McLellan, McLelland, McClellan, McLelland, MacLellan etc. etc.

[Abiam2]

I feel this is an impossible search!  How do you search for a James Mc..........
when there are so many variations?  This name is worse than Smith in England at least there are only two versions of that name.
If there is an expert on Mc......'s out there the person I am looking for is James McClellan married in the parish of Glasserton in the county of Wigtownshire at a place called Craigdan?  His name is spelt McClelland but his daughter's birth certificate says McLellan.  I am wanting to find his birth.
Any ideas, please?
Abiam

[daval57]

On SP you can use wildcards.

M*c*lel*n* should cover most variations.

Dave

[daval57]

Just came back to have another look at this Abiam.

You haven't given any dates or details of James' wife.
Do you have him on any census records?

If James married after 1855, then the marriage will show parents names. 
His death record would also show parents names.
Do you have either of those documents?

Armed with that info, search results on SP using wildcards as I suggested, could be kept to a minimum.

IGI is pretty good at picking up on name variants too.

Please post what detail you have.

Dave

[daval57]

Mucking about with SP there is 1 possible marriage and that was to Agnes McCormack in 1868.

IGI has another few possibles but given that you say marriage was in Glasserton, I'm betting on above.
 
That record will show you James parents.

As I said, if you get that detail, it shouldn't be too hard to find his birth / baptism.

[daval57]

I'm guessing a bit here but if I've got the correct marriage, on the 1871 census he is 24 and living with wife Agnes and son in Glasserton.
It shows place of birth as Inch.

That gives a dob of c1847.

From that, 1851 census seems to show him age 5 with parents as Samuel and Grace.

IGI has James McMickan McLellan christened 5 Jan 1845 in Inch.
Parents Samuel McLellan and Grace Galloway.


I've made quite a number of assumptions here but hopefully this is your man.

That marriage document will clinch it.

Dave

[Abiam2]

Hi Dave,
I had a feeling you might reply!  Thank you.

And you are right I have the marriage cert of James McClellan and Agnes McCormack in 1868 (can't read the date) from SP.  I can see his father as Samuel McClellan and mother Grace Galloway and have now found the OPR marriage of these two.  It doesn't give the parents names!  But so little information on it and very hard to read.  They were married 7/11/1837 at Old Luce or Glenluce and Gillespie?  I think.
Her parents are William McCormack and Elizabeth McDowall.  But I cannot decipher where either the bride or groom were living.

I seem to have spent a lot on finding the wrong people and was a frightened off SP.  And Igi has loads.  Also I have never really got the hang of wild cards looks as though I must learn if I am to get any further!  And as yet I haven't touched the census but will do now.

Thank you Dave, for your help and advice.  I shall persevere.........
Cheers,
Abiam

[daval57]

OPR's usually contain a lot less info than the statutory registrations.

Try now looking for death of Samuel.  He and Grace were still having children after '55 (IGI lists 7 children) so his death is going to be on SP.  It will have Samuel's parents.

If you look for Grace's death first, which should be easier, it'll tell you whether he was still alive at her death date, helping you narrow your date range.

Filling in SP as in the image below only gives the 1 hit so that should be her.

As for the docs you can't read, why not post portions on here and we can try help make it out.

Dave

[KirstyG]

You have piqued my interest as Galloway and McDowalls in Wigtownshire appear in my tree for that period too.

I actually have a Grace Galloway born 1819 (her brother's mother-in-law was a McDowall). If you send me a copy of the entry i can see if i can decypher any more.

Kirsty

[daval57]

I'm not being as thorough as I should be, I'll leave that to you to follow through on all census records etc.
However, on 1881 census, Samuel is living with Grace and family at Broughton Cot-house No 1,  
Age is 62, ie approx dob 1822.

Using that info on SP (as in image below), gives only 2 possible results.

Hope these posts give you some ideas as to how to make use of available info when searching on SP.

I'll be interested to hear how you get on.

Dave