Not sure where to go next!

Cookiefj · Post by **Cookiefj** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 10:00 pm

Hi everyone. In my quest to find more about my family I have found some lost distant cousins and one has very kindly suggested this site. I've read through some of the topics and love the way everyone seems so helpful so I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice.

I am interested in my grt grt grandmother, Janet McLean. I can trace her from marriage to death but am struggling to find anything out about her before then. On her DC the place for parents names is blank and her marriage record only tells me the date she married and to whom. I think I may have found her in the 1841 census in Kilmarnock although the age is a few years out (although that seems quite common around that time!). She is 10 and living with 8 other people none of whom seem to be obviously linked to her. One is a minister and the street is close to at least 5 churches so I'm not sure if that is a clue. Any ideas or do you think I may have to give up on this line of enquiry?

Thanks

F-J

Russell · Post by **Russell** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 10:22 pm

Hi F-J

A warm welcome to TalkingScot. I hope you continue to find us helpful and offer suggestions as to how to knock down what seems to be only the first of your brick walls.

Before you can find out more about your gt gt grandmother's earlier life I think you would need to find out why there was no-one to give details about her parents. Even if they get it wrong sometimes, most folk had a relative who would offer some information about their loved one.

Could you tell us
-Who she was married to ? - hopefully that info is on her certificate.
-Was he still alive at the time of her death?
-Who actually registered her death? - was it a relative, or a neighbour, or an attendant.
-Where did she die ? - an address or a parish name please!
-Did she have any brothers and sisters that you have found ?

If her parent(s) died while she was quite young she may have been fostered out in the parish especially if there were no other relatives living in the area to take her in. That means there could be Kirk Session records which could contain some entries about her.

More questions than answers for the moment but certainly no cause to give up the hunt.

Share as many clues with us as possible. Some TalkingScots can find even the most elusive ancestors.

Russell

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 10:24 pm

Hi F-J
and a warm welcome to Talking Scot.
So that we can try to help you out here, can you give us some indication when and where your grt grt grandmother, Janet McLean was born, and when and where she died? Her mariage info would be good too, if you have it.

Best wishes
Lesley

Russell · Post by **Russell** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 10:38 pm

Hi again F-J

Following on from Lesleys suggestions it would help if we could see images of the certificates you have.

Look here for instructions on how to upload images
viewtopic.php?t=6496

You need to wait until one of the site Administrators authorises display of the image(s) so we can all see it/them.

Russell

Cookiefj · Post by **Cookiefj** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 10:44 pm

Thank you both.

She married John Cook on 18th Oct 1850 in Kilmarnock who died before her. Her death on 26th Jul 1906 aged 80 was registered by her son James Cook. I know it was in Kilmarnock but can't quite make out the street (Friday St or Lindsay St?) I know all her children and her husbands brothers, sisters and parents etc but this has stumped me. I searched for McLeans born in Kilmarnock between around 1810 and 1830 and found 3 options but not sure how that could help me

F-J

Cookiefj · Post by **Cookiefj** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 10:58 pm

I'm not very good with sending images etc

Apparently the way the documents are saved on my computer are not compatible for loading on the gallery but other than on Janets DC the space for parents names has a line through it with deceased written underneath the rest of the info is on my last post.

F-J

Russell · Post by **Russell** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 11:43 pm

Hi again F-J

There are two IGI batches for Kilmarnock which might give you some additional ides since there were obviously many McLean families living in Kilmarnock from the mid 1700's through to the 1920's.
Have you used the Hugh Wallis batch numbers for particular parishes/places ?
The website address is too long for the page but you can find it by Googling in HughWallis.
You can click on a county then the required parish,
select the appropriate dates by clicking on the batch number,
Enter the surname in the box at the top right and it will bring up all Births (C) or Marriages (M) recorded in that parish over those years.
Batch C115977 covers 1777 - 1829
Batch C115974 covers 1740 -1820 although most appear to be infant deaths since there are no forenames given.

Sometimes a slow, patient search is needed to get the right information.

Russell

nelmit · Post by **nelmit** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 1:35 am

Hello,

Have you looked Janet's son Charles's 1855 birth entry? This should give you Janet's exact age and place of birth.

Don't know how you can prove it but this family fit the bill if her age in 1881 is correct.

Piece: SCT1841/597 Place: Kilmarnock -Ayrshire Enumeration District: 17
Civil Parish: Kilmarnock Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island: Kilmarnock
Folio: 5 Page: 10
Address: Park Street

Surname First name(s) Sex Age Occupation Where Born Remarks
MCCLEAN Robert M 60 Carpet Weaver Ayrshire
MCCLEAN Jean F 50 Ayrshire
MCCLEAN Jean F 25 Sewer Ayrshire
MCCLEAN Robert M 20 Tin Smith Apprentice Ayrshire
MCCLEAN John M 15 Ayrshire
MCCLEAN Jannet F 14 Ayrshire
MCCLEAN Andrew M 11 Ayrshire

Kind regards,
Annette M

Cookiefj · Post by **Cookiefj** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 9:38 pm

I have had a quick look at the Hugh Wallis batch numbers and although it will probably keep me occupied all weekend I'm going to enjoy trailing through it. Just by scanning down the names I saw some others from another part of the family! I didn't know it was there so if nothing else I now have somewhere else to refer to.

Annette

I had a look at Charles' BC which was really useful. I had read that in Scotland for the first couple of years of statutory registering a lot of detail was entered so I must remember that for future searches. I think the family you found is very promising as all the names are common in the Cook family. As you say, it could prove tricky proving it but it's a lead and the investigating is really the fun in all of this isn't it

Thanks again and I'll let you know if I come up with anything more conclusive.

F-J

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 12:01 am

Hi F-J

had read that in Scotland for the first couple of years of statutory registering a lot of detail was entered

It is (unfortunately) only 1855 which is the magic year!

Best wishes
Lesley