Author Topic: Birth name change not recorded.  (Read 1202 times)

Offline GR2

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Re: Birth name change not recorded.
« Reply #9 on: Monday 13 October 14 10:18 BST (UK) »
J' accuse  >:(

This may be your man.

1851 census:

Staying with his uncle and aunt, at 2 North Cumberland Street, Calton, Glasgow, is James Aitkenhead, mason, aged 20, unmarried, born Blantyre, Lanarkshire.

James Aitkenhead married Ann Cant 23-11-1855. They had children including Alexander (b. Blantyre 23-3-1857), William (b. Blantyre 24-12-1858) and Agnes (b. Blantyre 19-5-1860).

1861 census:

At Causeystones, Blantyre, Lanarkshire, James Aitkenhead, free-stone mason, aged 30, born Bothwell, his wife, Ann, born Fife, and their three children, Alexander, William and Agnes.

This would not be a case of adultery, as your Alexander was conceived well before James married Ann Cant. The kirk session would still have looked into it and there may be something in their minutes. They are not available on-line, but can be consulted on computer at several archives in Scotland.

This is likely to be your man, because the occupation, location, marital status at time of conception of Alexander, the lack of any other James Aitkenhead who is a mason, all point to guilt. You even have a reason why he did not marry Alexander's mother - he was already married at the time of the birth.



Offline Tasman1

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Re: Birth name change not recorded.
« Reply #10 on: Monday 13 October 14 12:20 BST (UK) »
Thanks GR2.
 My devious thoughts exactly, but I did not want to be sued for libel!
However nothing is that simple. James b1830 married to Ann Cant, has a brother William who married Grace McCartney. Their first child was a James b1830 and in the 1851 Census, aged 19, occupation, you guessed it -Mason.
Unfortunately, living in Tasmania, I can not pop in to my local library to check the Kirk Session records.
Aitkenhead, Purdon, Buick, Fairweather, Todd, Moresby.