I need a good lead! .....

ninatoo · Post by **ninatoo** » Mon May 29, 2006 1:20 am

Hi all,

I am having trouble finding some people in my tree:

Robert Walker Bowie, (tailor) born about 1847 in Glasgow. I would have hoped to find him with his parents on the 1851 in Glasgow but to no avail.

Parents William Bowie (tailor) and Jessie Armour. No sign of a marriage on IGI, nor can I find a death for Jessie. (Yes I have tried Jane, Jean, Janet etc). I haven't tried for William all that much as there are a lot and I am not even sure of his age or Jessie's for that matter.

I can't find any census reference these people except for Robert Bowie after his marriage to Margaret Allison, who I can find in the 1871, 1881 1891 and 1901. Before that I can't find them.

I am beginning to wonder if Robert was illegitimate or something, and lived his childhood under another name, or he lied about his parent's names on his marriage registration for some reason.

Can anyone help?

Nina

JustJean · Post by **JustJean** » Mon May 29, 2006 2:18 am

Hi Nina

I found William BOWIE (tailor) and family in 1841 Glasgow but this would be before Robert was born. They had a son named Peter though so that was easy to find in 1851 Glasgow (search on Peter age 17 in Glasgow). On the 1851 you'll find a 4 year old Robert has joined them

Best wishes
Jean

ninatoo · Post by **ninatoo** » Mon May 29, 2006 2:27 am

OMG Jean, you are brilliant! I have had NO luck finding them, so I will go and get them now....THANKS!!!

Nina

ninatoo · Post by **ninatoo** » Mon May 29, 2006 5:47 am

Thanks again Jean...I have been able to trace the Bowie family back a couple of generations because of your help! Because I now had an age, I found William Bowie's death registration in 1879, but still no sign of his wife Jessie, Jean, Jeanna Amour. It says 'married to' on William's death registration, which means she was probably still alive...although i know it isn't always true. Daughter in law registered the death, so she would have known if Jessie was still alive...?

Okay, so I had found a Jessie Bowie (born right place, Campbelltown Argyll) living with her son John in Glasgow in the 1881. John married a Janet, so I searched for the marriage and found that HIS Jessie Bowie was an Urquart, father William a tailor. But his full name is John SHAW Bowie, and Shaw happens to be the maiden name of the mother of MY William Bowie!

So is Janet Armour really Urquart? Or is it all just coincidence?

ninatoo · Post by **ninatoo** » Mon May 29, 2006 12:18 pm

Um...I think I am in difficulty with this family!

As I said above, I am in some confusion as to the mother's name; Jessie Bowie nee Armour. Firstly I have that name from Robert's marriage and death registrations, and also on the death registration of William, Robert's father. The informants on Robert's death was his son William, on the marriage Robert himself and on the death of his father Margaret Bowie, daughter in law. I am fairly sure this was Robert's wife as the address matches.

I thought I had found Jessie Bowie with a newly discovered son John and his family on the 1881. She is the right age, the right birthplace (Campbelltown Argyll) and a widow. BUT....looking at the marriage of John Bowie gives his father as William Bowie, Tailor, and Jessie Bowie nee Urquhart.

I then searched for the marriage of another son Peter...mother Elizabeth Urquhart! Father is still William and still a tailor.

No Jane Urquhart born at Argyll is listed at IGI. But Jean Armour is there, born 1808.

Then I searched for the names of the children at IGI. Peter, William, Jane, Eliza and Robert with parents William Bowie and Jean Armour. No kids listed. Searching for William and Jean Urquart gives just one, Elizabeth McLaren Bowie. For the name Urquart, I got some other results, but now I am trying to find them again with little success. One thing I did notice was that the mother's name was mistranscribed as John somewhere!....Oh there it is, for Jane Shaw Bowie, ages and places match!

Is it possible there may have been two William Bowie families in Glasgow at the same time...both tailors with a wife Jessie or Jean? Or is it possible that Jessie Jean was known by two names? I am at a loss here to try and unravel this if indeed there is anything to unravel!

Help!!

Nina

Falkyrn · Post by **Falkyrn** » Mon May 29, 2006 12:30 pm

the 1851 index for Glasgow has 2 William Bowies of similar age
The one at age 41 living in St George area has a son Peter aged 17 and a son Robert aged 4. The spelling of this mans wifes names appears in doubt as from the index it is shown as JOAN?

The 2nd William has a wife named Helen and several children but no Peter or Robert among them.

These are the only 2 William Bowies where age is 41 + or - 5 years

ninatoo · Post by **ninatoo** » Mon May 29, 2006 12:55 pm

Thanks for looking falkryn. Yes I have that census and it does look like Joan. I think she liked to be called several different names...Jean Jeannie, Jane and Joan from what I have, but Robert seemed to call her Jessie and had his own child named Jessie too.

My gut keeps telling me she was known as Urquhart OR Armour, but I need to be able to prove it somehow!

Okay, so while posting this message, I decided to 'waste' another five credits looking at the death registration for Jesie Bowie, nee Urquhart who died in 1885. And could NOT believe my EYES!!!!

Jessie Bowie, nee Urquhart (parents are Urquhart too) died in the city poorhouse, so for a moment I didn't look at the informant. When I did I found "William Bowie, son, 1 Comely Park Place". That is the same address I have for Robert Bowie in the 1881 and I KNOW Robert is mine!

So tell me please, do you think I have the right lady, who for some unknown reason was known as Armour to one son? This is just too much of a coincidence isn't it?

Nina

JustJean · Post by **JustJean** » Mon May 29, 2006 1:14 pm

Hi Nina

You've got your hands full that's for sure. One thing jump out at me. I would say you have the correct Jessie BOWIE death with son William as informant. Notice William's address stated below his signature....and then look up your Robert on the 1881 census. Certainly there has to be a connection!

As for the many and varied names attributed to the dear lady in the course of her life

....you can only track down each child and record what they have stated. It truly does look like she was known by many!

I think you'll need to locate the family in 1861 census just to prove they had a son John living with them if his birth is not on the IGI.

Best wishes
Jean

JustJean · Post by **JustJean** » Mon May 29, 2006 1:16 pm

Hi Nina

Obviously I started typing my response and then got distracted.....long enough for you to figure it out for yourself!! BRAVO!!!

Best wishes
Jean

ninatoo · Post by **ninatoo** » Mon May 29, 2006 1:54 pm

Hi Jean,

Well I am pleased with myself...that gut feeling was there! I wish I had looked at that death for Jessie sooner, but I just didn't know if it was the same person until I just kept bumping into her!

I suppose I will never know why she was called Armour by Robert and his family; and I don't think I will get much further in her line, as I can't find her with correct parents yet (but it IS late, I should be in bed, and I am 'Jessied' out!)

Thanks for all the help everyone!!!

Nina