Archibald Whyte

[nelmit]

My opinion is that this is not your Archibald Whyte.

I know 2 of the 'signatures' look similar to the birth entry but I think those were filled out by the officer who signed him up. Have a look at other attestation papers and the majority are filled out by the officer then the recruit just signs on the 'dotted line'.

I have another candidate but proving it would be difficult.

Still trying to work out other things I found - have you gone back with Ann?

Regards,
Annette

[SarahND]

In case it turns out that the elder Archibald was the father, he died at the Victoria Infirmary in Cathcart in 1935 of a pulmonary embolism. His usual residence was Oakcrag, Sandbank, Argyleshire. I just had to look him up to see if there was a bull involved

All the best,
Sarah

[emanday]

The Pension record document is dated 1891, when he joined the Clyde RSA.

Should have paid less attention to what Ancestry said the year was and looked at the image magnified in Photoshop sooner.

This Archibald WAS aged 17 in 1911.

Annette, you are absolutely right. His actual own signature "on the dotted line" doesn't match the father's signature on the BC after all.

Back to the drawing board

[SarahND]

Hi all,
What do you think of this sample of the signature of Archibald Sr, from the death cert of his wife Margaret Scott?



For what it's worth, Archibald Sr's mother was named Isabella...

Regards,
Sarah

[LesleyB]

Hi Sarah

Very similar - if asked my guess would be that both were writen by the same person. There is some variation in style in some places, but the kind of variation you would expect with someone's signature on different days, different ages etc. The "essence" of both signatures is, to my eyes, the same.... the capital A, the shape of the following R, the lead into the W, the height of the middle part of the W, the loop at the top of the H, the Y to T link, and most telling of all to me is the very slightly larger gap between the Y and the T, present in both signatures.

Best wishes
Lesley

[nelmit]

I didn't see a similarity at first glance but downloaded them so I could see both signatures side by side....................when I looked at the birth entry I immediately saw Arnadam Farm as the father's address. Now I know I may be seeing what I want to see, and there is an important letter d missing, but I think it's worth contacting SP to see if they can send a clearer image or ask what they see as the address.

More important is the similarity in the signature - for me it's the separation of the te at the end of Why te and the r in Archibald.

Regards,
Annette

[Scoop]

Thanks again for all the help.

Someone asked if I'd went back with Ann. Well, a little bit.

Ann Forrester was born 1888 to James and Elizabeth Forrester (Morrow). James must have died or the parents have divorced (I have no evidence of either) between 1891 and 1901 census as on the 1901 census she is listed as the step-daughter of William Scott who is married to her mother Elizabeth. In future documents (my grandmother's death cert) she is Ann Scott Forrester. She married Robert Renfrew in 1923 and at that time, she worked on Scalpsie Farm, Rothesay. By that time James Forrester if he didn't die at the turn of the century is dead.

Do you think it is the father Archibald Snr. that is my grandmother's biological father? Is there anything else I could do or have all the possibilities been exhausted?

Thanks again, much appreciated.
David

[SarahND]

Hello David,

Ann Forrester was born 1888 to James and Elizabeth Forrester (Morrow). James must have died or the parents have divorced (I have no evidence of either) between 1891 and 1901 census as on the 1901 census she is listed as the step-daughter of William Scott who is married to her mother Elizabeth.

Where was Elizabeth in 1891? I believe James is still living with his parents on the farm in Falkirk in 1891 and by 1901 he is married to Agnes and has three more daughters.
I see Ann with the Marshall family in Cumbernauld, but I don't see Elizabeth.

In future documents (my grandmother's death cert) she is Ann Scott Forrester.

Interestingly, if you go back in the censuses with James, you will see that he has a sister named Annie Scott Forrester (the 1871 census gives her middle name). So maybe that was Ann's name all along, even before her mother's remarriage.

Do you think it is the father Archibald Snr. that is my grandmother's biological father? Is there anything else I could do or have all the possibilities been exhausted?

I think that's what we are thinking... due to the similarity in handwriting and the occupation. It would be wonderful to find that Archibald left a will with Isabella as one of the beneficiaries, listed as "daughter"... but that is probably too much to hope! Anyone else have any ideas for finding further proof?

All the best,
Sarah

[emanday]

It would be wonderful to find that Archibald left a will with Isabella as one of the beneficiaries, listed as "daughter"... but that is probably too much to hope! Anyone else have any ideas for finding further proof?

No such luck! The only will for an Archibald Whyte in the Dunoon area was in 1857.

[nelmit]

David,

Did you contact SP about the birth entry to see if you can see the name of the farm that Archibald gave as his address a bit clearer?

Elizabeth is with her parents in 1891 at Greenblairs Farm, Blantyre -

John Morrow 60
Mary Morrow 56
Elizabeth Morrow 29 born Neilston
Mary Morrow 26
John Morrow 25
Maggie Morrow 23
Annie Morrow 22
William Morrow 19
Flora Morrow 18
James Morrow 16
Alexander Morrow 14
Janet Morrow 12
Charles Morrow 9
Agnes Allison 4
Alexander Campbell 3

Regards,
Annette