Hi, my first post.
I've been working on these for some time with little luck.
My gg g/mother was Margaret Shiel(d)s b abt 1838 Closeburn.
Her mother was Mary Paterson b abt 1811 most likely Closeburn.
Margaret Cowan is listed in 1851 census as Margaret Shiel(d)s g/mother both at Closeburn Mill.
1841 Census lists all three at Closeburn village.
Mary Paterson may have done a stint in prison 1848-.
I am sure that these three are g/mother, mother, daughter but there are more than 1 Margaret Shields & Mary Paterson from Closeburn.
Samuel Todd & Craufurd Tait Ramage are not the spouses.
John Shiel(d)s, is listed on one doc as Grocer and another as Draper.
Margaret had a child "Shields" b 8 oct 1860 who was named John Fergusson my g/f whom she seemed to have abandoned, then married John Beatie 1871 cummertrees.
Does anybody have these women in their trees?
Or know of related Paterson or Shiel(d)s or Cowan spouses?
I just bought a years gold plated Ancestry in the hope of getting further along but most probably Scotlands people would have been a better bet for documents?
I have death & marriage certs for Margaret Shields but no birth. Birth cert for John Fergusson to Margaret Shields.
Any advice much appreciated
Gerard