Helensburgh Dunbarton .....

[Stuck]

Hello, I'm trying to track down my 2nd family of McMillans having spent hundreds of credits finding the wrong family in Ayrshire.
Alexander McMillan was born in Helensburgh about 1844 and his father was - yes- Alexander McMillan a fisherman.
Helensburgh isn't on the 1871 census and there's no sign of a Dunbarton birth in the parish records and as I am visiting Glasgow in a fortnight, I was hoping for a lead, a clue of how to proceed.
Any advice anybody? Jill

[Andy]

You should be able to get the Helensburgh records in 1871 under Row/Rhu

[Alcluith]

Jill

The Mitchell Library is the place to go, you will find most of the records you need there.

If you have time then the Dumbarton Library has a very good genealogy section with lots of local newspapers etc and the people are very helpful.

P.S. leave the car and go by train, bus or underground, parking at the Mitchell is a nightmare.

[Stuck]

Brilliant! Thank you for your advice and assistance both of you. Jill

[Jack]

Hello Jill,

This is the only Alexander near the right age in all Dunbartonshire 1851, and according to this he was born Islay - but maybe an error?
Any familiar names?
Where did you see he was born Helensburgh? But if he was brought up in the town he may have thought that was his birthplace.
--
1851 cens 503 (391) Ed 2 p 7 (Row - Helensburgh)
Lang's Land, Sinclair St.
Alexander McMILLAN, head, marr, 55, mason, b Colonsay, ARL
Ann McMILLAN, wife, 50, ----------- b Kildalton, ARL
Mary McMILLAN, daur, u/m 30, mason's daur, b Kildalton, ARL
Dugald McMILLAN, son, u/m 26, mason, b Kildalton, ARL
Alexander McMILLAN, son, 16, mason apprentice, b Kildalton, ARL
Niel McMILLAN, son, 13, scholar, b Kildalton, ARL
Alexander McMILLAN, gr-son, 7, --- b Kildalton, ARL
Jean McNEISH, gr-daur, 1, ------- b Helensburgh, DNB
Peter TAYLOR, visitor, Marr, 21, plasterer, b Orphir, OKI
Peter McKIARAN? lodger, u/m 30, labourer, b Stranraer, WIG
--
But i notice a snag in that the son Alexander is only 16 - and a mason. So looks like this 7yr old's father isn't Alexander the fisherman.

Jack
--
ps, there is this - but very possibly just coincidence. I take it that your Alexander's father was definitely Alexander?

ALEXANDER MAC MILLAN
Birth: 20 FEB 1844
Christening: 20 APR 1844 Kildalton, Argyll, Scotland
Father: WILLIAM MAC MILLAN
Mother: LILLY MC EACHRAN
--
It's a submission in the IGI, but is also in the Kildalton Births at Steve Gilchrist's excellent Islay website - http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~steve/islay/data.htm
--

[Stuck]

Jack, thank you very much for this information. It will take a bit of time to digest as I will have to work out if the Scottish naming pattern would help.

I have two census finds in Marden, Surrey England married and his first birth claim is 'Ellensborough' Scotland and 10yrs later he claims Dumbarton, Scotland.
His marriage certificate gives Alexander, fisheman as his father. His first son he names Alexander which follows the naming pattern of England, where the child is named after the father and the Scottish grandfather. Second son is named Frank? whose birth I can't find and doesn't have grandfather's name and the third son William Henry .

I also read from another post that Helensburgh is regarded as 'posh' and her relative had actually been born in Glasgow.
His wedding certificate in 1874 March and the 1881 census make his birth year 1847 while he is older in the 1891 census (1844 birth year)
I was hoping a 1851 census find would aid in sorting his birth year out.

Thank you again for your help and TIME. Regards Jill

[Jack]

Hi Jill,

That was good news on your other McMillan post - i was about to write saying i couldn't find a really suitable Alexander in Glasgow 1851 either!

Does 'Sarah' know where the family were for the 1851 census?

Jack

[Stuck]

Thank you Jack for trying.
I found the information when I was trawling the genforum.com site -McMillan family geanealogy which I found by putting Helensburgh in the search box. It's an old posting -Dec 19 2001 so I've put up a new heading using 'Sarah's' surname jointly with the McMillan name (it has appeared on posting headings elsewhere).She is from Australia I think.
I don't think she had 1851 census information but maybe parish information.
I'm looking forward to my visit to Glasgow and will be looking, looking...
Jill

[Stuck]

I'm back after spending 2 days solidly in the Mitchell deciphering parish records and the early census and I think this is the family:-

1841 census Row/Rhu Dumbarton
James St
Alexander MacMillan 60 labourer born Scotland but not Dumbarton
Sarah MacMillan 35 born not Scotland
J anny " " 3 born Rhu Dumbarton
Ann " " 1 born Rhu Dumbarton

(Ann's birth is correct and Alexander has 6 yrs to be born in the right place. Alexander is not a sailor but he's married Sarah approx aged 56 - after leaving the sea)

There's a death in 1857 of Alexander McMillan 75 toll keeper Dumbarton with Janet McCreath daughter as informant.His parents are Robert and Agnes Barclay
Where is Sarah?
Where is Alexander aged 4, William ?, Ann aged 16?
Are they with Janet and her husband in Dumbarton?

Scotlandspeople have no births, marriages and only the death above.
My next move is to examine the 1851/61 census of Dumbarton inch by inch looking for McMillans/McCreath names.
Also contact the Glasgow Archdioces as Sarah could have been a Irish RC which would account for no parish records.

I found an interesting but unexpected entry for
Janet MacMillan born 04/07/1838 (J anny?)
Little Dunkeld
parents Alexander MacMillan and Sarah Fraser.

Thank you for your help. Jill
PS Glasgow was wet and I walked miles -excellent for my figure!