Help deciphering please!.....

ellenavon · Post by **ellenavon** » Sun Apr 10, 2005 9:30 pm

I have uploaded (I think!) the death certificate of Alexander Packman to the gallery.

My query is the maiden name of his wife Jane Packman - I think it reads Durnard???

On the 1871 census she said she was 43 years old and born in Kincardineshire, but can find no birth confirmation as yet on sp. Have tried wildcards on the name.

She died about a month before Alexander, but the notifier, an FM Masson, Poor ??? ??? Assistant did not know her parents names. Yet at Alexander's death, the same guy (who has now been elevated to Assistant Inspector!) seems to know her maiden name! Hmmm.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Regards

Ellen.

ellenavon · Post by **ellenavon** » Sun Apr 10, 2005 9:51 pm

Answering my own query here! Should take more time to look properly before I shout for help.

She is Jean/Jane DURWARD.

Found her marriage to Alexander in Laurencekirk 1848.

Thanks anyway folks. Although it doesn't help me get anywhere with her parents

Cheers

Ellen.

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Mon Apr 11, 2005 9:30 am

ellenavon wrote:Answering my own query here! Should take more time to look properly before I shout for help.

Ellen

But if you hadn't posted you wouldn't have had the follwoing reply.

A neat little example !!

What you didn't say is that the 1871 census entry only shows "Kincardineshire" for the place of birth, - no parish, - the enumerator should have had his knuckles rapped for that

But Jane/Jean and Alexander didn't die until 1913 (incidentally, the qualification of FM Masson is Poor Inspector's Assistant) so that means that they should appear in 3 later censuses. In 1881......

Dwelling: Near Square
Census Place: Rathven, Banff, Scotland
Source: FHL Film 0203442 GRO Ref Volume 164 EnumDist 9 Page 26
Marr Age Sex Birthplace
Alexander PACKMAN M 58 M Bellie, Banff, Scotland
Rel: Head
Occ: Packman
Jane D. PACKMAN M 55 F Laurencekirk, Kincardine, Scotland
Rel: Wife
Alexander MUNRO U 28 M Cullen, Banff, Scotland
Rel: Boarder
Occ: Hawker
Alexander MUNRO U 17 M Banff, Banff, Scotland
Rel: Boarder
Occ: Hawker

Note the occupation of Alexander PACKMAN !!

Note also the match between the parish shown here for Jane, and the parish of marriage for Jane.

The bad news is that http://www.familysearch.org/ doesn't show any matching births in Laurencekirk. The only match on date is in a parish neighbouring Laurencekirk, - Fordoun.

And that just happens to be the place of birth shown for Jane in the 1891 and 1901 censuses!

A quick swing round the FreeCen site shows that Fordoun is complete up to the point of having been validated but not yet on-line. Although assigned, a start hasn't yet been made for Laurencekirk, - it is probably the case that the family moved at some point from Fordoun to Laurencekirk, and you'll need the 1841 census, always assuming that Jane is at home, to find out the name of her probable father as the OPR only gives his surname, - probable only as the 1841 census doesn't show relationships.

Davie

ellenavon · Post by **ellenavon** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 12:31 pm

Thanks for that Davie. I'll look forward to some of the Kincardineshire stuff coming online - I have lines in Banchory Ternan and Banchory Devenick also that the 1841 will help me with.

Had found Jane and Alexander on the 1881.

It now turns out though that Jane/Jean Durward may not be young Jane's mother, although Alexander is her father.

On her death cert in 1927, now found, her daughter Maggie Garden gives Jane's father as Alexander Packman, but her mother as Anne Ross, Domestic Servant, deceased, indicating that either Jane was an illegitimate daughter of Alexander pre his marraige to Jane/Jean Durward, or else the daughter got it all wrong. However, Jane's birth seems to be around 1845, and Alexander and Jane Durward married 1848, so the former seems likely.

Another puzzle to work through!!!

Thanks for you help anyway.

Regards

Ellen.