mary bell b.1780's

[alphalil]

would seem my gggg grandfather, james mccracken b.1803 in Dornock and working as a blacksmith was born out of wedlock! his death certificate says his mother was mary bell and his father was peter mccracken (farmer) and cert states he is the 'reputed' father. more searches revealed no record of his birth under mccracken but i think i found him listed as james bell, and his mother listed as mary bell from Eastriggs, no father listed on baptism record. I also thought that Eastrigg's developed due to WW1 and not aware that there was a village there before this...does anyone have any information about this? I cant locate a marriage record for James and his wife Janet Clark. wonder if anyone knows what 'the rules' were then ie if your parents were not married did that mean the mother could not put the father's name on the certificate. seems like james used his father's name regardless and clearly states on his death certificate that his parents were not married....feel like I have reached a dead end. went to dornock area recently and note the frequency 'bell' turns up as a surname, so not sure i will ever be able to find ancestors of james or mary now....unless someone has any ideas to help?

[csc]

there are lots of bells in that area nearly every 3rd person  do you know if the same couple had any more children  mary bell probably named the father when she baptized her child    the father might have family with somebody else  dornock eastriggs lowthertown and annan and rigg and gretna all have bell families most of them related  csc

[akc]

found your family on ancestry:
Dornock 1841 census James McCracken 35, Janet 30, Andrew 14, Jessie 13, Agnes 8, peter 6, James 3, Mary 1, and Janet Clark 65. He is a blacksmith in Dornock

akc

[akc]

Hi again, according to trees on ancestry your Mary Bell,s parents were Richard Bell and Janet Irving ( 1782 - 9/6/1860 ) and her siblings were Janet b 1786 and Agnes b 1789

[akc]

The only Peter McCracken I can find was born in Inch, Wigtown, Scotland on 5/1/1788. His father,s name was John McCrackan. That might explain why you cant find him in Dumfriesshire

[akc]

There are 2 Peter mcCrackens marriages listed in Wigtownshire both later than the birth of your James so it,s possible one of them is the father if he has been in Dumfriesshire at the time.

[Jamjar]

His wife was born in Cummertrees so they may have married there, around 1827.

Jamjar

[MonicaL]

Hi all 

I wonder if this 1851 census is relevant:

Peter McCracken 70, Farmer Of's 20 Acres Of Land, b. Cummertrees, Dumfriesshire
Jane McCracken 79, sister, b. Hoddom, Dumfriesshire

Address: Bognes, Cummertrees 

Monica