Author Topic: Peter RAE / Janet BRAIDWOOD et al  (Read 18469 times)

Offline hilarybelton

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Re: Peter RAE / Janet BRAIDWOOD et al
« Reply #27 on: Saturday 25 November 17 10:27 GMT (UK) »
Hi,

I'm actually descended from John Braidwood 1817, son of John Braidwood and Jean Millar, who lived in Liverpool, UK - there was a lot of confusion in the early days before it was possible for me to get the certificates that I needed, but I'll PM you, and I'll update this post for the benefit of other researchers later.

Hilary
HARTIGAN, JOYNT, MULLAUGH, PIXTON, RENSHAW, DOOLEY, MEIR, HARRISON, LONGDON, MCNALLY, KENNY, KEATING, BELTON, CUMPSTON, WILLIAMS, PRICE, DODD, WILLIAMS, MOTTERSHEAD, WIGLEY, SALTHOUSE, BRADLEY, WALTERS, BRAIDWOOD, INGLES, MILLER, HESKETH, RALSTON, COLEMAN, ELLERY, WARBURTON

Offline Forfarian

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Re: Peter RAE / Janet BRAIDWOOD et al
« Reply #28 on: Saturday 25 November 17 10:34 GMT (UK) »
I have emailed Carnwath district library to see if they have any old parish registers for a marriage between John and Jean, but if you haven't found anything, it may suggest the document doesn't exist.
All the surviving registers of the Church of Scotland were collected in 1855 by the Registrar General for Scotland, and they form the basis of the Scotland's People database. Other churches' registers are either still with the respective churches or in the National Records of Scotland or a few in local archives. The Roman Catholic ones and many of the Secession (Free) Churches' registers are available through Scotland's People. There is a published list of the extant Secession Churches' registers, but it contains no listings of pre-1855 registers from Carnwath.

Interesting to see "Bothea"s surname is TOWERS (ie her maiden name) and not husband William's surname of RAE.   I have heard of Scots unofficially 'marrying' using the handfasting ceremony...so I wonder if this couple did that. No parish records show a marriage for William RAE and Bethia TOWERS.
Is 'Bothea' from a transcription, or is it your own reading of the original? In older documents 'e' and 'o' can look very similar. I wouldn't read anything into it.

As for her surname, it's not unusual for married women, and quite common for widows, to be listed in the census and other documents by their maiden surnames. In Scotland, a married woman does not legally lose her own surname, and in legal documents she is usually named as xxx yyy or zzz, where xxx is her given names(s), yyy is her maiden name and zzz is her husband's surname. This is why you usually get a mother's maiden surname in Scottish baptism records (if the mother is named at all!).

Here's an extract from the Rothes parish register: "1748, September 11th. William lawful son to Alexander Leslie of Balnageith in Burncrooks and Mrs Anne Duff his spouse was baptized" , and here's another, this one from Brechin: "1834, 26th June. James Hay merchant in Arbroath and Margaret Sang, widow, residing in Timber Market in this parish were contracted in order to marriage and having been regularly proclaimed were married the 30th June". Margaret died in 1870, and her death certificate confirms that Sang was her maiden surname and she was married twice, first to Andrew Watt and second to James Hay. 

If the baptisms of the children of William Rae and Bethia Towers say they were 'lawful' (or some contraction of 'lawful') that means that the parish clerk was satisfied that they were born in wedlock. As long as they don't say 'natural child' or 'begotten in fornication' or something of the sort it is reasonable to suppose that the clerk believed that the parents were legally married.

As for handfasting, if a couple publicly promised to marry one another and then produced a child, that was enough to constitute a legally valid marriage, even if the Kirk frowned upon such marriages. See https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/socialpolitical/research/economicsocialhistory/historymedicine/scottishwayofbirthanddeath/marriage/
Never trust anything you find online (especially submitted trees and transcriptions on Ancestry, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and other commercial web sites) unless it's an image of an original document - and even then be wary because errors can and do occur.

Offline hilarybelton

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Re: Peter RAE / Janet BRAIDWOOD et al
« Reply #29 on: Saturday 25 November 17 11:10 GMT (UK) »
Thank you for the explanation of the old registers, that's very helpful. As to the maiden names, marriages, et al, of course I agree with you on all that, and I like the examples that you have quoted. I think the Scottish ways regarding mother's maiden name were much better! Also, at certain times, they kept brilliant records with a degree of detail that is never (or rarely) seen elsewhere :)
HARTIGAN, JOYNT, MULLAUGH, PIXTON, RENSHAW, DOOLEY, MEIR, HARRISON, LONGDON, MCNALLY, KENNY, KEATING, BELTON, CUMPSTON, WILLIAMS, PRICE, DODD, WILLIAMS, MOTTERSHEAD, WIGLEY, SALTHOUSE, BRADLEY, WALTERS, BRAIDWOOD, INGLES, MILLER, HESKETH, RALSTON, COLEMAN, ELLERY, WARBURTON

Offline Trixie10

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Re: Peter RAE / Janet BRAIDWOOD et al
« Reply #30 on: Thursday 01 September 22 07:51 BST (UK) »
I am the daughter of Isabel Rae whose brother was Peter Rae, father was James Braidwood Rae. Isabel married and had two daughters, she lived in NJ and in the late 80s moved to Florida.  My grandfather, James Braidwood Rae, lived in Surf City NJ.


Not sure if anyone is still using this site, but I've been trying to uncover my boyfriend's mysterious family tree, and this thread seems like a really good lead. My boyfriend's grandfather is Peter Rae, who was born in Clydesbank, Scotland in 1926. He had a sister named Isabel Rae that was born in New Jersey, USA in 1924. There is some weird family history and I'd love it to get it sorted for my boyfriend and his dad. They are completely out of touch since the death of Peter.

Here's what I've found:
1923: Peter and Isabel's father, James Braidwood Rae (born , came to the US with his wife Mary. According to immigration records, their "closest relative" was Peter Rae, James' father, who lived at "Church Street, Stenhousemuir, Larbert". Kearny, New Jersey was their destination.
1924: Isabel Rae is born May 19th in New Jersey, USA.
1926: Peter Rae is born May 28th in Clydesbank, Scotland. In October, Mary, 33, returns to the US with Mary Isabel Kerr Rae, 2, and Peter, 4 months. I've only found records for their return. Not sure if James ever made the trip to Scotland.
1928: James and Mary listed as residing in Kearny, NJ.
1930: Census records James as widowed, living with Isabel, 5, Peter, 3 1/2, and sister-in-law, Jean Dewar, 41, also from Scotland (naturalized in 1925). Presumably, Mary's maiden name was Dewar.
1934: Isabel, 10, and Peter, 8, return from Scotland with their aunt Elizabeth Dewar, 43. Elizabeth and Isabel's most recent residences are listed as separate towns in NJ, but Peter's is listed as East Killbride, Scotland.
1940: James, 48, Isabel, 15, and Peter, 13 still living in NJ. James is now remarried to Elizabeth, 48, who is maybe Mary's other sister?

Peter Rae passed away in 1975. Apparently, he continued to live in NJ until his passing, and it's possible that Isabel did as well (she may have also had a daughter named Isabel). No clue what happened to James Braidwood Rae or Elizabeth.

Peter's son and grandson are looking to get in touch with their Scottish roots and possibly reconnect with family.

Appreciate any input/advice!


Offline sarah

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Re: Peter RAE / Janet BRAIDWOOD et al
« Reply #31 on: Thursday 01 September 22 19:56 BST (UK) »
Hi Trixie, you are looking for the reply button which you will find at the end of the topic, here you have clicked on the quote button ;)

Regards

Sarah
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Offline hilarybelton

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Re: Peter RAE / Janet BRAIDWOOD et al
« Reply #32 on: Thursday 01 September 22 20:29 BST (UK) »
Just in case Trixie is trying to continue the conversation, I'm still receiving messages on this thread!
HARTIGAN, JOYNT, MULLAUGH, PIXTON, RENSHAW, DOOLEY, MEIR, HARRISON, LONGDON, MCNALLY, KENNY, KEATING, BELTON, CUMPSTON, WILLIAMS, PRICE, DODD, WILLIAMS, MOTTERSHEAD, WIGLEY, SALTHOUSE, BRADLEY, WALTERS, BRAIDWOOD, INGLES, MILLER, HESKETH, RALSTON, COLEMAN, ELLERY, WARBURTON

Offline Timetraveller77

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Re: Peter RAE / Janet BRAIDWOOD et al
« Reply #33 on: Thursday 01 September 22 23:35 BST (UK) »
Hi Trixie (and others following this thread),
I am the original Rootschatter who posted about this family, so I am delighted to hear from another "cousin".
I will P.M you :)
But yes, it would appear you're one of our relatives. Regards, J J
Scotland: Lanark and Stirling: BARRON, LOW, RAE, BRAIDWOOD,  MILLER  
                Isle of Bute: CURRIE, BARR, SIMPSON, CRAWFORD
England: London (Hoxton/St Luke): BOOTH, FRANKLIN
               Essex: WAINWRIGHT
               Bedfordshire: DENNIS, BRAYBROOK, PEACOCK
               Sussex: TULLY, SAYERS (Surrey also)
Ireland:  (unknown region) TULLY/TULLEMORE (poss)
               Antrim: AGNEW, MONTGOMERY

Offline clearyce

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Re: Peter RAE / Janet BRAIDWOOD et al
« Reply #34 on: Friday 02 September 22 00:25 BST (UK) »
WHATTTTTTTT! That's insane! haha. My ex-bf/new husband's (:P) dad has memories of your family get togethers in Surf City! He'd love to get in touch!

Colleen

I am the daughter of Isabel Rae whose brother was Peter Rae, father was James Braidwood Rae. Isabel married and had two daughters, she lived in NJ and in the late 80s moved to Florida.  My grandfather, James Braidwood Rae, lived in Surf City NJ.


Not sure if anyone is still using this site, but I've been trying to uncover my boyfriend's mysterious family tree, and this thread seems like a really good lead. My boyfriend's grandfather is Peter Rae, who was born in Clydesbank, Scotland in 1926. He had a sister named Isabel Rae that was born in New Jersey, USA in 1924. There is some weird family history and I'd love it to get it sorted for my boyfriend and his dad. They are completely out of touch since the death of Peter.

Here's what I've found:
1923: Peter and Isabel's father, James Braidwood Rae (born , came to the US with his wife Mary. According to immigration records, their "closest relative" was Peter Rae, James' father, who lived at "Church Street, Stenhousemuir, Larbert". Kearny, New Jersey was their destination.
1924: Isabel Rae is born May 19th in New Jersey, USA.
1926: Peter Rae is born May 28th in Clydesbank, Scotland. In October, Mary, 33, returns to the US with Mary Isabel Kerr Rae, 2, and Peter, 4 months. I've only found records for their return. Not sure if James ever made the trip to Scotland.
1928: James and Mary listed as residing in Kearny, NJ.
1930: Census records James as widowed, living with Isabel, 5, Peter, 3 1/2, and sister-in-law, Jean Dewar, 41, also from Scotland (naturalized in 1925). Presumably, Mary's maiden name was Dewar.
1934: Isabel, 10, and Peter, 8, return from Scotland with their aunt Elizabeth Dewar, 43. Elizabeth and Isabel's most recent residences are listed as separate towns in NJ, but Peter's is listed as East Killbride, Scotland.
1940: James, 48, Isabel, 15, and Peter, 13 still living in NJ. James is now remarried to Elizabeth, 48, who is maybe Mary's other sister?

Peter Rae passed away in 1975. Apparently, he continued to live in NJ until his passing, and it's possible that Isabel did as well (she may have also had a daughter named Isabel). No clue what happened to James Braidwood Rae or Elizabeth.

Peter's son and grandson are looking to get in touch with their Scottish roots and possibly reconnect with family.

Appreciate any input/advice!