New Year Depression???.....

[SarahMackay]

Hi Guys

I have been researching my family tree for the last two years with varying degrees of success along the way but I feel like I am stuck.

I started out with my paternal grandfather's line then moved onto my paternal grandmother's but have got back as far as I possibly can online (I think....).

It seems like everything I look for at the moment results in a dead end, people disappearing off the face of the earth and such like!

I guess what I am getting at is, should I look to expand sideways through female marriages and deviate away from the Ramsay name or just keep going round in what feels like circles???

Any suggestions that people have about how to get back on track would be gratefully appreciated. I assume that somewhere along the way a trip to Scotland will be on the cards but that just opens another list of questions such as where on earth should I start with that...

Sorry for the mini rant but feeling very disheartened at the moment.

Sarah

[DavidWW]

There's many on TS who will be very happy to help you to break down your brick wall, but we need some details, please !!

David

[StewL]

Sarah

I have only been doing my research for about two years as well, and have got back to what at the present I think is my limit online.
So recently I have been doing a fair bit of sideways searching by way of marriages and such for siblings of my direct line. Plus trying to fill out more sibling details.

As David said, give us all some more information, you may be amazed at the skills of the people on this site, particularly their "specialities" which comes to the fore.

[JustJean]

Hi Sarah

Gosh...there is no need to feel frustration!! There is always some direction you can take when doing your family research. On my own I've sometimes wandered off into peripheral lines just so I could keep moving If your objective is to stay with the one RAMSAY name then you are limiting the scope of your research. This is fine. But if you enjoy the hunt and want to keep looking for what you don't know....(like most of us here ) then you'll need to seek out all the siblings and all the marriages and all the children or at least as many as you can find! Please tell us what we can do to help? I searched out your first posts on here and see that you were able to find your Hepburn RAMSAY and solve that mystery. What else are you stuck on??

Best wishes
Jean

[Research]

Hi Sarah

I have been searching my family for 10 years I think. What a marvellous tool these forums have been in the last two years since I got my computer and could get online. Before this I had to go to the main library in Melbourne to use their facilities and got as much info I could. I would spend a whole week buried in microfiche, microfilm, books, newspapers. But they did not have everything. especially when it came to Scotland.

Just be careful when you get replies on these forums, do the background checks yourself at the library or through historical societies. When you are positive you have the right reference, get the certificates, they can give some extra details you might never have thought of.

I'll give you an example of one of my brick walls. On my gg grandfather's death certificate his son is the informat and states gg's mother's Christian name as Catherine, which in fact turns out to be Margaret. As his grandparents were in another country the son could only guess or go on what he remembered hearing, that the error came about. Just recently, through this forum, with the help of others, it turns out that Margaret had a sister Catherine, so maybe this is what the son remembered.

It is a two way street, you ask for help, you give help and it goes a long way to breaking down those brick walls.

Good luck

[SarahMackay]

Thanks for all your kind words. I realised that I do enjoy it and know so much more about my family and where I come from now. I am looking at taking the tree sideways but still want to finish off the direct line.

So, to my brick walls...

William Ramsay son of William Ramsay and Janet Monaghan was born 08/09/1864 in Dunblane, Perth. He is listed in the 1871 Census with his family and I think I have found him in 1901 aged 38 living as a lodger. This is all I know about him. I am assuming he never married and he appears not to have died (at least not in Scotland!)

William had 2 brothers: Andrew who is my gggrandfather and John Hepburn who died aged 2. He also had 2 sisters Ann (b. 09/04/1862) and Margaret Catherine (b. 25/04/1866). They are included in the 1871 census but I have no other information. To be honest not really sure where to start with them, no idea if they married or not. William also had a half-sister when his father remarried after his mother's death.

I know its not much to go on, but any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Sarah

[LesleyB]

Hi Sarah
I don't know if this will be a help or a hindrance! I had a look on the 1881 and wondered if either of these might be your William:

• Dwelling: St Catherines Place
  Census Place: Perth East Church, Perth, Scotland
  Source: FHL Film 0203511 GRO Ref Volume 387 EnumDist 6 Page 15
  Andrew STAIG M 30 M Kettle, Fife, Scotland
  Rel: Head
  Occ: Mason
  Janet STAIG M 32 F Little Dunkeld, Perth, Scotland
  Rel: Wife
  Margaret Ann Mc Laren STAIG 7 F Perth, Perth, Scotland
  Rel: Daur
  Occ: Scholar
  James STAIG 1 M Perth, Perth, Scotland
  Rel: Son
  William RAMSAY U 18 M Perth, Perth, Scotland
  Rel: Lodger
  Occ: House Painter
  Grace Armour STAIG 3 F Perth, Perth, Scotland
  Rel: Daur
  
  
  Dwelling: Balkello Bothie
  Census Place: Tealing, Forfar, Scotland
  Source: FHL Film 0203499 GRO Ref Volume 322 EnumDist 3 Page 7
  John MC KAY U 30 M Alyth, Perth, Scotland
  Rel: Head
  Occ: Farm Servant
  William RAMSAY U 17 M Perth, Perth, Scotland
  Rel: Fellow Servant
  Occ: Farm Servant
  Robert BRUCE U 15 M St Vigeans, Forfar, Scotland
  Rel: Fellow Servant
  Occ: Farm Servant
  William MUDIE U 19 M Tealing, Forfar, Scotland
  Rel: Fellow Servant
  Occ: Farm Servant

Couldn't seem to find one born in Dunbane... where is he in the 1901 you think is him? - did he tend to stay in Perthshire? Was William (senior) still alive in 1881? do you know his year of birth0.? Sorry, lots of questions!
Best wishes
Lesley

[LesleyB]

Sarah
Is this your family?

• Dwelling: Easter Pitscottie Cottage
  Census Place: Ceres, Fife, Scotland
  Source: FHL Film 0203518 GRO Ref Volume 415 EnumDist 7 Page 8
  
  William RAMSAY W 43 M Ceres, Fife, Scotland
  Rel: Head
  Occ: Shepherd
  Ann RAMSAY U 19 F Dumblane, Perth, Scotland
  Rel: Dau
  Occ: Serv Dom
  Margaret RAMSAY 15 F Dumblane, Perth, Scotland
  Rel: Dau
  Occ: Scholar
  Andrew RAMSAY 13 M Dumblane, Perth, Scotland
  Rel: Son
  Occ: Scholar

I remember a post a while back with a (John) Hepburn Ramsay who was in Cupar for the 1871(?) and died Edinburgh and his family lived in Ceres - is this the same family (or am I finally cracking up?? )
Best wishes
Lesley

[SarahMackay]

Hi Lesley

I'm not sure how I would know if it were him or not!

His father was born 22/06/1835 in Ceres and died 10/01/1886 also in Ceres but I have records for him in Dunblane, Perth and Edinburgh before returning to Ceres for inclusion in the 1881 census there with Ann, Margaret and Andrew (its the record you are refering to in your last post).

One other odd thing (or at least to me in the year 2006) is Ann, William, Margaret and Andrew are listed in the 1871 census with their aunts and grandfather but no father present. Their mother was dead by this time (she died in 1869) but he did not remarry until 1872.

The 1901 Census that I think refers to him has him in Beath as a 38 year old, single, general labourer born in Perthshire, Dunblane. Its the only entry I can find with Dunblane mentioned with him at the right age.

The (John) Hepburn Ramsay that you mention was the brother of William Ramsay Senior. Proof that naming conventions exist!

Thanks

Sarah

[Tracey]

Hi Guys

I have been researching my family tree for the last two years with varying degrees of success along the way but I feel like I am stuck.

I started out with my paternal grandfather's line then moved onto my paternal grandmother's but have got back as far as I possibly can online (I think....).

It seems like everything I look for at the moment results in a dead end, people disappearing off the face of the earth and such like!

I guess what I am getting at is, should I look to expand sideways through female marriages and deviate away from the Ramsay name or just keep going round in what feels like circles???

Any suggestions that people have about how to get back on track would be gratefully appreciated. I assume that somewhere along the way a trip to Scotland will be on the cards but that just opens another list of questions such as where on earth should I start with that...

Sorry for the mini rant but feeling very disheartened at the moment.

Sarah

Hello Sarah

Rant away (we all do it !) I am half Scottish (with a bit of Irish but cant find them ) and half English. So when i cant find one side i look for the other so my searching is a bit schizophrenic. Like you i hate those dry spells but, i sometimes think they are sent to us to tell us we need a break to clear our heads and do something different for a change (Thats what i tell myself anyway but never quite manage it). My longest "dry" spell was 3 months but seemed a life time to me. Then along came angel (a member on this site ) who found my lots poor relief records which mentioned children i knew nothing about and it set me off again !
So ask away !!

Wishing you luck

Tracey