Hi Moerangi
On the IGI, extracted birth is :
James McPHERSON b 29 Jul 1829, Greenock - parents John McPHERSON & Jean DRUMMOND
http://www.familysearch.org/eng/search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=igi/search_IGI.asp&clear_form=trueAlso on IGI, all extracted: - To those same named parents are:
Isabella McPHERSON, b 3 Jun 1831, Greenock
Christian McPHERSON b 14 Oct 1834 Barony Glasgow
Elizabeth McPHERSON b 1 Nov 1836, Barony Glasgow
Malcolm McPHERSON b 18 Mar 1839 Barony Glasgow
(the mother is "Jane" for the Glasgow birth; Jane/Jean interchangeable in Scottish names)
The following census, for this family:
1841: Melville St, Perth, PerthshireJohn MacPHERSON 40, Exciseman, -N
Jane MacPHERSON 35 - Y
James MacPHERSON 11 - N
John MacPHERSON 8 - N
Christian MacPHERSON 6 - N
Elizabeth MacPHERSON 4 - N
Malcolm MacPHERSON 2 - N
Jessie McNAUGHTON 20, F.S. - N
1851 : 12 Salisbury Street, Laurieston, Gorbals, LanarkshireHead: Jane McPHERSON 48, widow, Annuitant, b Crieff, Perthshire
Son: Jas McPHERSON 21, unm, Merchants Clerk, b Greenock Renfrewshire
Dau: Christian McPHERSON 16, b Glasgow, Lanarkshire
Son: Malcolm McPHERSON 12, Scholar, b Glasgow, Lanarkshire
Son: Thos McPHERSON 8, Scholar, b Perth, Perthshire
The 1851 can be found on FreeCEN:
http://www.freecen.org.uk/cgi/search.plSome of the children on the Census, I haven't found an IGI birth entry for. Not all parish records (up to circa 1873) have made it onto the IGI, for various reasons. Some scottish counties have better coverage than others - Lanarkshire is pretty good, but I think Perthshire less so.
If your John had already joined the Army by 1851, that explains his absence above. I do think this is your McPHERSONs - James may have adopted the use of middle name "Drummond" - his mother's maiden name - even though he was not baptised as such. Have often see this type of 'adoption' in people who have immigrated away (particulary but not only, in the Americas).
Scotlands People index in their wills section:
http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/Jane MacPHERSON or DRUMMONOD (sic), Helensburgh, widow of John MacPHERSON, Perth
Died 28 Aug 1877 at Helensburgh (Bumbartonshire), Intestate - Admin 30 Oct 1877.
There are at least 3 John Mc/Mac PHERSON in the wills section which might be her late husband - but nothing to as yet positively identify. Two of them were boat captains/masters - I imagine an Exciseman might own a boat ?
Not sure if that's a valid imagination or not
Cheers
AMBLY