Looking for Philip Harper in 1911

[garibaldired]

I've already spent quite a bit of money (!) on SP these past two days and in the main all mine were where I expected them to be. However Philip Harper has me stumped.
Philip Harper was born 20 Jan 1902 in Dunfermline to Hannah Dobbie Harper (no father given). Hannah married John Stobie 2 December 1910 in Saline and this couple is to be found in Clackmannan - but no Philip. I've found all 6 of Hannah's siblings and her father but again no Philip.
I know he survived - I have his marriage and death certificates (both in Rosewell) - but a search on the 1911 census only gives 2 Phil* Harpers. The one in Anderston age 19 (I thought his age might have been transcribed) is not him.
Any ideas?

Best wishes,
Meg

[joette]

I searched & searched for my Great-Granny on the 1871 Census when she was about 7 no sign of Margaret Kerr/Carr but found her Mother & step-father & she was with them as Maggie Leitch which is her Father's surname-she was illegitimate.Maybe Philip was enumerated under his Father's name-any clues as to what it was?

[garibaldired]

Maybe Philip was enumerated under his Father's name-any clues as to what it was?

Not really but Philip is a possiblity as there is no history of Philip as a first name in this branch of Harpers and a Philip family in the same vicinity. But I don't have any evidence anywhere of who his father was!

[paddyscar]

Hi Meg:

Would he have been in Ireland? There was a lot of traffic both ways. Could he have been working on a boat, which may have excluded him from the census?

I also tried using his mother's middle name and even his step-father's without luck.

Well, he's not listed as p* harper, even expanding the male's age to 7-11. Only 29 male p* harper entries come up for all of Scotland in 1911. There are 5 p* harper entries aged 7 - 11, when you include both sexes ... a bit of a stretch, but strange things do happen.

Frances

[garibaldired]

Hi Frances,

Thanks for your thoughts.
I don't believe there is any Irish connection (or if there is I haven't found it!) nor any with boats....
So I'll try those female P* Harpers next!

Best wishes,
Meg

[garibaldired]

No luck there I'm afraid.

Meg

[garibaldired]

While looking for clues to Philip's whereabouts in 1911 I looked again at his marriage and death certifcates. On both, his mother is given as "Hannah Harper. Farm Servant". Would it not be usual to have her recorded as "Hannah Harper afterwards Stobie"?
Or am I clutching at straws here by wondering whether or not Philip was brought up by his mother so that perhaps he only knew her name but didn't know her? And might therefore be hiding under another surname in this census?

Best wishes,
Meg

[nelmit]

While looking for clues to Philip's whereabouts in 1911 I looked again at his marriage and death certifcates. On both, his mother is given as "Hannah Harper. Farm Servant". Would it not be usual to have her recorded as "Hannah Harper afterwards Stobie"?
Or am I clutching at straws here by wondering whether or not Philip was brought up by his mother so that perhaps he only knew her name but didn't know her? And might therefore be hiding under another surname in this census?

Best wishes,
Meg

My thoughts were that he had been 'fostered out' to somebody so I think you might be right and he is under their surname in 1911.

What was his address when he married?

Regards,
Annette

[speleobat2]

Hi Meg,

You can do first name only searches on the 1911 census, but I'm not sure how much that will help! There are no 9 year old Philips in Dunfermline, but there are two 11 year olds. There are two 10 year old Philips in Clackmann. I didn't check Rosewell, but if he was married there maybe that is where he grew up?

Anything is better than nothing when you are desparate!

Carol

[AndrewP]

Hi Meg,

If you are looking at Rosewell, it was in Lasswade parish, but very close to the boundaries with Carrington and Cockpen parishes.

All the best,

AndrewP