Advice Please.....

[kaz]

Hi all,

I am in need of some advice.
I have been contacted by someone concerning a person in my tree but we are not 100% sure if we are on about the same person.

This is the info i have
Archibald Watson born 23 January 1830 in Lasswade - parents John Watson and Mary Currie.As this is a branch of my main Watson tree i have not got any other info on Archibald other than siblings.

This is the info i have been given by the person who contacted me.

According to a birth cert from 1864 for a child born in Australia the parents are Archibald and Mary Watson married 3 June 1853 in Lasswade.
I have looked up the marriage on the igi and Mary was Mary Currie.
The marriage is an OPR.
Archibald and Mary emigrated to Australia in June 1858 according to the ships records Archibald was aged 27 and born in Lasswade with the parents John and Mary.

Do you think we are on about the same person?

thanks for any advice

kaz

[nelmit]

Hello Kaz,

I think perhaps they are a bit mixed up and should check their records again.

According to the IGI Archbald married Agnes ELLIOT in 1853 in Lasswade, Midlothian. So it looks as though it could be him. I don't have time at the moment but I am sure this family would be easy enough to trace on census records.

Incidently have you seen the family on the FREECEN site.

Piece: SCT1841/683 Place: Dalkeith-Midlothian Enumeration District: 2
Civil Parish: Dalkeith Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island: -
Folio: 2 Page: 16
Address: Lugton

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Surname First name(s) Sex Age Occupation Where Born Remarks
WATSON John M 40 Coalminer Midlothian
CURRIE Mary F 45 Midlothian
WATSON John M 20 Midlothian
WATSON William M 15 Midlothian
WATSON Thomas M 15 Midlothian
WATSON Robt M 13 Midlothian
WATSON Archibald M 11 Midlothian
WATSON George M 7 Midlothian
WATSON Helen F 4 Midlothian
WATSON David M 2 Midlothian

Regards,
Annette M

[kaz]

Hi annette,

Thanks for the help you are a star.

It was dozy me who got things mixed up i meant to put Agnes Elliot as Archibalds wife which is what i had written down on paper before i posted but some how the brain kept putting mary down, i was having a blond moment lol.

kaz

[Andy]

Here's the family of John Watson and Mary Currie in 1841 living in Dalkeith:

Piece: SCT1841/683 Place: Dalkeith-Midlothian Enumeration District: 2
Civil Parish: Dalkeith Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island: -
Folio: 2 Page: 16
Address: Lugton


Surname First name(s) Sex Age Occupation Where Born Remarks
WATSON John M 40 Coalminer Midlothian
CURRIE Mary F 45 Midlothian
WATSON John M 20 Midlothian
WATSON William M 15 Midlothian
WATSON Thomas M 15 Midlothian
WATSON Robt M 13 Midlothian
WATSON Archibald M 11 Midlothian
WATSON George M 7 Midlothian
WATSON Helen F 4 Midlothian
WATSON David M 2 Midlothian

Can't see any extraction for this lot but all appear in IGI submissions.

To be more positive you'll have to see who else left for OZ.

For example David would still have been 16.

Helen appears to have married an Alexander Naysmith in 1856, they didn't move here they are in 1881:

Dwelling: 47 Duke St
Census Place: Lasswade, Edinburgh, Scotland
Source: FHL Film 0224014 GRO Ref Volume 691 EnumDist 10 Page 45
Marr Age Sex Birthplace
Alexander NAYSMITH M 45 M Carrington, Edinburgh, Scotland
Rel: Head
Occ: Coal Miner
Helen NAYSMITH M 44 F Lasswade, Edinburgh, Scotland
Rel: Wife
Mary NAYSMITH U 23 F Lasswade, Edinburgh, Scotland
Rel: Daur
Occ: Carpet Factory Worker
John NAYSMITH U 20 M Lasswade, Edinburgh, Scotland
Rel: Son
Occ: Coal Miner
William NAYSMITH U 16 M Lasswade, Edinburgh, Scotland
Rel: Son
Occ: Coal Miner
Helen NAYSMITH U 14 F Lasswade, Edinburgh, Scotland
Rel: Daur
Occ: Papermill Worker
Margaret NAYSMITH U 12 F Lasswade, Edinburgh, Scotland
Rel: Daur
Occ: Scholar
Jane NAYSMITH 10 F Lasswade, Edinburgh, Scotland
Rel: Daur
Occ: Scholar
Agnes NAYSMITH 8 F Lasswade, Edinburgh, Scotland
Rel: Daur
Occ: Scholar
Alexander NAYSMITH 6 M Lasswade, Edinburgh, Scotland
Rel: Son
Occ: Scholar
Robert NAYSMITH 2 M Lasswade, Edinburgh, Scotland
Rel: Son

In 1881 there is a George of exactly the right age and birthplace living in Cockpen. The first two children John and Mary:

Dwelling: Polton St
Census Place: Cockpen, Edinburgh, Scotland
Source: FHL Film 0223985 GRO Ref Volume 676 EnumDist 2 Page 44
Marr Age Sex Birthplace
George WATSON M 47 M Lasswade, Edinburgh, Scotland
Rel: Head
Occ: Coal Miner
Margaret Knox WATSON M 44 F Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
Rel: Wife
John WATSON U 20 M Prestonpans, Haddington, Scotland
Rel: Son
Occ: Coal Miner
Mary WATSON U 18 F Lasswade, Edinburgh, Scotland
Rel: Daur
Occ: Paper Mill Worker
Georgina WATSON U 15 F Lasswade, Edinburgh, Scotland
Rel: Daur
Occ: Paper Mill Worker
Robert WATSON 13 M Temple, Edinburgh, Scotland
Rel: Son
Occ: Paper Mill Worker
Helen WATSON 10 F Newbattle, Edinburgh, Scotland
Rel: Daur
Occ: Scholar
Margaret WATSON 8 F Temple, Edinburgh, Scotland
Rel: Daur
Occ: Scholar
Agnes E. WATSON 4 F Newbattle, Edinburgh, Scotland
Rel: Daur

A few other possibles for this lot are still around the area in 1881.

If you have a look at the marriage certs of Helen or George to Margaret Knox they may have some clues as to whether the parents were still alive.

You said that Archibald married Mary Currie in Lassward in 1853. I couldn't see this marriage on IGI. But there is one for Archibald to an Agnes Elliott.

They produced two children:

MARGARET WATSON - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Female Birth: 14 JUN 1855 Bo'Ness, West Lothian, Scotland

MARY CURRIE WATSON - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Female Birth: 18 NOV 1857 Lasswade, Midlothian, Scotland

Margaret's birth cert from 1855 should provide a few more clues.

So if the baby born in Australia did have the parents Archibald and Mary, unless Archie remarried a Mary Currie these are not your family.

[Andy]

Sorry Annette beat me to it.

[kaz]

Hi Andy,

Thanks for the info.

It was my mistake on the original posting Archibald did marry Agnes Elliott.I put his mums name by mistake.
Archibald and Agnes went to Australia with 2 daughters and had some more children once they got there.

So going on what you have found out do you think i am right in assuming that the Archibald i have and the Archibald that i was contacted about is one and the same.

thanks kaz

[Andy]

Now ... absotively!!!!!