David & Isabella Lee - missing in the 1850's!

[masky]

Hi, I’d be so grateful if someone with a lot more experience in Scottish research can give me some ideas or point me in a different direction as the LEE family have got me completely stumped on several points.

My search started with my grandfather Andrew Lee, born in Scotland,  who migrated to Australia in the 1860s with his wife Mary McDiarmid. His death certificate in 1873 shows his parents as David Lee and Isabella Hilson (both deceased )

On Andrew and Mary’s marriage certificate in 1859 (St George, Edinburgh) it shows his parents as David Lee, coachman and Isabella Hilson – both deceased.

In the 1851 census, I located the family at Leggetts Land  in St Cuthberts, Edinburgh
DAVID LEE born  abt 1808 Haddington, East Lothian – Groom
ISABELLA LEE born abt 1811 Melrose, Roxburgh
ANDREW LEE born abt 1836 Coldstream , Berwickshire (the one who migrated)
HARRIETT LEE born abt 1841 Midlothian
JOHN LEE (incorrectly indexed as Joan) born abt 1843 Midlothian
DAVID LEE born abt 1846 Midlothian

Listed on Andrew & Mary’s marriage certificate as a witness  is  ISABELLA LEE  , who I have now confirmed (through her death certificate in 1888)  to be the eldest daughter of DAVID & ISABELLA.. I have not been able to locate her with certainty in the 1851 census, but in the 1861 census she is living with her younger brother John in St Cuthberts. ISABELLA was born abt 1839 in Coldsteam, Roxburgh. In 1871, she is listed as a patient in the Royal Edinburgh Asylum for the Insane and in 1881, she is a pauper in the St Cuthberts Poorhouse. (I wonder what went wrong for her)

In the 1861 census, HARRIETT is shown as a boarder in St Andrew and the younger DAVID , now aged 15, is in the Dean Orphanage in Edinburgh.

I cannot locate any of the family in the 1841 census, but my main problem is that I cannot locate the deaths of either DAVID or ISABELLA. As they appear in the 1851 census, and Andrew’s marriage certificate has them both as deceased by April 1859, this has been my search parameter, although I have searched broader than that too.

I cannot find them anywhere in  the OPR or the SR – I have tried variants of names, with and without first names – nothing! I’ve searched deaths in Australia too, tried shipping lists – nothing. If they went to England, I suppose I have no hope of locating them. They have totally disappeared. The fact that their son David was in the Orphanage makes me think that something happened to both of them at the same time – or are there other reasons he would be in the Orphanage.

The reason I really want to locate the death for David is so I can confirm the link to the generation prior, as I believe I have located his birth in the OPR in 1808 in Duns, Berwick – father ANDREW LEE and mother HARRIETT ROBERTSON (who lived into their 90's and 80's respectively)– the names of David and Isabella’s children fit with the naming pattern rule, but I need to be able to confirm this.

So, can anyone find them in the 1841 census and most importantly, can anyone suggest where else I can look for their deaths or what may have happened to them?It's really BUGGING me that I can't solve this mystery!
 
cheers and thanks

[MonicaL]

Hi Masky

From the info you have, I think I have found them in Edinburgh Canongate for 1841. My hesitation is that mother (?) shows as Barbara. Always hard with the 1841 census as no relationships are given within the  household:

Barbara Lees 30
Andrw Lees 5
Isabella Lees 3
Heriot Lees 1

Address: 19 Mcdowall Street - everyone showing as born within the county in this census.

Monica 

[MonicaL]

I think for 1851, Isabella shows as working as a domestic servant in the household of Ann Neill, 60 York Pl, Edinburgh. The entry has:

Isabella Lees, 13, domestic servant b. Berwickshire, Coldstream

This may be the entry that you have already found.

Monica        

[MonicaL]

I am getting one entry each for an OPR death for a David and Isabella LE*E in Edinburgh City between 1851-54. Not sure what the '*' wildcard can represent.

A word of caution here. An OPR death entry won't give you parents' names. This information was only included on statutory registration post 1855.

Monica

[masky]

Hi Monica - thanks so much for your assistance in locating the LEE family.

I found the 1841 census entry you refer to on Ancestry, but I am unable to locate them on Scotlands People 1841 census?? I am pretty sure this is the right family but I just wanted to see the original and check if Isabella has been incorrectly transcribed as Barbara

As for the death entries for David And Isabella, I must be doing something wrong as I still can't find them in the OPR search on Scotlands People? There is an Isabella Lindor Lee 1855 (not the right one). When I search with the wildcard, it brings only her up and still nothing for a David

cheers

[MonicaL]

I can't see this 1841 census entry on SP either  However, it has been transcribed the same by volunteers of the FreeCen programme here, with mother Barbara, http://freecen.rootsweb.com/cgi/search.pl

Monica

[masky]

I found Isabella and the kids on Scotlands People after all - their surname was transcribed as 'LIES' although it is clearly written (I think)  Lees - and her first name is clearly listed as Barbara??? And I have now found David Lee elsewhere in a lodging house. So that part of the mystey has been resolved - just have to locate the death dates now.....

Once again, thanks for your help Monica! 

[roblee107]

Whilst researching my family I have come across the same difficulty you encountered namely the deaths of David & Isabella Lee in the 1850's and was wondering if you ever found anything definitive regarding their demise. Also,I have David born ,12-02-1808, to Andrew (Corporal in Berwickshire Militia) and Harriet Robertson in Duns ,Berwickshire,not as born in Haddington, East Lothian.Have I taken a wrong turn? I realise it is some time since you posted this topic,but any help would be greatly appreciated if possible.
regards,
                Rob.

[roblee107]

Further to last posting,I have just found Isabella (Hilson) Lee's death on Scotlandspeople.gov.uk.

Isabella Hilson or Lee, Died 23-10-1853,From Dropsy,Age 42, Water of Leith,(later known as Dean Village),Registered-St. Cuthberts, Edinburgh.

But still cannot find anything on husband David,Born 1808,Married 1835,Died ?.

Regards,
            Rob.