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Topic: Paternity Conundrum (Read 514 times)
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JustKia
RootsChat Aristocrat
Posts: 1084
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Helen NICOL was my 2xG grandmother. She was born 17 November 1870 in Hatton of Fintray to Elizabeth NICOL.
However, on the 3rd Sep 1873 a declaration of paternity was made and reads:Register of Corrected Entries for the Parish of Fintray, in the County of Aberdeen.
Decree of court relative to the paternity of an illegitmate child (B 43 -1870)
The sheriff substitute of Aberdeen and Kincardine upon the 3rd day of September 1873, pronounced Decree in an Action before the said court at the instance of poor Elizabeth Nicol, Mill of Cavil, Fintray against Wm Mitchell, Sawmill Learney relating to the paternity of a female child named Helen Nicol born at Hatton of Fintray in the parish of Fintray in the county of Aberdeen on the 17th day of November 1780, finding that said child was the illegitimate child of the said Wm Mitchell. and is then signed by John G Leslie (Dep) 10 Jul 1874 and Henry W Anderson (Registrar) 13 Jul 1874. Also an illegible signature (squiggle) dated 7 Jun 1875.
In 1871 I have a potential William, only a couple of years older than Elizabeth. His occupation is "wood turner" which I believe could well place him in a sawmill. He is in a Banchory-Ternan, which like Learney [then] fell into Kincardine O'Neil.
So the place is pretty much right, the age is similar, the name is right and the occupation fits. Am I putting 2 and 2 together to make 5 or does the circumstantial evidence add up?
The use of the word "poor" relating to Elizabeth is odd. As was rightly pointed out to me earlier today, in a legal document it is unlikey to mean "unfortunate", but would possibly indicate that she was in receipt of Poor Relief. However, I don't believe that she was as in 1871 and 1881 she is with the DUGUID family (in Greens) as a servant.
I don't have a clue how the paternity was decided, whether William admitted to being Helen's father or if the statements of William and Elizabeth were considered and made a decision made on that?
Also would William have been informed of the decision or could all this have happened without his knowledge?
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I have Helen in 1871, aged 4 months as a boarder with Helen MILLON, a widow in Summerhill, which isn't far from Greens. Maybe she was there because Elizabeth was at work or maybe Elizabeth gave her up?
I have a possible for Helen (entered as Hellen) in 1881, as a boarder in the home of Alexander & Jane PETRIE in Bonnieside. On SP this entry isn't a scan of the ennumerator's book, but a typed page and Helen's place of birth is given as Huntly, Aberdeen - I wonder if this could be a mistranscription of Fintray, Aberdeen?
1891 she is a servant to the FROST family and in 1901 she is "housekeeper" to Hilaire DEVOS - I really don't know why she is noted as his housekeeper, when in fact she is the mother of his child (Margaret DEVOS) that is with them, and Hilaire was by then divorced from his first wife (9 Jan 1901 he was divorced). Helen and Hilaire had a son 1904 (my 1xG Grandfather, Alexander DEVOS). When Helen married Hilaire in 1906 she gave her maternal grandparents names as her parents, although so far I have no evidence of them raising her. Helen and Hilaire had a second son, Louis, in 1910 but he was sadly premature and died after 2 days.
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MARLOW/JECOCK - Northamptonshire/Warwickshire : WIMBUSH/JUSTICE - Oxfordshire/Warwickshire : SCALES/BRIDGES/ENGLISH/JARMAN - Suffolk : GARRETT/GIBBS - Warwickshire : DEVOS - Scotland (Aberdeen)/France(Dunkerque) : MURRAY - Ireland(Down)/Scotland(Lochs) : TIGHE/TREACY - Cork Stanley Charles SCALES b.1899 - Where are you? *** Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk |
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flst
RootsChat Senior
Posts: 448
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Hi, I have also found in RCE's that the female was named as "poor". If you think this may relate to her claiming off the parish for her child,it would be worthwhile checking out the poor relief records.There is a great deal of personal information to be gleaned off the application forms. I have also come across children being boarded out to non relatives & the parish paying for the child's upkeep.
Regards,
flst
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TAYLOR, COBBAN, SCOTT, PATERSON, BARCLAY, DUNCAN, SKENE, SIM, WOOD, STEPHEN, ROSE, CUMINE, MORISON, GERRARD, PYPER, ANDERSON, FARQUHAR, BURNET, THOMSON, DAVIDSON, BIRNIE, STRACHAN, DEY, GERRIE, ROBERTSON, FINNIE, WYLLIE,STEPHEN,WILLOX,MICHIE,MARR,BRUCE, CLUBB,SLESSOR,CLARK, SIMPSON,HEPBURN,SINCLAIR,BEEDIE,FOWLIE, CLYNE,FINDLATER,JOHNSTON,BROCKIE,PARK, WATT,MACKIE,WALKER,YEATS,THIRD, BURD,EWAN,ARTHUR,AUCKLAND, MURDOCH,LOW,IRVINE,CHALMERS,BOYES, LYON,SMITH,ADIE,WATSON - ALL N.E.SCOTLAND.
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JustKia
RootsChat Aristocrat
Posts: 1084
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Thanks flst =)
I don't think she was claiming Poor Relief because she was working - it's just an odd use of the word in a legal document.
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MARLOW/JECOCK - Northamptonshire/Warwickshire : WIMBUSH/JUSTICE - Oxfordshire/Warwickshire : SCALES/BRIDGES/ENGLISH/JARMAN - Suffolk : GARRETT/GIBBS - Warwickshire : DEVOS - Scotland (Aberdeen)/France(Dunkerque) : MURRAY - Ireland(Down)/Scotland(Lochs) : TIGHE/TREACY - Cork Stanley Charles SCALES b.1899 - Where are you? *** Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk |
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renard
RootsChat Extra
Posts: 99
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Hi JustKia,
just a couple of points,she may have been receiving poor relief, I know that my great grandmother was in receipt of poor relief although her husband was employed he was unable
to earn enough to support his family.
Huntly and Hatton of Fintray are two different places and two different parishes so highly unlikely to be a mistranscription.
William would most likely have had to attend the court for the
paternity hearing.
Unlikely for a wood turner to be working in a sawmill although
they both work in wood thats the only thing they have in-common
A sawmill works in raw timber turning trees into planks, fence post
etc. a wood turner is a craftsman making articles from wood
Sorry to be so negative
Renard
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JustKia
RootsChat Aristocrat
Posts: 1084
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It's not negative, Renard =)
Opinions are appreciated, and it gives me more things to look for to see if I can (hopefully) find a probable William.
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MARLOW/JECOCK - Northamptonshire/Warwickshire : WIMBUSH/JUSTICE - Oxfordshire/Warwickshire : SCALES/BRIDGES/ENGLISH/JARMAN - Suffolk : GARRETT/GIBBS - Warwickshire : DEVOS - Scotland (Aberdeen)/France(Dunkerque) : MURRAY - Ireland(Down)/Scotland(Lochs) : TIGHE/TREACY - Cork Stanley Charles SCALES b.1899 - Where are you? *** Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk |
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renard
RootsChat Extra
Posts: 99
Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Have you tried contacting N.A.S. you can e-mail them
you will need mother and fathers names date of court case and
which court, in your case it would be Aberdeen Sheriff Court.
The outcome will depend on which records have survived,not all the records are complete.
I contacted them regarding a paternity case involving one of my ancestors, the information I received was.
His full name [ he had a middle name which did not appear on
the R.C.E. his address at the time of the court case, his occupation
unfortunately in my case they could find no record of his age
I received this information from them by e-mail free of charge
it took about three weeks to get a reply, I have contacted them several times on different matters, and have found them to be very helpfull if they don't have the information that you are looking for they can often tell you where to try.
Jim
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JustKia
RootsChat Aristocrat
Posts: 1084
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Thanks Jim, will give that a try and fingers crossed =)
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MARLOW/JECOCK - Northamptonshire/Warwickshire : WIMBUSH/JUSTICE - Oxfordshire/Warwickshire : SCALES/BRIDGES/ENGLISH/JARMAN - Suffolk : GARRETT/GIBBS - Warwickshire : DEVOS - Scotland (Aberdeen)/France(Dunkerque) : MURRAY - Ireland(Down)/Scotland(Lochs) : TIGHE/TREACY - Cork Stanley Charles SCALES b.1899 - Where are you? *** Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk |
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cookies4
RootsChat Member
Posts: 188
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If that's your Elizabeth in 1871 and 1881 with the Duguid family where was wee Helen in 1881?
Regards,
Nel
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JustKia
RootsChat Aristocrat
Posts: 1084
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If that's your Elizabeth in 1871 and 1881 with the Duguid family where was wee Helen in 1881? I don't know for sure but...
I have a possible for Helen (entered as Hellen) in 1881, as a boarder in the home of Alexander & Jane PETRIE in Bonnieside. On SP this entry isn't a scan of the ennumerator's book, but a typed page and Helen's place of birth is given as Huntly, Aberdeen - I wonder if this could be a mistranscription of Fintray, Aberdeen?
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MARLOW/JECOCK - Northamptonshire/Warwickshire : WIMBUSH/JUSTICE - Oxfordshire/Warwickshire : SCALES/BRIDGES/ENGLISH/JARMAN - Suffolk : GARRETT/GIBBS - Warwickshire : DEVOS - Scotland (Aberdeen)/France(Dunkerque) : MURRAY - Ireland(Down)/Scotland(Lochs) : TIGHE/TREACY - Cork Stanley Charles SCALES b.1899 - Where are you? *** Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk |
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