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Topic: Mystery of Alexander Middleton (Read 667 times)
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Windsor87
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Posts: 132
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I am having some difficulty finding the death certificate of Alexander Middleton.
He was born around 1798 in Fraserburgh and worked as a blacksmith.
He was married to Mary Burnett.
The 1861 census shows a 62 year old Alexander living with his 64 year old wife in the 'Milltown' of Philorth.
In 1863 his wife, Mary Middleton (nee Burnett), died at the age of 67 at Philorth Cottage (Parish of Fraserburgh). Alexander signed the register.
The 1871 census shows a 74 year old, retired Alexander living in the same place with his house keeper and granddaughter.
There is no mention of him on the 1881 census and he is listed as deceased on the 1898 death certificate of his son, John Middleton.
I have found some almost compatible certificates but there is always one basic bit of information which makes it a nono. For example, you'd expect a son to know his mother's name.
What are the chances of:
a) information on the certificates being false.
b) his death not being registered.
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Aberdeenshire/Banffshire:
Strachan, Connon, Watt, Beattie, Noble, Watt, Sinclair, Garden, Birnie, Wilson, Christie, Gatt, Watson, Sim, Ross, McWilliam, Middleton, Burr, Johnston, Munro, West, Porter, Trail, Bruce, Peddie, Kemp, Smith, Ewen, Kerr, Grieve, Whyte, Ritchie, Mackie, Jamieson, Barron, Grant, Robertson, McKay, Hadden, Forbes, Walls, Shepherd, McDonald, Duncan, Gray, Will, Thomson, Lascelles, Brown, Anderson, Doherty...
Dumfriesshire:
Bryson, Harkness, Scott, Roddick, Armstrong
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Gadget
RootsChat Marquessate
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Posts: 15751
My Mum made me pretty frocks
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Hi Windsor
I believe the death would have had to be registered or no internment could take place. However, the record might have been misplaced or not indexed properly. The chances of false/missing information on the certificate is more likely. I've come across certs where the spouse's name isn't mentioned for some reason or other or names are given incorrectly.
Regards
Gadget
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Windsor87
RootsChat Member
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Posts: 132
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The best I've come up with is Alexander Middleton, who was a blacksmith, died in Fraserburgh in 1874, and his son was John Middleton (signed register).
However it gives his age as 70 (in 1874) which doesn't add up with the census material. As well as that his wife's name is given asMary Buchan, not Mary Burnett.
I suppose that given his age varies even in the census, it could be that his exact age was not known or not known to the informant - albeit that it was his son.
As well as that, could it be possible that John mistook his mother's maiden name?
A bit of a longshot, don't you think?
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Aberdeenshire/Banffshire:
Strachan, Connon, Watt, Beattie, Noble, Watt, Sinclair, Garden, Birnie, Wilson, Christie, Gatt, Watson, Sim, Ross, McWilliam, Middleton, Burr, Johnston, Munro, West, Porter, Trail, Bruce, Peddie, Kemp, Smith, Ewen, Kerr, Grieve, Whyte, Ritchie, Mackie, Jamieson, Barron, Grant, Robertson, McKay, Hadden, Forbes, Walls, Shepherd, McDonald, Duncan, Gray, Will, Thomson, Lascelles, Brown, Anderson, Doherty...
Dumfriesshire:
Bryson, Harkness, Scott, Roddick, Armstrong
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Gadget
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My Mum made me pretty frocks
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Well, you have quite a few matches: name, place, occupation, wife's first name., son's name. You are out with wife's surname - although this is vaguely similar Buchan v Burnett . His age - a few years out but the son could have said 'about 70' to the Registrar. I certainly think it looks very promising.
Have you checked on a possible marriage cert of a son/daughter. This might help with Mary's name.
What is on John's death cert for his mother?
What is the address John gives as the informant on Alexander's death cert?
Gadget
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Gadget
RootsChat Marquessate
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Posts: 15751
My Mum made me pretty frocks
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Another question:
What were his parents' names on the death cert?
Gadget
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Windsor87
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Posts: 132
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His son John married before 1855 so there is no certificate. I'm not sure about other children.
On the death certificate of his son John, his mother is listed as Mary Burnett. So evidently I've answered my own question about knowledge of his mother's name.
Given that the 1874 death was due to Cancer, I took into account the fact that he may have been cared for by his son, the informant. This Alexander died in School Street. In 1871 John was living in Frithside Street and then in 1881 in High Street. So there is no immediate connection by address. The informants address is not given on the certificate.
On the 1874 death certificate the parents' names are given as George Middleton and Christian Middleton (nee Scott). My searches have proved fruitless on a birth entry under these names.
Perhaps the registrar was having a bad day. Perhaps John was just very drunk when registering the death. 
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Aberdeenshire/Banffshire:
Strachan, Connon, Watt, Beattie, Noble, Watt, Sinclair, Garden, Birnie, Wilson, Christie, Gatt, Watson, Sim, Ross, McWilliam, Middleton, Burr, Johnston, Munro, West, Porter, Trail, Bruce, Peddie, Kemp, Smith, Ewen, Kerr, Grieve, Whyte, Ritchie, Mackie, Jamieson, Barron, Grant, Robertson, McKay, Hadden, Forbes, Walls, Shepherd, McDonald, Duncan, Gray, Will, Thomson, Lascelles, Brown, Anderson, Doherty...
Dumfriesshire:
Bryson, Harkness, Scott, Roddick, Armstrong
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Windsor87
RootsChat Member
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Posts: 132
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I think the chances of two blacksmiths in the same town, with the same name and near the same age are pretty slim. Especially given the size of Fraserburgh at that time.
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Aberdeenshire/Banffshire:
Strachan, Connon, Watt, Beattie, Noble, Watt, Sinclair, Garden, Birnie, Wilson, Christie, Gatt, Watson, Sim, Ross, McWilliam, Middleton, Burr, Johnston, Munro, West, Porter, Trail, Bruce, Peddie, Kemp, Smith, Ewen, Kerr, Grieve, Whyte, Ritchie, Mackie, Jamieson, Barron, Grant, Robertson, McKay, Hadden, Forbes, Walls, Shepherd, McDonald, Duncan, Gray, Will, Thomson, Lascelles, Brown, Anderson, Doherty...
Dumfriesshire:
Bryson, Harkness, Scott, Roddick, Armstrong
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Windsor87
RootsChat Member
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Posts: 132
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John's wife was Isabella Grieve - a country lass.
I'm one of these lazy family historians I'm afraid. I wouldn't know the first thing about directories.
There is one document that I've been meaning to go back to look up. There was a Fraserburgh militia around 1815-1820 and I have seen the rolls for that. I'm pretty sure that there was an Alexander Middleton mentioned on that but then it could just be my memory playing tricks on me. At the time I was researching other parts of the family and I failed to take note of this.
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Aberdeenshire/Banffshire:
Strachan, Connon, Watt, Beattie, Noble, Watt, Sinclair, Garden, Birnie, Wilson, Christie, Gatt, Watson, Sim, Ross, McWilliam, Middleton, Burr, Johnston, Munro, West, Porter, Trail, Bruce, Peddie, Kemp, Smith, Ewen, Kerr, Grieve, Whyte, Ritchie, Mackie, Jamieson, Barron, Grant, Robertson, McKay, Hadden, Forbes, Walls, Shepherd, McDonald, Duncan, Gray, Will, Thomson, Lascelles, Brown, Anderson, Doherty...
Dumfriesshire:
Bryson, Harkness, Scott, Roddick, Armstrong
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Gadget
RootsChat Marquessate
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Posts: 15751
My Mum made me pretty frocks
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Just an idea - I though that the Registrar might have asked for 'wife's maiden name' and he gave his own 
Have you got a full set of children's names, in birth order, for Alexander ? Naming conventions might help with his parents.
Gadget
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mitchell
RootsChat Senior
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Posts: 376
Harvey Aidan
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The 1851 Census has
Philorth, Fraserburgh
Alexander Middleton age 52, Blacksmith Master b Fraserburgh
Mary Middleton age 54, b Old Pitsligo
Elspet Middleton age 24, daughter, b Fraserburgh
Elaine
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Mitchell, Turner, Henderson, Archibald, Smith, Walker, Burgess, Alexander, Margetts, Joss - Aberdeenshire Proctor, Morrison, Henderson, Burgess, McWilliam, Green, Grant, Young, Dey, Allan - Banffshire Proctor, Logie, Grant - Moray McRae - Ross & Cromarty and Invernesshire Clunie, Philp - Fife Census information is Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk and www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk |
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mitchell
RootsChat Senior
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Posts: 376
Harvey Aidan
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Found the 1841 Census...
College Philorth, Fraserburgh
Al Middleton, 40 Blacksmith b Aberdeenshire
Mary Middleton, 40 b Aberdeenshire
James Middleton 18 Ag Lab b Aberdeenshire
Elspet Wemyss Middleton 15 b Aberdeenshire
Robt Middleton 10 b Aberdeenshire
Elaine
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Mitchell, Turner, Henderson, Archibald, Smith, Walker, Burgess, Alexander, Margetts, Joss - Aberdeenshire Proctor, Morrison, Henderson, Burgess, McWilliam, Green, Grant, Young, Dey, Allan - Banffshire Proctor, Logie, Grant - Moray McRae - Ross & Cromarty and Invernesshire Clunie, Philp - Fife Census information is Crown Copyright from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk and www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk |
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Windsor87
RootsChat Member
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Posts: 132
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With the information Elaine has just given, Alexander and Mary Middleton had:
John Middleton
James Middleton
Elspet Middleton
Robert Middleton
Here is the 1861 Census:
-Alexander Middleton, Head, Married, 62 years, Blacksmith, b. Fraserburgh.
-Mary Middleton, Wife, 64 years, b.Pitsligo.
-Elspet W. Middleton, Daughter, Unmarried, 34 years, General Labourer, F/B.
-Mary Henderson Fraser, granddaughter, 10 months, Fraserburgh.
Here is the 1871 Census:
-Alex. Middleton, Head, Widow, 74 years, Retired Blacksmith, b.Fraserburgh.
-Elspet Middleton, Daughter, Unmarried, 44 years, Housekeeper, b. F/B.
-Mary H. Fraser, Granddaughter, 10 years, Scholar, b. Fraserburgh.
I'm guessing that Mary Fraser was a child of Elspet Middleton. Given that this is a Fraser in Philorth, it may do me well to find out who the father was!
Joe: It is possible that they are related but I have no evidence to suggest that.
Just thinking, changing maiden names seems to be this family's speciality. My great great grandmother was born Bella Birnie and married a Robert Strachan. Every now and then her maiden name changes to Middleton, most likely because she was brought up by her grandparents, John Middleton and Isabella Grieve.
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Aberdeenshire/Banffshire:
Strachan, Connon, Watt, Beattie, Noble, Watt, Sinclair, Garden, Birnie, Wilson, Christie, Gatt, Watson, Sim, Ross, McWilliam, Middleton, Burr, Johnston, Munro, West, Porter, Trail, Bruce, Peddie, Kemp, Smith, Ewen, Kerr, Grieve, Whyte, Ritchie, Mackie, Jamieson, Barron, Grant, Robertson, McKay, Hadden, Forbes, Walls, Shepherd, McDonald, Duncan, Gray, Will, Thomson, Lascelles, Brown, Anderson, Doherty...
Dumfriesshire:
Bryson, Harkness, Scott, Roddick, Armstrong
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Windsor87
RootsChat Member
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Posts: 132
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I finally managed to make a trip to the library today to check the resources they have there.
The militia roll which I spoke of had no Alexander Middletons - just other Middletons. The roll was from 1808 and so he would most likely have been too young to volunteer. The enlisted names did however start as young as 12 years old.
I did, however, find Alexander Middleton on some Valuation Rolls. The 1859/60 and 1869/70 Rolls have him renting 'Croft of Harestone' in the lands of Philorth. He did not appear in a later Valuation Roll from the later 1870s.
Sadly the business direstories did not help. The earlierst useful directory dated from 1877 and so was too late on. There was no Alexander Middleton listed in the Blacksmith section. This does not necessarily mean that he was dead for he was listed as a retired blacksmith in the 1871 Census.
In short, my trip to the library basically told me what I already knew. Alexander Middleton was living in Philorth at least upto 1871. The only difference being that now I know he paid five pounds and ten shillings as a yearly rent to the Lord Saltoun.
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Aberdeenshire/Banffshire:
Strachan, Connon, Watt, Beattie, Noble, Watt, Sinclair, Garden, Birnie, Wilson, Christie, Gatt, Watson, Sim, Ross, McWilliam, Middleton, Burr, Johnston, Munro, West, Porter, Trail, Bruce, Peddie, Kemp, Smith, Ewen, Kerr, Grieve, Whyte, Ritchie, Mackie, Jamieson, Barron, Grant, Robertson, McKay, Hadden, Forbes, Walls, Shepherd, McDonald, Duncan, Gray, Will, Thomson, Lascelles, Brown, Anderson, Doherty...
Dumfriesshire:
Bryson, Harkness, Scott, Roddick, Armstrong
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