Found drowned mystery

[tidybooks]

Hi Aberdein,

 I am thinking that this drowning may never have happened, and she disappeared for other reasons. I have noticed a death on SP for an Agnes Downie other name Reid in Kirkintilloch in 1883. If you check this out maybe get an idea if that is a possibility.

Tom

[aberdein]

That`s a real possibility Tom. I hadn`t considered this. I`ll have a look later. (Shopping day today )
aberdein

[MonicaL]

Tom, I have just been re-reading the old post (that was a hunt and a half!). Have to say I agree with you that maybe Agnes didn't drown in 1876 at all. Given SP have carried out searches and many of us here also, looking at numerous certificates on line along the way, there certainly doesn't look to have a death as described in 1876 or a couple of years either side.

I wonder what checks were made by the parish on application for poor relief. If like in this case, someone stated a death which contributed to the plight of someone making an application for relief, was this checked out by the Parish council? I don't know the answer to this.

Monica

[tidybooks]

Hi Monica,

I read the last hunt also, I think you asked Damonii to check for news articles in the Scotsman and Gale Publishing and nothing came back, which made me suspicious. I think maybe when making Poor Releif applications, maybe some untruths were told to "butter" up their claim. I have certificates of family who have drowned and no bodies found with RCE's attached, it does not sit right with me.

I am not sure what checking would be done by those administering the releif, but I can imagine it was a busy job in those days.

Tom

[aberdein]

I have just obtained a marriage certificate for Mary Reid who was the elder of Agnes` two daughters. She was married in 1887 and on the certificate she states that her mother was Agnes Reid MS Downes
This finally lays to rest the fact that she was called Cleland. It doesn`t say that Agnes is deceased which I would have expected if she had died earlier.
aberdein

[gerryfarrell]

I remembered this one well because it was so interesting to research. I have to agree that its more than possible that the drowning was a myth either to help the application get accepted or what the daughters were told had happened to the mother.

I had a relation who was killed by a tram in the Gallowgate round about the same time and have found snippets in various newspapers and the death cert & RCE for this so you would have thought a woman being pulled from the river would have also been reported.
Might call for another visit to the Mitchel to have a look at the papers.

[aberdein]

Now that I have printed Mary`s marriage certificate off I see that there are two marriages per page and on the other marriage the grooms father is shown as deceased, whereas Mary hasn`t stated that her mother was deceased. I am now firmly of the opinion that there was a conspiracy between Robert Smillie and Agnes in order to deceive the relief administraters. I wonder if Mrs Tainsh was in on it as well. Any help would be very welcome Gerry.
aberdein

[paulsplace2009]

Hi everyone

I have just been reading this full thread

How interesting....its like solving a crime!!

You should call yourselves roots detectors!!

Well done everyone!!

Paul