Help please! going mad!

[Jo G]

Hi everyone

I'm having difficulty tracing the parentage of Elizabeth Burnett. I have the birth cert for her daughter Elizabeth Burnett born 16 Jul 1855 in Cumbernauld. No mention of father, mother born Stranraer, age stated as 24. On the same page there is a (possibly or not ) connected birth of a David Aitken Burnet 10 Aug 1855 mother Jane Burnett, 18 years old, born Stranraer


On the 1861 Census I have

Helen Thomson, head, widow, 73, Old Monkland
Elizabeth Burnett, dau, unmarried, 30, pin winder, Gallowshire, Stranraer
John Burnett, grandson, 10, scholar, Cumbernauld
Elizabeth Burnett, granddaughter, 5, scholar, Cumbernauld

and the next entry reads

Elizabeth Burnett, head, widow, 67, cotton pin winder, Gallowshire, Stranraer
Jane Burnett, dau, unmarried, 23, handloom cotton weaver, Gallowshire, Stranraer
David Aitken Burnett, grandson, 5, scholar, Cumbernauld
Jane Cochran Burnett, granddaughter, 2, Riggend
Janet Darling Burnett, grandaughter, 1M, Riggend

Elizabeth born 1855 married Thomas Liddell in 1875 and her parents are stated as James Burnet, handloom weaver, deceased and Elisabeth Burnet, MS Burnet. The parents names are the same on her death certificate.

I can't find a Burnet/Burnet marriage so perhaps they didn't get married after Elizabeth's birth. I can't find mother Elizabeth's birth registered anywhere in Wigtonshire. I can't trace her on any further censuses and I've viewed a variety of possible death certificates but none seem to fit. I can't pin down James Burnet either as I have no info on him - there is a suitable candidate but his daughter Elizabeth married a Paterson. I tried to find son John's birth details nae luck!

I attacked the next stage of the problem via the birth entry for David Aitken Burnett and his mother Jane, but I came to a standstill looking for Jane's birth details in Wigtonshire too. I wondered if Helen Thomson and Elizabeth Burnett (73) were sisters, making Elizabeth and Jane cousins, but could come up with nothing conclusive there either!

Apologies for the long-winded story. Hope I've been reasonably coherent and any further suggestions or input would be much appreciated!

Many thanks

Jo

PS: maybe sudoku would be easier

[Skene Dhu]

Hi Jo,
Looking at the info you supplied, it looks to me, like Elizabeth (aged 30) in the first entry is the daughter of Elizabeth (aged 67) in the second entry, you`ll probably find that Helen Thomson is just an neighbour, who`s taken Elizabeth in as an lodger, due to lack of space in Elizabeths mothers house.
Also have you got the birth certificates for David Aitken Burnett, Jane Cochran Burnett and Janet Darling Burnett, because looking on the IGI I found the following:-
David Aitken Burnet: b. 10 Aug 1855 at Cumbernauld, Dunbarton
Mother : Jane Burnet
Jane Aitken Burnet: b. 5 May 1858 at New Monkland
Mother : Jane Burnet
Janet Stewart Burnet: b. 9 Mar 1861 at New Monkland
Mother : Jean Burnet

John

[Skene Dhu]

Hi again Jo,
Sorry, did`nt read the final part of your enquiry, yes Helen and Elizabeth could be sisters (that`ll disperse the neighbour theory), Helen has probably had Elizabeth (illegitimate) before her marriage to (?) Thomson or (?) Thomson has died young and Helen then had Elizabeth, but never the less, can`t find a marriage between a Burnet / Thomson. Yes definately a problem family here, regarding all the illegitimate children, I`ve always thought free love and flowers in your hair was a product of the 60`s.

Happy hunting, anyway

John

[Jo G]

Thanks for your messages John. I'm investigating via the youngest child of the possible sister or cousin just now but that is proving INTERESTING as she also seems to have used several different names.

Free love and flowers in your hair obviously happened with my family in the mid 1800's. Just proves we were WAAAAAAAY ahead of our time.....



Jo

[soapy]

Hi there - interested to see the name Burnett in Cumbernauld - my mum was also a Burnett coming from Glenmavis which isn't too far from you . do you know if there are Burnetts you are related to from around Annan/Dumfries areas ?

Elspeth