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Hi all

Merry Christmas to you all.

Last night I was reading a fiction book and it got me thinking.  I've been trying to find the birth,  marriage and death of a great great aunt.  It's a complex story (when isn't family history complex!). My x3 great grandfather (James Watt b 1822, d 1879 - cabrach) fathered my x2 great grandfather with his cousin (Ann Henry).

He later went on to have a daughter (Jessie Watt) with ?. In the 1861 census they lived in Huntly (Jessie was 7) and 1871 she was 15, again living with her father in Huntly.

I can't find her birth or death records but I have visited James grave on which she is mentioned.

The gravestone was erected by James's sister who died in 1919.

My queries are:

1. How can I find out if Jessie is actually buried there? Would a gravestone give details even if she wasn't buried there?
2. How can I find out when the inscription was placed there?

The inscription states "in loving memory of James Watt, Merchant Huntly who died at Chalmers Hospital Banff 17.03.1879 aged 55 years. Also his daughter Jessie".

Hence I'm wondering if she was buried there - Dunbennan Cemetery.

Any advice would be gratefully appreciated.

Thank you

Karen

Hi all

Thanks very much for all your help.

I've been delving deeper and think I may have cracked it!  The marriage entry for William and Philadelphia states he is a grocer.  So with the LDS record from Blue (thanks Blue) that shows Mary with parents William and Philadelphia.

Then looking at census returns:
1851 Census shows William, Philadelphia with Mary and siblings at Liverpool
1861 Census shows William and Phil at Ardwick and Mary at a separate address in Ardwick as a servant.
1864 marriage certificate for William Hodge and Mary Parker states Mary as servant

So I think it must be William and Philadelphia as parents.  I'm going to search for their death entries now but wanted to update you all and thank you for your help and guidance.

Thanks

Karen

Hi Carole

The witnesses were a James Buck and William Bradshaw and don't feature anywhere in any research so far.  It does say after Banns but I can't find a record of those either.

I guess if Mary made the father's name up I'll be stumped.

I've tried looking in directories but can't find a grocer in Southport named Wm Parker but then I guess he could be in Manchester and that could be anywhere!

Thanks

Karen