Would you make this leap of faith? …..

[jeanie A]

I have been researching the Frew family for about 4 years. In that time I have help from people connected to the name.
I have William Frew = Catherine Pride marrying 1800 St. Quivox.
They have several children, found on LDS as well as SP.

On the 1851 census Catherine Pride 1778 (not Frew!!) is living with some of her children and a granddaughter Marion Frew age 5. This is Cross St. Wallace Town, St. Quivox Ayrshire.
On the same street is one of her sons James with family and on the same page on the ancestry census is:
Janet Frew widow of Archibald Frew and some children.
I have the birth of Marion Frew 1845 with parents Archibald and Janet.
This leads me to believe that Catherine has a son Archibald but he is not on the LDS or SP. Unless I am going blind!!
Archibald dies before the statuary death certs.
Would you accept that this is her granddaughter and that therefore she had a son called Archie?
No one else researching the tree has made this connection.
Many thanks
Jeanie

[David Douglas]

I think it sounds convincing. I don't have Ancestry access - only the 1851 FreeCEN record for that faily I can't see "Janet Frew widow of Archibald Frew". But she is a widow, and one of her sons is called Archibald. It would be common for "excess" children to live with the grandmother next door, and with Marion and Frew being fairly uncommon, and the age fitting, it must be her.

In 1841, a son David and his wife were living there (Catherine was probably already a widow), also two probable grandchildren with the surname Neil. I believe it was common for widows to sometimes give their maiden name, sometimes their married name for the census.

from FreeCEN:
Piece: SCT1841/612 Place: St. Quivox -Ayrshire Enumeration District: 12
Civil Parish: St Quivox Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island: Wallacetown
Folio: 12 Page: 22
Address: Cross Street

Surname First name(s) Sex Age Occupation Where Born
FREW Cathrin F 60 Independent Ayrshire
FREW David M 24 Coal Miner Ayrshire
FREW Agness F 26 Ayrshire
FREW Robt M 15 Coal Miner Ayrshire
NEIL David M 5 Ayrshire
NEIL Willm M 1 Ayrshire


I'm looking for Frew myself in neighbouring Newton, see
viewtopic.php?t=5121&highlight=frew

but as I know so little about him, it'll be difficult unless the Fever hospital kept records.

[jeanie A]

Many thanks for reply, David.
The trouble with the ancestry census is that you can't see the image so its difficult to get a sense of where abouts on the street that people lived.
I do have the 1841 and had worked out that Janet had married an Archibald since all the children except for Archibald are on SP and the LDS.They married in 1830.
Catherine's eldest son was born 5 years before her marriage and I wonder if Archibald also fell into that category.

I had a look at your link for John Frew. All mine seemed to be miners.
Have you found yours on the 1841?
The transcribing is appalling on ancestry.
Frews as Fron/Frin/Trew etc.
Thanks again for your thoughts.
Jeanie

[garibaldired]

Jeanie,

Have you looked at the OPR image for Archibald's marriage in 1830 to Jane(t)? You might strike lucky and pick up some clues.

Also the LDS entries are all submissions for the Flew children so it's maybe not so surprising that Archibald isn't there (though of course that doesn't explain why he's not on SP!).

Regards,
Meg

[jeanie A]

Hi Meg,
Yes, I have looked at the image, and no more clues other than they were both from St. Quivox.
Jane(t) called Janet on her children's bapt. was nee Symm.
Living next door on the 1851 was James Frew, possibly her brother in law, who was married to Elizabeth Symm presumably her sister.
I am going to add Archibald to the tree and put in the notes that he is a best guess.
But I so wish I could find his birth.
Am going to play around on SP to see if he has been misspelt.
Many thanks for interest.
Jeanie

[jeanie A]

I have had a thought.
Another problem that I have been struggling with is:

Fact: William Frew married Katherine Pride 1800.
Possibly, since it is the best fit found on Scotland's people:
His parents are
David Frew = Margaret White who have a son William 1775.Wallace Town, St. Quivox. Ayr.
He appears to be their only child.
Then:
C 1781 a David Frew = Janet McMaster. They have 3 children, last one is Archibald 1785.
Then:
In 1788 a David Frew = Agnes McCallum have 9 children but one of them is also called William 1794.
So these could all be separate Davids or the same chap who 20 years apart has called 2 sons by the same name. My William is still alive then. Or maybe the same David is two of them.

On the 1851 census living in Wallace town are James Frew 1811, son of my William with his wife Elizabeth Symm.
Next door are the widow Janet Frew née Symm and her family.
Janet's husband was Archibald Frew.
So was this Archibald, son of David and Janet Mcmaster and half uncle to James or was it a coincidence that the Symm girls married Frews who were not related.
Since this is OPR stuff, there is no info from marriage banns

Anyway.
Catherine (grandmother on census) was married to William. If the above suppositions are correct he had a half brother Archibald 1785.
Now If this was Archibald's second marriage or earlier children are missing on Scotland's People (SP) then Catherine would be his half sister in law.
So she would have been a great X2 aunt to Marion instead of a grandmother.

Jeanie

[David Douglas]

Jeanie, no, I haven't found anything else on my John Frew. I'm probably looking for a young, unmarried man, living nearby, working as a hand loom weaver. There's one young man fitting that description in Stevenston, but that's a bit further away. If I found him on the census, I wouldn't be sure it was the right one.

[kiltie]

There is a Archibald Frew buried at the secessionist grave yard in Ayr.The memorial states that he died in 1838 aged 53. Hope this helps.

[jeanie A]

Hi David,
Will hunt around on ancestry and see if I come up with anything.

Kiltie, many thanks for that.
The possible half brother was born in 1785 which ties in.
I think he married Elizabeth Smith. Their last child was born 1835 so this fits in. The children were also born in Ayr which fits again.

The other Archibald's last child was born 1847.
I have not found Archibald/Janet on the 1841.
Will put a different post about that.
Do you have a link to the death info or is it on paper?
Many thanks to you both.
Jeanie

[jeanie A]

I have found Archibald on the 1841 hiding under Archbell Freis age 31.
I know the dates on the 41 are often wrong but especially with the death info above am closer to accepting this as a son.

David, I have found 4 possible John Frews all CLHW
some married but does that mean anything. They are from all over the place, but once again!!
Do you have an age of the children?
There is a Janet Shaw 1826 (15) in Newton living with Thomas Shaw and others.