901 census says he is 71 which could make it right. I have a copy of his marriage certificate would it show anything on it if under age?

[AndrewP]

Hi Helen,

It is unfortunate that he married before 1855, so the marriage record is in the OPRs (Old Parochial Register). The information given in the OPRs seldom gives an age, and only sometimes gives any parent information. Then, equally unfortunate, his death was in England rather than Scotland. My understanding of English records is that they give less information than the equivalent Scottish records. What information does his death certificate give?

By chance were any of his or her parents ever with James and Susan on census night? Or by any chance were any of the children's birth or death certificates registered by one of the grandparents rather than James or Susan? I know these possibilities are clutching at straws, but without any other information, you may be toiling to ever know for sure who James's or Susan's parents were.

You can search for James Stewart's birth in Aberdeen, trusting the ages given on the census, but with a name as common as James Stewart, you may find yourself having to guess which is the right one. Are you prepared to accept a guess because the details are the nearest you can pin to him? Another thought to bear in mind is that not every child was baptised, or if baptised there may not be a record of the baptism (particularly if the baptism was in a church other than the (Established) Church of Scotland).

I wish I could offer you better news, but sometimes the better news is not there to be found.

All the best,

AndrewP