Alfred O S Boyd

[davelna]

I am trying to trace the family of Alfred Oakley Stockley Boyd who died 24th March 1945, aged 22 years, during Operation Varsity in Germany. I believe he had a sister Margaret who married an Alan Pirie.
If anyone can assist It would be most appreciated.

[AndrewP]

Hi davelna,



On http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk you can find the marriage of Alan Pirie and Margaret Boyd. However, the marriage certificate will not be available to download yet as it falls into the "modern records" category which cannot be seen online, apart from seeing an index entry. The modern records are births 100 or less years back, marriages 75 or less years back and deaths 50 or less years back. These certificates can be seen in the ScotlandsPeople Centre in Edinburgh, or any of its outposts around Scotland. Or if you are prepared to pay the cost of a legal extract from the register, then you can order that from the ScotlandsPeople website.

However, for Alan and Margaret's marriage certificate, it should be worth waiting until January 2017, when all of the 1941 marriages will have passed their 75 year "modern record" status, and should be available to download from the ScotlandsPeople website. As for working forwards from that marriage certificate to any children, grandchildren and possibly great-grandchildren, that is a trickier prospect; not one you will make much progress with online, unless you happen to make contact with one of these people. Margaret's death can be found in the ScotlandsPeople index, using a search with both surnames and her first name.

On the ScotlandsPeople website, there is a "Service Return" for Alfred's death. Unfortunately it doesn't contain the same level of detail as a death certificate.

All the best,

AndrewP

[davelna]

Thankyou AndrewP.
I have since done a search on Scotlands People and found a reference to Alfred O S Boyd under "Soldiers Wills". Alfred`s executor was a Mrs A Pirie living near Portsoy. I believe this to be his sister Margaret Boyd who married Alan Pirie. Alfred names his benificiary as Mrs Catherine McGregor of Anderston, Glasgow. I have not been able to trace her yet but guess she may have been a close relative.

[Moray_Lass]

If you want to put out an appeal in the local papers for descendant try

http://www.banffshireadvertiser.co.uk/Home/
http://www.northern-scot.co.uk/Home/
https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/

Might turn up a response quicker than waiting for birth certs to become available

[speleobat2]

There is a marriage on ScotlandsPeople for John McGregor and Catherine Cherry 27 April 1923 in Anderston, Glasgow. His parents were Robert McGregor and Agnes Henderson. Her parents were Thomas Bonar Cherry and Marion Young ms Stevenson. Witnesses were John S Cherry and Agnes Rutherford. Do any of those names look familiar?

Carol

[davelna]

Thankyou for your times. None of the names seem to match.

[speleobat2]

There is also a marriage for Hugh Boyd and Amelia Elizabeth Oakley, 18 July 1913 in Motherwell, Dalziel. Hugh's parents were Robert Boyd and Martha Adams. Amelia's parents were Joesph Oakley and Mary Hannah Westwood. This was the only Oakley/Boyd marriage I found. I didn't find a Stockley/Boyd marriage anywhere. Given the Scottish naming patterns this might be worth checking out.

Carol

[davelna]

Thankyou once again.

I have traced my family line "Boyd" back to circa 1800 in the Fordyce area and no mention of Stockley/Oakley anywhere.

[davelna]

Have managed to identify Catherine MacGregor (via Scotlands People). Her maiden name was Catherine Murray McInally. She married first John Campbell Boyd 1914 (parents of Alfred O S Boyd) .

Following death of John Campbell Boyd, Catherine married Alexander MacGregor 1940 in Glasgow

Still have no idea where Oakley Stockley fits in or why Alfred`s name appears on the war memorial in Fordyce.

[speleobat2]

=D> Glad that you are finding out some things about Alfred! As to the Oakley and Stockley, they could have been family friends or someone his parents admired or who knows? My grandmother's middle name is Taylor. I have been working on the family tree for nine years now and have yet to find a Taylor in it until about 30 years after she was born and that one married in! Her twin sister was named after an Aunt who was easily found.

Carol