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Thanks for the information Elwyn.

Do you know whether there are publicly available records for the Procurator Fiscal ?

I've been checking 1918 and 1919 in all of my searches.

Steve

Thanks for your input Annie.

I'll check those records to see whether there is anything to glean.

I guess that nothing is impossible, although the two newspaper reports I've seen on-line clearly indicate he was identified, quoting his name, age and address.

Steve

A slightly grisly query for the group.

I've been trying to trace the death of my great great grandfather William Walker of Annan, but have been hampered up to now by a common name.

However, thanks to the British Newspaper Archive, I've just come across a report in the Dumfries and Galloway Saturday Standard of 2nd Nov 1918, which states that "William Walker who had not been heard of since the Rood Fair at Dumfries, was found in the Solway last week in a decomposed condition".

The age (63) and address quoted matches to my relative.

However when looking on Scotland's People I can't find the registration of a death at this time. I've also checked England & Wales deaths, and the Northern Ireland index but can't find anything that matches.

Can anyone advise why this might be, and more generally how were unusual deaths dealt with at the time in Scotland ?

Also are there any other local newspapers which might provide more details that could be searched on-line. I can't find any others on the BNA.

Thanks

I wonder whether I'm making some headway with trying to trace the birth of Elizabeth Walker M.S. Henderson. However if I'm on the right line, it's throwing up more queries!

I've found an Elspeth Henderson born in 1856 in Ruthwell, showing on SP - so right place and right time frame
Her birth record shows an illegitimate birth on 2 Feb 1856 with the parents being named as Jessie Henderson and James Campbell (Ag Lab) - looks like in Clarencefield.
I understand that Jessie can be a pet name for Jane, Janet and Jean - so a possible connection to Jeanie (Jeanie Davidson m.s. Henderson, given as parent's name on Elizabeth Walker's death certificate)

Elspeth is shown on the 1861 census (age 5) in Cummertrees with her mother Jessy and presumed half sister Janet Little (age 3). There is an entry on Family search for the birth of Janet Christina Henderson with mother Jessie Henderson in Cummertrees on 15 Oct 1857 - so presumably this is Janet Little.

On the 1871 census there is an Elizabeth Campbell (age 15) as a servant in the Johnston household at a farm house in Brydekirk.

I can't find Elspeth/Elizabeth Henderson/Campbell after 1871, and this would fit with her now being Elizabeth Walker on the 1881 census.

The mother of Elspeth/Elizabeth, Jessie Henderson appears on the 1881 census in Murray Street, Annan with her daughter Janet Henderson, son John Henderson, and grandchildren from Janet of Jessie and John J.

There is a similar entry in 1891 (Rose Street, Annan) with the addition of James and William (presumed further grandchildren)

In 1901 (Rose Street again) the daughter Janet is recorded as being the head of the household (although she is entered as Jane on the transcription). There is the addition of an Agnes aged 5 - unknown as to whether a daughter of Janet or the younger Jessie.

I understand Murray Street and Rose Street are both adjacent to Butts Street where Elizabeth Walker and her family resided.

There is a record on SP for the death of an illegitimate Jessie Henderson in 1907 (age 72). Strangely it appears to show her father as a James Davidson! Ironic as Elizabeth Walker's death record shows her parents as Andrew Davidson and Jeanie Davidson m.s. Henderson (working assumption Jessie Henderson)

My difficulty currently is trying to link Jessie/Jeanie Henderson to Andrew Davidson, to validate all of the above.

I've found an Andrew Davidson in Annan born about 1822, but he was married to a Mary Davidson going back to at least 1861, and he pre-deceased his wife. Their son also Andrew was born about 1859 in Annan and was married in 1883 to a Margaret Rule.

So neither of these Andrew Davidson's help the mystery of the parents names given by Elizabeth Walker's son on her death record.

I was wondering whether anyone had any further thoughts on other sources I could investigate, or whether I should ignore the Davidson name and accept the other evidence as validating my great great grandmother as being Elspeth/Elizabeth Henderson/Campbell ?

Regards

Steve

Thanks.

It's a shame that the notes say that the child is not normally named.