William Downie Census information

[StewL]

I have been searching for ages, without any luck for my 3xggrandfather William Downie and his wife Mary Jaffray (Jeffrey). I have spent more than a few credits on SP, and even used FreeCen with no sign of them or my 2x ggrandmother Mary Downie. I have also used different combinations of names, again with no luck.
What information I do have is:
William Downie b. Abt. 1806 whereabouts unknown
Mary Jaffray b. Abt. 1806 whereabouts unknown.
They married 12 Aug 1826 Old Machar, Aberdeen.
Known (?) children:
John Downie b 19 Jun 1827 Old Machar Aberdeen.
Mary Downie b. Abt 1836, Coatbridge, Lanarkshire.
I have searched high and low on the Censuses for this lot, with no luck at all.
On my 2x ggrandmothers 2nd marriage in 1862, her father is noted as a labourer deceased, mother deceased.
Any help or suggestions great fully accepted.

[SarahND]

Hi Stewie,
There's a "Widow Downie" age 30 at 116 Skene St in Old Machar in 1841 with a 5 year old daughter Mary. Mary is supposed to have been born in Aberdeenshire, but I have certainly seen the wrong box checked many times in the 1841 census. Where did John and Mary end up living?

All the best,
Sarah

[JustJean]

Hi Stewie

Long time! Hope you're keeping well and are far far from the fire devastation in your country.

I've had a look at your family and I'm troubled by a couple things. First off.....I'm guessing that you are laying claim to the Aberdeen couple based only on a match on names. I'm not 100percent certain you should do that. The only sure thing you know is your connection to Mary is this correct? And I'm assuming furthermore that you're not even sure who her first marriage was to....as in what surname she might be lurking under on the 1861 census. If you do have her pinpointed then by all means please point her out!!!

Ok back to my observations.....your Mary marries in 1862 Old Monkland and is listed as a widow age 26 and parents named William Downie and Mary Jeffrey both dec'd. Now take a look at her witnesses. The female is named Agnes Hodge. A look on the 1861 census for an Agnes turns up a possible looking....

Name: Agness Hodge
Age: 32
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1829
Relationship: Wife
Spouse's name : James
Gender: Female
Where born: Airdrie, Lanarks
Registration Number: 643
Registration district: East Kilbride
Civil Parish: East Kilbride
County: Lanarkshire
Address: Durham Fer
ED: 7
Household schedule number: 95
Line: 4
Roll: CSSCT1861_95
Household Members: Name Age
James Hodge 36
Agness Hodge 32
William Hodge 3
James Hodge 2

I realize this is pure speculation but I took a dare and went looking for a marriage for James and Agnes and found it in 1856 and learned her maiden name is JOHNSTON. Not much help is it? But wait.....their MC shows her parents as Alex Johnston - Clerk (dec'd) and Mary Johnston m.s. JEFFREY (dec'd). Wow!! Maybe they had the same mother??? Hmmm....but Agnes seems to be a bit older than your Mary so that doesn't work out if your Aberdeenshire couple are the right ones. I mean you can't go from a JEFFREY to a DOWNIE to a JOHNSTON and back to a DOWNIE.....but you could go from a JEFFREY to a JOHNSTON to a DOWNIE rather easily. Oh and Agnes claims to have been born in Airdrie which fits rather nicely with the predicted area of birth for your Mary.

Sadly this is the point that I'm stuck at!! Oh I did jump ahead and locate a death for Agnes and it was in 1866 this time her age is given as 38 whereas her marriage made her 26 in 1856. Placing her year of birth in a rough area of 1828-1830.

So now tell me....what do you think?

Best wishes
Jean

[StewL]

Hello Jean/Sarah
Yes, back again, been looking at site often but taken ages to get around to posting any queries I am quite a distance (1,000's kms) from fires.

My connection to young Mary Downie is pretty set, with a number of cross checks, I am related through her daughter Mary Davidson (1st marriage to Thomas Davidson) she then married a widower Andrew McLean, Mary Downie drowned in Monkland Canal in 1908. I have her parents as William Downie and Mary Jaffray (Jeffrey) on her mc to Andrew, and on her DC. She lived in Monkland Lanarkshire at least since her marriage to Thomas Davidson. In fact 1861/71 census records show her as being born Lanarkshire (Coatbrig/Airdrie)

It is a good point that I might have the wrong William and Mary as her parents, I nearly had similar problems with one of my Alexander Stewarts, there were two sets of "parents" with the same names, perhaps the didnt come from Aberdeen?

I have my Mary in the 1861 census under Davidson then in 1871 under Mclean, but nothing prior to that, she didnt marry Thomas until 1854 and that was in Monkland, Lanarkshire.

Sarah
Not sure the widow is the one unless she returned to Aberdeen, which is not out of the question I suppose.

I hope I answered the questions raised

[JustJean]

Hi Stew

Good grief you make it all seem so easy now!! I can't tell you how long I scribbled notes looking for your Mary in 1861 and there was you sitting there holding all the cards all the time!! Fifty lashes with the wet noodle are not nearly enough for the likes of you!!

So now I guess we're still stuck ....but at least we have two opposing theories to add interest and intrigue to the larger picture

Haven't given up hope yet but nearly...

Best wishes
Jean

[JustJean]

Oh and just as reinforcement on the place of birth...the 1855 BC of wee William also states his mum was born in Airdrie and was 18 years old at the time and he was her first child.

Best wishes
Jean

[JustJean]

The only additional bit I can toss out onto the table that is even mildly interesting is an odd shaped 1841 piece.....

Name: William Downie
Age: 45
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1796
Gender: Male
Where born: Ireland

Civil Parish: Old Monkland
County: Lanarkshire
Address: Langloan Iron Work
Occupation: Lab

It was the address of Langloan that grabbed my eye first. What if he was the father of your Mary.....what if her parents were never wed so to speak....

Best wishes
Jean

[StewL]

Hello Jean
Consider myself duly lashed by wet noodles ooh! do it again
I should have listed what information I had in my original post

Working backwards from your posts.
It has been at the back of my mind that William Downie and Mary may have come from Ireland, why wouldnt this branch make life difficult
He was listed as a labourer in both Mary's marriage and DC.
I had wee Wullie Davidson (1855) but for some reason I didnt have it in my files even though I purchased it???
Yes there is some intrigue here, I have worked on this line off and on, but dont seem to get any further, I wont even start on the Davidson line hahahahahahahaha.
Just a pity they (Thomas and Mary) married in 1854, oh for just one year later.