URQUHART CENSUS .....

[dinarina]

Hi,
Does anyone out there know where I can get information on the Urquhart census that was carried out in the parish of Portpatrick, Wigtownshire.
Any help would be gratefully received.
Thankyou in advance
Diane

[Jean Jeanie]

Hi

The censuses for 1871 - 1901 are on line at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

I can look at the 1881 for you if that is of interest. I would need name, year of birth +/- 5 years and place of birth. Also, if you have it, the names of anyone else who may be living with the person you are looking for.

Regards
Jean

[Linda Malpass]

Hi,
Does anyone out there know where I can get information on the Urquhart census that was carried out in the parish of Portpatrick, Wigtownshire.
Any help would be gratefully received.
Thankyou in advance
Diane

Hi Diane, welcome to TS. I noticed you are researching McCracken. I have McCracken's in Inch, Wigtownshire, William McCracken & Jean McCulloch, they married in 1814 and had 11 children, all born in Inch, but I think William McCracken was born in Ireland, haven't been able to confirm this..... let me know if you think we have a connection. BTW. I also have the 1881 census for Scotland, if that is any help to you, give us some names and dates to work with, you will find there are many experts on this board who will lend you a hand, happy searching ...

[dinarina]

Hi guys,
Thanks for your replies. I have the 1881 census myself - thanks for the offers of look ups. The Urquhart Census was carried out only in Portpatrick I believe in 1844 and I think there was one done previous to that, by a local resident - it gives the heads of households along with who was living in the same house. I've seen people talking about it on other message boards - but haven't come across it myself.
Linda - I've only started researching the McCracken name - and have discovered that a male McCracken married a female McCracken (they were full cousins according to marriage cert) so I've still to follow it up - there may be a connection, but I'm not sure at the moment. My main ancestor is John McCracken (Capt on the Larne/Stranraer steamer) who was born Pinminnoch, Portpatrick and died Stranraer.
Regards
Diane

[AndrewP]

I had never heard of the Urquhart census until now. A web search produced this description of it in the Rootsweb website at http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/~ ... uhart.html.

It seems that it was a series of 4 censuses by the local minister, Rev. Andrew Urquhart - in 1836, 1844, 1846 and 1852. The fullest of these censuses was in 1836. The following ones came after the "Disruption" of 1843 - a split in the Church of Scotland when many people left to go to the newly formed seceeding churches. After the Disruption, fewer people were his parishioners, so they were not answering to his census.

As for where the census can be found now - I don't know. There's np sign of it on the online index of the National Archives of Scotland. I have my doubts that the General Register Office for Scotland holds it at New Register House as it does not form part of one of the government backed censuses. An e-mail to Dumfries & Galloway Family History Society may be able to shed some light on its whereabouts, assuming it has survived. See http://www.dgfhs.org.uk/index.htm for contact details. The National Library for Scotland index shows the same reference (30.8 ) under census, Portpatrick and Urquart, but the link is producing an error (as are all the links in their index).

All the best,

Andrew Paterson

[nelmit]

Hi,
Does anyone out there know where I can get information on the Urquhart census that was carried out in the parish of Portpatrick, Wigtownshire.
Any help would be gratefully received.
Thankyou in advance
Diane

Hello Diane,

I'm sure you are aware of the 1851 Wigtownshire census but I thought I'd post it just in case. Is this your John in Portpatrick?

Name: MCCRACKEN , John
Address: Little Pinminnoch (896)
Parish: Portpatrick
Relationship: servant in household of Alexander McDowall
Marital Status: unmarried
Occupation: LABOURER Farm
Age: 14
Born: Portpatrick Wgt
Household No: 7/19

From:
http://www.dumgal.gov.uk/historicalindexes/census.aspx

regards,
Annette M

[dinarina]

Thanks very much for your replies - you are so kind. I'll try the Family History Centre I think first - and see where that gets me. As for the 1851 census - I know about the online search - and my John McCracken was in Stranraer at the time with his mother - so I've got him covered. It's the years previous to that I'm more interested in and also trying to narrow down death & birth years.
Thanks again
Diane