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Hi, I’m trying to pinpoint the exact location of three addresses - one Castlehill, and two Lawnmarket, and hoping someone can help.

392 Castlehill in 1851: Today the highest (even) number building on Castlehill is 356, (the Cannonball restaurant immediately before the Esplanade). Freecen shows Castlehill even numbers went up to 410 in 1851 and Blair Close was at 404. Did Castlehill buildings used to extend onto the Esplanade? Was there a major renumbering at some point?

395 Lawnmarket in 1861: would this have been where the High Court is now?

489 Lawnmarket in 1861: Today 477B is Gladstone’s Land NTS property and the building next door to is is 491. Would 489 have been what is now Gladstone’s Land? Might it have been behind Gladstone’s Land in James Court? Or has the area been renumbered?

Thank you!

Hello all,
I'm looking for some advice on Carlisle records. My 3x G Grandmother Eleanor Donaldson died in Lanarkshire, Scotland in 1887, aged 84, widow of William Ramsay. Her son James reported Eleanor's death and named her father as James Donaldson (no mother named so he can't have known his grandmother's name).

Eleanor (sometimes named as Helen) Ramsay appears on the 1841-1881 census in Lanarkshire with her husband William Ramsay and their children (William, James, Grace, John and Hugh). Her place of birth is always listed as England and her age is consistent with a birth in 1803-1804.

There's no marriage record for a William Ramsay and Eleanor Donaldson in Scotland but FamilySearch shows a marriage on 15 April 1830 at St Cuthbert, Carlisle. Is the original record available anywhere online? Might it have other details such as William's occupation or witness names? FamilySearch also has a baptism for an Eleanor Donaldson in August 1803 at St Cuthbert, Carlisle, parents James Donaldson and Ann Greenup. All my research so far has been in Scotland so I'm not familiar with English records from that period and am unsure how to confirm or disprove a link between the Eleanor Donaldson in Carlisle and my Eleanor Donaldson/Ramsay in Scotland.

Thanks for any advice.

Hello, I'm looking for suggestions on where to find more information about the 74th Foot between 1828 and 1853, and in particular about my ggg grandfather Andrew Anderson. I have his service record - he first joined up in 1828 and re-enlisted in 1835. The attestation form in 1835 gives his age as 29 and place of birth as Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. It says he's married. He was discharged as unfit in 1853. He was promoted and demoted a number of times but on discharge, he was a Sergeant and had served 25 years, 3.5 in America and the rest at home.

I've found him in the 1851 census in Edinburgh (392 Castle Hill):
Andrew Anderson, 47, Sergt 74th Regiment, born Ayrshire, Kilmarnock; Hannah, wife, 45, born Ireland; Martha, dau, 15, born Lanarkshire, Glasgow; Isabella, dau, 7, born Overseas, British, Canada; William, son, 5, born England; Robert, son, 4, born Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen; Hannah, dau, 8m, born Midlothian, Edinburgh

In 1861, 395 Lawnmarket, Edinburgh:
Andrew Anderson, 55, Army Pensioner, born Ayrshire, Monkton; Hannah, wife, 45 (same as 10 years before!), born Ireland; Isabella, dau, 18, born Canada; William, son, 15, Flesher's Appr, born England; Robert, son, 13, Flesher's Appr, born Kirkudbightshire; Hannah, dau, 10, born Edinburgh; Jane, sister, 50, born Ayrshire

Andrew died in 1864. The death certificate says he was 58, a Railway Storekeeper, married to Hannah Wilson, parents Andrew Anderson Collier and Janet Elliot, both deceased, death reported by son William.

Was it usual for wives to go overseas with their army husband? Since Isabella was born in Canada around 1843/44, I guess that was when he did his 3.5 years overseas. Does anyone know where in Canada the 74th regiment were? And what might he have been doing during the years at home?

I've not found a marriage for him and Hannah or birth records for any of the kids. I also can't find a birth record for him with the parents named on his death certificate but familysearch has a birth of Andrew Anderson in Monkton, Ayrshire in 1803 with parents Alexander Anderson and Janet Elliot. Not sure if this is him and William made a mistake with the name of his grandfather.
Thanks for any suggestions!

Hello, I'm new to RootsChat and I'm hoping that someone can suggest ways to solve an Edinburgh mystery.

Starting with what I definitely know and working backwards:
Christina Sutherland died of typhus on 30 August 1874 in the Royal Infirmary. The death certificate gives her age as 46 and occupation as a nurse at the Royal Infirmary. It has no parents named. The informant was Christina's daughter Mary. The certificate gives her as the widow of John Sutherland, Cabinetmaker. I believe this last piece of information to be untrue as there's no record that Christina was ever married, and definitely not to a John Sutherland. Where might she be buried?

Christina's daughter Mary married on 31 Dec 1872. Mary's name is given as Mary Sutherland Sword and her parents are listed as James Sword, Cabinetmaker and Christina Sword, MS Sutherland. Mary was 18 and living at 14 Advocates Close. She married William Anderson.

On the 1871 census for 14 Advocates Close, Mary Sword age 16 is the lodger of Margaret Carnie, Mary is listed as born Edinburgh, Tron. Christina Sutherland is on the census at the Royal Infirmary, married, age 40, Day Nurse, born Edinburgh.

On the 1861 census for 489 Lawnmarket, Christina Sutherland, head, married, age 33, shirtmaker, born Edinburgh Tolbooth and Mary Sutherland, dau, 6, scholar, born Edinburgh Tolbooth

And now I'm stuck. I can't find any birth/baptism record for Mary (either using Sutherland or Sword) who would have been born around 1854. There is no record of a Christina Sutherland marrying either James Sword or John Sutherland. I've looked at the 1851 and 1841 census to see if I can identify Christina but there are 5-6 people of that name and of similar ages to her. In 1851 there's a Christina Sutherland who is the lodger of a James and Margaret Carnie living in 2 Advocates Close which seems a good possibility given where Mary was a lodger in 1871.

I'd love to know if anyone has suggestions for how find out about Christina's early life. And what was life like for women with an illegitimate child in the Old Town at that time?
Thanks very much!