Joan ( Jackie ) Crookston of the Tranent Massacre

[K44ENF]

Thank you Archie. I am more informed on the subject now.

[Woodsd]

Archie

Greetings again!

I have a wee bit of information about Jackie Crookston.  From looking through OPRs, my sister-in-law seems to be descended from Jackie Crookston's husband through his second marriage.  I guess from names that the husband's second wife was probably a relation of Jackie Crookston too.

I haven't looked at my notes on this for a long time, and they are hand-written scribbles.  I will dig the stuff out and drop you a note.

Meanwhile, obviously fascinated if Helen Wood (presumably the one that married James Young in 1846) is descended from Jackie Crookston.  That would make you a relation of my sister-in-law too, and my sister-in-law a relation of my ex-wife.  All too connected for comfort!

Best wishes

David

[Templar75]

Hi David,

                 great to hear from you again and hope you are well, my cousin Anita in Canada whom I have met through this site has done a lot of digging, I think there are a couple of children not mentioned and she believes that one of them is a female and probably named Helen. She found one in Edinburgh down as in sevice but not shure if she is the one we are looking for.

Joanne who runs the midlothian family reasearch with her husband can't find her either, Joanne's husband is a direct decendant of Jackie Crookston.

Helen Wood who died at Loanhead died from " Overwork " she worked at the Kevock Mill in Lasswade, poor lassie and so young at 48 years.

If you can manage to crack it David it would be like finding the Holy Grail.

Take care.

Archie.

[Woodsd]

Archie

I’ve dug out the notes that I made a few years ago about my sister-in-law’s connection to Jackie Crookston.

What I’ve got has just skimmed the surface, and most of the information came off the internet.  I’ve not even fully checked the IGI or looked up the original OPRs.  So some obvious notes of caution, since I have not checked this information.  Also, I don’t think this is going to be of much use to you for Helen Wood, as yet anyway.  However, I’ve given a summary below just in case.

But please note again that I have not checked a lot of this information even to the IGI (and the website is down just now or I would have done some checks).

Regards

David.

James Crookston, born 9 January 1732, Gladsmuir, and married Agnes Hogg in 1753, Pencaitland.  Children included (certainly not sure about the accuracy of this list):
-   William Crookston, born 16 April 1754, Pencaitland, and married Elspeth Gray
-   Adam Crookston, born 22 April 1756, Pencaitland
-   George Crookston, born 31 January 1758, Gladsmuir
-   James Crookston, born 20 April 1760, Pencaitland, and married Jean Hogg
-   John Crookston, born 21 December 1762, Gladsmuir
-   Charles Crookston, born 25 November 1764, Gladsmuir
-   Joanna Crookston, born 12 June 1768, Gladsmuir (see below)
-   Margaret Crookston, born 3 August 1772, Gladsmuir
-   Agnes Crookston, born 10 June 1774, Gladsmuir, and married James Duncan
-   Thomas Crookston, born 6 May 1776, Gladsmuir
-   Robert Crookston, born 3 July 1780, Gladsmuir and married Joanna Redpath,

Joanna Crookston, born 12 June 1768, Gladsmuir, married William Ross (born 7 December 1764, Gladsmuir – some questions on date of birth) c 1789, Tranent.  Children included:
-   James Ross, born 30 March 1790, Tranent.

Joanna (Jackie) Crookston died during the Massacre of Tranent on 29 August 1797.

William Ross married secondly Janet Hogg on 20 December 1797, Pencaitland.  Children included:
-   Margaret Ross born 29 December 1798 Pencaitland, and married William McNeil (my sister-in-law is descended from this couple)

William Ross’s first wife Joanna Crookston was the daughter of Agnes Hogg.  Agnes Hogg was the daughter of William Hogg (born 11 April 1708, Gladsmuir) and Mary Braid, who married 3 October 1730, Gladsmuir.

William Ross’s second wife Janet Hogg had been born 21 October 1769, Gladsmuir, daughter of George Hogg and Margaret Atkins.  George Hogg was the son of William Hogg and Mary Braid.

[Templar75]

Hi David,

               thanks a lot for this and your time, I remember Anita saying that a child was missing and she believed it could have been a girl called Helen, Anita was going by earlier names hence her thinking this child was Helen, I can see her point as it was the norm then.

Thanks again David.

Cheers.

Archie.

[Woodsd]

Archie

I’ve been thinking about this today after posting the note above.

Helen Wood was born circa 1825 (died 1873, aged 48 years).  Therefore, to be descended from Jackie Crookston, Helen Wood’s mother would have to be one of Jackie Crookston’s daughters, ie surname Ross.

As you’ll know, the IGI does not report the birth of Helen Wood.  Also, only the father’s name of William Wood is given on Helen Wood’s death certificate.  The name of Helen Wood’s mother is not known.

I’ve previously looked up the census returns for Helen Wood (or Young as she was then) listed for 1861 and 1871.  I have never tried to look her up on the 1841 (or 1851) census, so that’s something still to be done.  Especially the 1841 census return could have Helen still living with her parents (probably either in Tranent where she was born, or Lasswade where she got married in 1846), and so provide her mother’s first name and age.

William Wood was dead by 1873 (recorded “deceased” on Helen Wood’s death certificate).  Again, I have never tried to find William Wood’s death certificate, but he may have one if he died after 1855.  His death certificate would provide details of his wife.  So that’s something else that could be searched for.

Also, William Wood might appear himself on the census returns (either Tranent or Lasswade), and his wife might be listed beside him.  That would at least give the wife’s first name.  So that’s a third aspect to investigate.

Meanwhile, the IGI has come back online, and I’ve tried a few searches.  And I reckon that I have got this.  However, Helen Wood would not be descended from Jackie Crookston, but instead descended from James Crookston who was Jackie Crookston’s brother.

James Crookston was born on 20 April 1760, either at Gladsmuir or Pencaitland (IGI lists both places, so need to check OPRs to confirm).  On 4 July 1783, James Crookston married Jean Hogg in Tranent.

James Crookston and Jean Hogg had a daughter Janet Crookston, born 27 September 1790 at Tranent.  On 16 July 1808, Janet Crookston married William Wood in Tranent.  This could well be William Wood who was the father of Helen Wood born 1825 in Tranent.

To prove the case, we really need the name of Helen Wood’s mother.  So maybe one of the suggestions above would help find that, ie William Wood’s death certificate or one of the census returns.

Meanwhile, the census returns list James Young and Helen Wood’s eldest daughter as Janet.  As you’ll know, the Scottish custom is to name the first-born daughter after the mother’s mother.  So, following that tradition, Helen Wood’s mother was probably named Janet, ie after Janet Crookston..

Although all this is quite probably the case, I’d like to prove the first name of Helen Wood’s mother to be more certain (just in case the William Wood who married in Tranent in 1808 was not your William Wood).  But I think the case is cracked.

Also of interest is that James Crookston (junior) married Jean Hogg.  The IGI indicates that Jean Hogg was born on 16 April 1762 the daughter of James Hogg and Helen Swann, who married on 25 August 1758 in Tranent.  James Crookston and Jackie Crookston’s mother was Agnes Hogg.  Meanwhile, the second wife of William Ross (Jackie Crookston’s husband) was Janet Hogg.  I’ve shown above that Janet Hogg was the niece of Agnes Hogg.  Chances are that Jean Hogg is part of the same family.  (Hogg is still a fairly common name in Tranent.)

The Family Search / IGI website has an Ancestral File recorded for James Crookston and Jean Hogg.  You might want to have a look at the extra information given there.

About 30 years ago, I went to the Brunton Theatre in Musselburgh to see a play called The Massacre of Tranent.  Little did I realise then that I’d become so interested in Jackie Crookston.  But it’s nice to have a statue in the family (yesterday morning when I went for my newspaper, I saw that Jackie Crookston was wearing a traffic cone on her head).

Anyway, in summary, I reckon that Jackie Crookston was your great-great-great-great-great-aunt.

I trust you find this of interest!

Regards

David

[Templar75]

Thanks David boy is that some search, I remember Anita sending this to me it is William Wood's Death Cert.

Cheers.

Archie.

[Woodsd]

Archie

That is not William Wood's death certificate (at least not the William Wood who was the father of Helen Wood).  Instead, this is the death certificate of Helen Wood's brother, named William Wood just like his father.  And, of course, this confirms that the mother was Janet Crookston.  So it adds more proof to what I've already written.

So I think the case is cracked.  You are descended from Jackie Crookston's brother.

Regards

David

[Templar75]

Hi David,

              sorry for not contacting you sooner but we have been hit with this cold bug or whatever it is, yes that looks like it is complete, we will never find Helen no matter what.

Anite has sent me loads of Certs on the Young and Wood family even the Tait family, will these be of any use to you ?.

Cheers.

Archie.