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General => The Common Room => Topic started by: ryan37 on Saturday 03 February 18 20:32 GMT (UK)

Title: any info on a woman named Helen Knox Simpson
Post by: ryan37 on Saturday 03 February 18 20:32 GMT (UK)
hi i would like to ask if anyone knows any information on a woman born around 1870s at a guess, she had the name Helen Knox Simpson , she had a daughter in 1898 named Mary eliza Querie Simpson born at Lendrum terrace, stirlinghill, peterhead. the daughter mary appears illegitimate on birth cert but later in life on her second marriage to james smith (my great grandfather) her father is listed as william simpson,  i believe the parents both had simpson as surname but never married, on the 1901 census mary e simpson is living with her grandparents william and elspet simpson, they were born around 1852/3 i think the son william which is father to mary eliza left home to work on a farm , on mary elizas wedding certificate her mother is mentioned but not a witness , making the whereabouts of helen knox simpson hard to find as after the birth of mary eliza it appears the baby was living with the fathers parents. i think i have found that the dad william simpson ended up in canada around 1905.

any info would be excellent and well appreciated


ryan cordiner
Title: Re: any info on a woman named Helen Knox Simpson
Post by: GR2 on Saturday 03 February 18 21:31 GMT (UK)
Is this the family?

All in grave B316 at Peterhead cemetery:

Jane Catto Simpson, daughter of William Simpson, quarrier, Stirling Village, died 29-8-1877 aged 3 months, buried 1-9-1877

Charles Fowlie, labourer, Boddam, died of typhus fever 19-7-1884 aged 22, buried 22-7-1884

Elsie Ann Simpson, daughter of William Simpson, labourer, 7 Lendrum Terrace, Stirlinghill, died of congestion 12-1-1897, aged 4 months 14 days, buried 13-1-1897

William Simpson, 3 Stirling Village, died of "old age" 19-8-1931 aged 77, buried 22-8-1931

Elspet Fowlie or Simpson, widow of William Simpson, 3 Stirling Village, died of "shock" 20-2-1934 aged 77, buried 22-2-1934
Title: Re: any info on a woman named Helen Knox Simpson
Post by: ryan37 on Saturday 03 February 18 21:34 GMT (UK)
yes i believe this is

the last 2 names i believe is the grandparents of mary eliza simpson


ryan
Title: Re: any info on a woman named Helen Knox Simpson
Post by: ryan37 on Saturday 03 February 18 21:58 GMT (UK)
thanks for info

im trying to see if the son of william and elspet had a daughter illegitimate mary eliza to a helen knox simpson have found a birth cert for helen simpson 1876 not sure if its the right one also trying to establish why the illegitimate baby was left with the father william's parents  willaim and elspet


are you from peterhead?


Title: Re: any info on a woman named Helen Knox Simpson
Post by: GR2 on Saturday 03 February 18 22:16 GMT (UK)
I am not a Blue Mogganer myself.

Could Helen Knox Simpson be a daughter of William Simpson and Elspet Fowlie? Things that might point to that are the child being born at Lendrum Terrace in 1898 when the burial register gives that as the Simpsons' address in 1897. An unmarried woman giving birth for the first time often, if not usually, returned to the parental home for the birth. That would mean it is the maternal grandparents who are bringing up the child (again, probably more usual than the paternal grandparents). The William Simpson given as the father might have been "made up" for the certificate (did the marriage certificate claim that the parents were married?).
Title: Re: any info on a woman named Helen Knox Simpson
Post by: ryan37 on Saturday 03 February 18 22:36 GMT (UK)
thanks that is an interesting piece of information

on the marriage cert for mary eliza

the parents are listed as = father william simpson - labourer
                                       mother helen simpson  ms simpson

there is no mention of knox as mentioned in mothers middle name on mary elizas birth

thanks
Title: Re: any info on a woman named Helen Knox Simpson
Post by: GR2 on Saturday 03 February 18 23:38 GMT (UK)
I had a look at a transcription of the 1891 census and William Simpson and Elspet Fowlie have a son, William, and a daughter, Helen, living with them. William is 6 and Helen is 8. One of these must be a parent of Mary E. Q. Simpson.

I would say that Helen is going to be the mother. At a very young age.

You should have a look to see if William and Elspet's daughter, Helen, is registered as Helen Knox Simpson. Even if "Knox" doesn't appear on the certificate, it doesn't entirely rule her out as I have seen middle names appearing later in life when, for example, the Smiths' son has been named after John MacDonald, registered as John Smith, but appears later on as John MacDonald Smith.
Title: Re: any info on a woman named Helen Knox Simpson
Post by: ryan37 on Saturday 03 February 18 23:45 GMT (UK)
Thank you that makes a lot of sense and appreciate your help where can I see that census record would I find it on ancestry ?


Thanks again
Title: Re: any info on a woman named Helen Knox Simpson
Post by: GR2 on Saturday 03 February 18 23:49 GMT (UK)
Find My Past is giving free access to censuses just now. Scottish ones appear as transcriptions. The Peterhead censuses from 1841-1871 also appear as transcriptions on FreeCEN.
Title: Re: any info on a woman named Helen Knox Simpson
Post by: ryan37 on Sunday 04 February 18 00:00 GMT (UK)
Fantastic thanks so much for all
Your help ,

Does it look like to you helen daughter of elspet had a baby Mary Eliza at young age ?

Just wonder who the
Dad could be ? And why he’s listed as William Simpson on marriage of Mary Eliza to James smith

One other thing I thought is if could find out the info on Mary’s first marriage to William
Carr I think it is who is named as her father ?

It’s an interesting one for sure



Title: Re: any info on a woman named Helen Knox Simpson
Post by: GR2 on Sunday 04 February 18 00:26 GMT (UK)
You should check out the certificate for the previous marriage to see if a father is given there. Some illegitimate folk gave the correct parents, but falsely claimed that they were married. Some made up a father. If Mary were brought up by her grandparents, her grandfather, William, would in effect have been the father figure in her life.
Title: Re: any info on a woman named Helen Knox Simpson
Post by: ryan37 on Sunday 04 February 18 00:30 GMT (UK)
Thanks very much Il try and find some more info in morning and keep u updated on here , you have been a big help so far and hope to keep working on this with you

Thanks
Title: Re: any info on a woman named Helen Knox Simpson
Post by: ryan37 on Sunday 04 February 18 18:23 GMT (UK)
Can’t seem to work out why there is a birth certificate on Scotland’s people and census record on findmypast website , can’t seem to find a death certificate for helen Simpson

She was born in 1882 her parents William Simpson and elspet Simpson m-s fowlie
Title: Re: any info on a woman named Helen Knox Simpson
Post by: GR2 on Sunday 04 February 18 20:25 GMT (UK)
There's always the possibility that she moved away from Scotland.

Did the birth certificate give her name as Helen Simpson or Helen Knox Simpson?

The birth certificate will give you the date and place of her parents' marriage. That will allow you to get a copy of their marriage certificate, which will give their parents' names, occupations, and whether or not they were alive at the time. That information would allow you to look at other free sources and take your research back another generation.
Title: Re: any info on a woman named Helen Knox Simpson
Post by: ryan37 on Sunday 04 February 18 21:36 GMT (UK)
Hi birth cert states her name being Helen Simpson , no mention of the Knox , but Knox appears twice on the birth of daughter and the death 1898 and 1961 respectively

She is listed as a domestic servant deceased in 1961
Title: Re: any info on a woman named Helen Knox Simpson
Post by: Dundee on Sunday 04 February 18 23:18 GMT (UK)
From the 1891 census the children at home with William and Elspet are Elspet, 10, Helen, 8, William, 6, Maggie, 5, Eliza, 3, and Annabella, 1.  It is easy enough to find their births indexed on SP in the Boddam registration district and Helen's sister Maggie was registered as Maggie Knox SIMPSON.  I think that Mary Eliza was probably aware of the use of the name Knox in the family and has added it to her own mother's name.  I wouldn't be concerned about it as lots of people gain and lose extra names in records, it just depends on what the informant thinks they know.

It is always a good idea to have a look at where other family members are on subsequent census records to see if they are with extended family.  In 1901 Helen's sister Elspet is in Strathdon visiting with a McDONALD family, one of whom happens to be a Helen McDONALD aged 19, born Peterhead, with her husband John and child.  (240/ 6/ 2  Strathdon Aberdeen)

Helen's marriage to John in 1900 does confirm that she is yours.

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01lhb/

Debra  :)

Title: Re: any info on a woman named Helen Knox Simpson
Post by: ryan37 on Sunday 04 February 18 23:28 GMT (UK)
Thanks so much that is fascinating that is the one we are looking for can I save that cert ?


Fantastic I’m amazed at that infomation you have given me

Regards Ryan





Title: Re: any info on a woman named Helen Knox Simpson
Post by: Dundee on Sunday 04 February 18 23:35 GMT (UK)
There is a download icon at the top right of the page.

Debra  :)
Title: Re: any info on a woman named Helen Knox Simpson
Post by: ryan37 on Sunday 04 February 18 23:43 GMT (UK)
Thank you so much


Ryan
Title: Re: any info on a woman named Helen Knox Simpson
Post by: Wendy2305 on Monday 05 February 18 08:31 GMT (UK)
posted in error
Title: Re: any info on a woman named Helen Knox Simpson
Post by: GR2 on Monday 05 February 18 09:18 GMT (UK)
As for William Simpson's wife, Elspet Fowlie. This looks like her family:

1841

At Dams, Belhelvie:

  William Fowlie, 13, ag, lab, b. Aberdeenshire

1841

At Mains of Birness, Logie Buchan:

  Jean Catto, 15, female servant, b. Aberdeenshire

1851

At Tarsets, Logie Buchan:

  Willaim Fowlie, 23, ag. lab., b.Ellon
  Jane Fowlie, 24, b. Foveran
  Alexander Fowlie, 1, b. Udny

1861

At Logiereive, Udny:

  William Fowlie, 33, ploughman, b. Ellon
  "Ann"* Fowlie, 35, ploughman's wife, b. Foveran
  Alexander Fowlie, 11, scholar, b. Udny
  William Fowlie, 7, b. Tarves
  George P. Fowlie, 6, b. Tarves
  Elspet Fowlie, 4, b. Udny
  Maty G. Fowlie, 1, b. Udny

* Ann must just be an error for Jane

1871

At Ardiffery, Cruden:

  William Fowlie, 43, ag. lab., b. Ellon
  Jane Fowlie, 45, b. Foveran
  Mary G. Fowlie, 11, scholar, b. Udny
  Charles C. Fowlie, 9, scholar, b. Udny
  Jane G. Fowlie, 7, b. Udny

1871

At South Ardiffery, Cruden:

  Elspet Fowlie, 15, domestic servant, b. Udny

1881

At Old Mill, Foveran:

  William Fowlie, 53, road labourer
  Jane Catto*, 55, road labourer's wife

* Catto is given in the transcript (which omitted the birthplaces - the originals will show them)

1891

At Newburgh, Foveran:

  William Fowlie, 63, road labourer
  Jane Catto Fowlie, 65

Title: Re: any info on a woman named Helen Knox Simpson
Post by: ryan37 on Monday 05 February 18 18:39 GMT (UK)
Thank you so much everyone