The Dickson sisters of Oxford Street, Edinburgh

[djct59]

I have just discovered following a trip to the Scotlandspeople Centre that my grandfather had at least four female cousins of whose existence I was unaware. They were the daughters of Mary Thomson and Robert Dickson, who were married on 29th August 1884, and lived at 26 Oxford Street. They were:-

Twins Mary & Janet (b.7/8/1885)
Cecilia (b. 28/4/1888)
Elizabeth (b. 19/12/1890)

Any information on their lives/descendants gratefully received

[CaroleW]

Have you checked SP for marriages for them?

[djct59]

Yes, but even the rarest name (Cecilia) gives two feasible options. Trying to locate the right marriage in Edinburgh for a Mary Dickson, Janet Dickson or an Elizabeth Dickson within a potential range of say fifteen years throws up several possibilities, and even that ignores the possibility of marriage elsewhere in the Lothians or further afield. To check every single possibility without a husband's name, based just on age and location in a city of 500,000 inhabitants where the surname is a common one would cost the sharp end of £50.

[rosie17]

1901 census 48,Richmond Street Edinburgh no father there
Mary Dickson 39, Mary 15, ( machine girl ) Janet 15, ( machine girl ) Ceculia /Cecilia 12.Lizzie 10, Agnes 5, Lilly 19months

[rosie17]

1901 census father Robert is a boarder in Perth his occupation printers machine man so must be working away from home

[CaroleW]

To narrow it down - you could check the 1911 census to see if the 4 older girls appear under their maiden name.  If not - any marriages would be pre-1911 which may make it easier

[djct59]

Richmond Street makes perfect sense then, as that's where the children's grandfather and grandmother had lived, and is where their uncle (my great-grandfather) was born. Their grandmother died in December 1901 about 400 yards away on Arthur Street. That's useful to know.

[djct59]

In addition, the children had an aunt called Agnes, born 5th January 1872; I have yet to trace a marriage or death for her, as using her middle name on SP produces nothing, and leaving it out produces too many options even in Newington

[tidybooks]

Hi All,

Found article in scotsman, where a Janet Dickson or McCondochie was divorced on the grounds of desertion from William Alexander McCondochie, on 7th Oct 1914 in Outer House of Court of Sessions.

Found the marriage on SP, 22 May 1905, Janet Dickson, a 19 yo "Letters Layer on" of parents Robert Dickson and Mary Thomson residing at 11 West Nicholson St., married the aforementioned William A McCondochie, a 23 yo commercial traveller.

There are McCondochie births on SP, which maybe related, Mary in 1906, James Spence in 1910 and Eliza Ritchie in 1911, all in St Giles district of Edinburgh. I did not download these certificates.


Tom