1861 / 1871 lookup.... please .....

[meelymunch]

Hello all,
Can anyone help me out with this query?
My g.g. Grandparents Edmund Gifford and Mary Gifford M/S Grant were from Rathven,Banffshire,Scotland.They had 11 children in all. One of them: Helen Gifford is most illusive.
I have no record of her until she has an illegitimate baby in 1875. No birth cert and no Census details until 1881.
On her brother Edmund Gifford birth cert in 1855 it says that he is Mary's 5th child and Edmund's 5th child, 2 boys and 3 girls living.
I know for definite that before 1855 there was Mary Ann [c1849] Jane [1850] John [c1853] and Edmund in 1855. So i am assuming that Helen is born before 1855 to make the numbers fit. There is a sister Barbara born 1856 and another, Margaret born in 1858 [so 1857 is a possibility]
I got the ANESFHS to check on the 1851/61/71 Census returns and have found all members of the Gifford family apart from Helen.
I've had comments [it was quite usual, apparently] that she may have been living with her grandparents.
The grandparents were John Grant[born c1796] and Helen Grant M/S McHattie [born c1799]
I've had Rathven checked for the surname Gifford and have got the names of all those i expected to find...all but Helen. The Grant's were known to have lived at one time at Knockando and so i wondered if anyone could possibly do a lookup for me in that area?

As i said, i have found her in the 1881 Census and at that time she was living in Glasgow and her age was given as 25 which would make her birth year 1856[not possible]
Her marriage cert in Glasgow in 1884 [she wed George Geddes] gave her age as 27 so again 1857 is likely.
Her death in 1942 in Rothesay,Bute....the certificate says died aged 88 years [so, 1854]
1891 Census she gave the age 37 [so 1854]
And the 1901 census she gave 46 as her age [so 1854-1855]

As i have got every birth cert for the children born after 1855 and no birth certs for the ones before ... i'm suspecting her birth year may be 1854 !
So can anyone help me to find my elusive g.g Aunt Helen Gifford.
Cheers Carole (M/S Gifford

[CatrionaL]

Hullo Carole

I've been browsing unanswered posts and came across yours. It appears that no one had the possibikity of doing a census look up for you.

I did wonder if you had been able to find Helen Gifford yourself, now that the 1961 Census is online?

Best Wishes
Catriona

[meelymunch]

Hi Catriona, thanks for your concern
Someone from a different forum who lives in Speyside very helpfully checked out the census returns at the Library for me.

1861 census
Ellen Gifford Grandaughter 6 Scholar
They stayed at Country Road.
Living/staying with her maternal grandparents John and Helen Grant.

1871 census
Helen Gifford aged 16 , working as an out worker at an unreadable address at Fordyce,Banffshire.
Head of the house was James Hay , farmer of 60 acres.

Thanks again for your follow up post.
Cheers, Carole.

[CatrionaL]

Good to hear that you have found her.

Catriona