Help - where did Helen appear from?? .....

[trish1]

Hello Ted

After doing some searching just a few rambling comments

I think this may be son James in 1861 (not much help in tracing Helen)
1861 Old Machar Aberdeenshire
13 Skeen Terrace

James Wyness 56 - occupation "Linen Black"? - no doubt James Wymess
Margaret Wyness 52
Margaret Green 17
James Green -
Mary Green 8
David Wertin 38
James Alenbre 32
Peter Freming 33
James Allan 22 born Inerney (Inverurie) occupation Ran Clerk
Alexander Bleanen 45
Jane Abrenir 13

I don't believe Helen is the child of Jane - no IVF in the 1800s and having a babe past the age of 50 was incredibly rare, if it ever happened. Best I have seen in my families was 47 - and I somewhat doubt that one. Could be a babe of James - I can't find either of the Helen's (Crombie and McQueen) mentioned by Annette in 1861.

James and Jane seem to have lost a number of children at a young age - or they sent them away from home - the girls are missing in 1851 and there is a baptism for a George in 1843 - who is not on the 1851
census. Given that there appear to be no children to make young Helen their grandchild - it seems she may be a child to whom they gave shelter - an informal adoption or the like. They may have found it easier to claim her as a child - or perhaps the enumerator assumed the name.

It could be a niece or nephew - do you have the details for any siblings of James?

Trish

[Ted]

Hi Trish

Thanks for your interest and your help with this. I fully agree that the child is not James & Jane’s daughter – they are too old for that. What I do hope is that she is a granddaughter. Perhaps she is a child of either of the 2 girls (Eliza & Jean) who were with their parents on the 1841 census – but to be honest I think they died in childhood prior to the 1851 census. I have searched extensively for them both on subsequent census returns / marriage & death records (after statutory registration was introduced and in OPR records) – I have checked every likely record in Scotland but can find no trace of either – which leads me to conclude that on the balance of probabilities they died as children between 1841 and 1851.

The son James Allan (Bn 1836 in Chapel of Garioch) is still with James & Jane on the 1851 census aged 15 and working as a farm servant. He disappears by the time of the 1861 census and there is no trace of a marriage or death for him anywhere in Scotland after statutory registration – and no indication on OPRs (I have verified every possible candidate). I do feel that he did survive and may be the father of the child Helen. But he may have either moved to other parts of the UK or joined the army – our moved abroad. There are no traces of him in the USA – but maybe in Australia as I know that some men of the same age from Inverurie moved there in the early 1850’s.

I’m sure that if the child was born in Scotland her first name is not Helen – I have checked out every possible child in Scotland with Helen as a first name – and on subsequent census returns / marriage /deaths.

The child Robert aged 9 shown on the 1861 census with James & Jane is my great grandfather and he was the youngest proven child of James & Jane. I have his full history and that of siblings William & John. You mention a child George baptised in 1843 – can you tell me where you got that info? - I can’t find that one in OPR records on Scotland’s People. There is a George Allan in 1841 but he is definitely not mine.

Also the James you suggest in Old Machar on the 1861 census is not mine either – I have traced that one and he is the son of William Allan – who was a prosperous master wright in Inverurie. That James later became a teacher – but he is definitely not mine either – however many thanks for the suggestion.

James and Jane are also both enigmas – they state that they were born in Peterhead and Udny respectively – but there are no records which I can find to verify either. As usual their ages vary slightly on each census – bit consistently they gave Peterhead and Udny at their birthplaces. I can’t find a marriage record for them either in OPRs – James was their first child - born in 1836 – but no trace of their marriage (I’ve been searching for 20 years for them). James Snr died in Inverurie in 1869 – his son John registered the death and gave his parents as Alexander Allan, Innkeeper deceased and Mary Simpson, deceased. I can’t find either of them or any siblings for James.

Jane died as a pauper in Inverurie in 1883 – her parents are marked as unknown. I’ve searched high and low for any clue as to her origins but can’t find a thing which would likely be her birth / parents / siblings.

Helen may be a niece or nephew of James & Jane – but with a lack of siblings for either of them I don’t have much to go on. My best hope is that someday I’ll find out more about the son James and maybe establish her as his daughter.

So really a whole series of solid brick walls with this line – which is a major blow for me as it is my own direct lineage. Don’t you just hate mysteries you can’t get any progress with?

Anyway – apologies for the lengthy rant and many thanks once again for your efforts and interest on this – I truly appreciate it. I’m very much obliged to you.

Regards

Ted

[runmerry]

Hi Ted,
Have you tried Poor Relief Applications, you said Jane died a pauper so there might be one.
I found my 4x grt grandmother who was named Elizabeth Barry on her daughters death cert was actually called Jane Lovett in her daughters Poor Relief Application and because of that I found her marriage and birth.

Regards
Jen

[Ted]

Hi Jen

Thanks for the suggestion - I tried that route a few times but came up blank. Jane must have originated somewhere and undoubtedly would have had siblings - the solution to the puzzle will be out there - but the trick is getting the right break to unravel it all.

Much obliged.

Ted

[SarahND]

Hi Ted,
I too came up empty in OPR records for Aberdeenshire and finally discovered that it was because my lot were Episcopalian, as were many in the area. Finally found many of those records in Aberdeen University Library special collections. Worth a try if you're even up that way! Maybe you'll find my long-lost 2nd great grandmother's birth amongst your lot [-o< Always hoping...

All the best,
Sarah

[trish1]

Hi Ted - just a quick note - because it may tie in with Sarah's suggestion. I'll read your reply in detail later & see if anything else comes to mind.

I found George on the LDS records
George Melvin Allan Scotland, Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950
birth: 17 Sep 1843 christening: 30 Sep 1843 FREE CHURCH, INVERURIE, ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND
residence: 1843 Inverurie, Aberdeen, Scotland parents:James Allan, Jane Aitken

https://www.familysearch.org/search

Trish

[Ted]

Hi Sarah

I'll be looking at that angle too - I have long considered the Episcopalian aspect as I know there was a strong Episcopalian church in Peterhead in the times I am researching. I did make contact by telephone with an old minister in Peterhead some decades ago to enquire what records were available - but his snarling response about ghost hunters wasting his time with wishful enquiries kind of put me off pursuing that angle then

I will resurrect that aspect again now that I am looking once more at this puzzle.

Many thanks.

Hi Trish

You have just gobsmacked me - I have never seen that birth before - and I have been looking at this family for at least 20 years. I'm not quite sure that I accept it as mine yet as I always seek at least 2 confirmed and verified evidence routes before I accept someone as one of my lot - but this boy has some credibility - I have the middle name Melvin in one other child in the family and his age would fit in between the girl Jean born in Inverurie in 1840 and the next one - William Melvin Allan born in Inveruire in 1846. The free church reference on IGI for the birth of George helps a bit too - I'll get digging to find out more about this boy if I can.

Thanks lots

Ted

[Ted]

Oops - forgot to ask - is NAS the only place I can search Free Church records? Any suggestions gratefully received.

Thanks

Ted

[trish1]

Hi Ted

I know virtually nothing about the location on non Church of Scotland records - but living in Australia I have always used the LDS History centres to access records from the IGI. I think you can probably still order the films & access to all the parish records for that Free Church could be useful. You can search via the batch online - only returns 19 records for Allan. Perhaps this data has only come online through the recent efforts of the LDS to get all their films indexed.

https://familysearch.org/search/catalog ... =433907-50
The free church records only go to 1854 - but there is a filmed transcription for the Epicopal Church that goes much longer
Registers of baptisms, marriages, burials, St. Mary's Episcopal, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, 1842-1929
Author: St. Mary's Episcopal Church (Inverurie, Aberdeen); Maxwell, Archibald Strath
This is available online as a pdf file. Click on the link in the catalogue - sadly there don't seem to be any Allans in a quick browse
The Free Church records are not online - reference is - Notes Microfilm of original records at the Scottish Records Office. Baptisms, 1843-1854. So baptisms only

There is so much new in the Family search records - I need to spend some time there

Trish

[AndrewP]

Oops - forgot to ask - is NAS the only place I can search Free Church records? Any suggestions gratefully received.

Hi Ted,

NAS is the holder of the originals or copies of the non Church of Scotland records. They may also be in local archive repositories. They may also be available in LDS Family History Centres - if they are not normally held at your nearest FHC, they should be able to order them in for you, for a small fee.

All the best,

AndrewP