Author Topic: Alternative name for 'Alexander' Williams 1869 Banff  (Read 9893 times)

Offline GR2

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Re: Alternative name for 'Alexander' Williams 1869 Banff
« Reply #9 on: Friday 15 March 13 07:50 GMT (UK) »
There is always the possibility that he was illegitimate and registered under his mother's name. Have you found him in the 1871 or 1881 census? His parents might have subsequently married. Even if they did not, it is quite common for illegitimate people to state their real parents' names and say the were married, especially when they were themselves married away from their birth area and nobody could challenge the fact.

Offline Forfarian

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Re: Alternative name for 'Alexander' Williams 1869 Banff
« Reply #10 on: Friday 15 March 13 17:41 GMT (UK) »
When he died in 1945 he was 76 years, therefore, I assume he was born in 1869.

Not so. He died in the first quarter of the year, therefore no later than March. If his birthday was in April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November or December he would not have had his birthday in 1913, so the likelihood is that he would have been 77 by the end of 1913, or in other words (assuming that his age is accurate) he is more likely to have been born in 1868 than in 1869.

What age is on his marriage certificate?

Also, if the census just says 'Banff, Scotland' it could mean the county of Banff, in which case you are looking for an Alexander Williams or McWilliam or even Williamson born anywhere in the county, not just in the burgh or parish of Banff.

Sandy and Alec or Alex are common abbreviations for Alexander. Less common are Eck, Al, Sandor, Zander, Ally, etc etc but I'd be very surprised to see any of those on a mid-19th century birth certificate.
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 CaroleW

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Offline littleliz02

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Re: Alternative name for 'Alexander' Williams 1869 Banff
« Reply #12 on: Friday 15 March 13 20:31 GMT (UK) »
Hi Forfarian, thank you for the reply.

Alexander was 44 years on his marriage certificate - he married on 17th may 1913. Therefore, would you say i was best searching in 1868 for his birth?
It looks like I will have to search all the boys born is the county of Banff in 1868 with the name Alec, Alexander Sandy and then Williams, McWilliam, Williamson.  Oh my goodness that will keep me busy.

In reply to GR2, unfortunately I am unable to locate him on the 1871 and 1881 census.


Offline Forfarian

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Re: Alternative name for 'Alexander' Williams 1869 Banff
« Reply #13 on: Friday 15 March 13 23:58 GMT (UK) »
Alexander was 44 years on his marriage certificate - he married on 17th may 1913. Therefore, would you say i was best searching in 1868 for his birth?

That's excellent because the age at marriage and the age at death are consistent with one another.

You need to search both 1868 and 1869.

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 littleliz02

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Re: Alternative name for 'Alexander' Williams 1869 Banff
« Reply #14 on: Saturday 16 March 13 21:02 GMT (UK) »
Just to give an update, I have searched for Alexander Williams born in Banff 1868 and other variations and have started to explore the birth below which i found on Scotlands People births in the parish of Boham:

Alexander McWilliam (Illegitimate)
16/04/1868 (keith)
Mother Espet McWilliams (Domestic Servant)
Domicil Maggieknockater, Boham

Further exploration is that Alexander is listed on 1871 census in Maggieknockater:
Elizabeth McWilliam (Head)
James McWilliam (Son)
Elpet McWilliam (daughter)
Alexander Grant (granson)

He is listed as Alexander Grant on 1881 census and then I cant locate after this. 
I am hoping that after 1881 he moves to Durham and is then changes his name to Alexander Williams (a long shot but I have tried all other avenues i can think of)

Could anyone explain why even though Alexander surname at birth is recorded as McWilliam, this is changed on the cenus, would it have something to do with him being illegitimate?

Offline Forfarian

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Re: Alternative name for 'Alexander' Williams 1869 Banff
« Reply #15 on: Saturday 16 March 13 22:12 GMT (UK) »
He is listed as Alexander Grant on 1881 census and then I cant locate after this. 
Could anyone explain why even though Alexander surname at birth is recorded as McWilliam, this is changed on the cenus, would it have something to do with him being illegitimate?

Yes, very much so.

An illegitimate child can only be registered with its father's name if the father accompanies the mother when she goes to register the birth, and signs the birth certificate alongside her. So it can be the case that the entire parish knows who the father is, but if he refuses, or isn't available, to sign, the child is registered under only its mother's surname. The child is often known, nevertheless, by its father's surname.

As it is Boharm, there is little chance that Elspet's pregnancy evaded the attention of the Kirk Session, in which case their minutes may contain some information about her case. The Boharm KS minutes are in the National Archives Records of Scotland in Edinburgh, and they can be consulted in the form of digital images either there or in a few other archives elsewhere in Scotland, including Aberdeen and Inverness. If you are unable to go to any of these you will need to find someone willing to look them up and transcribe them on your behalf.





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 littleliz02

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Re: Alternative name for 'Alexander' Williams 1869 Banff
« Reply #16 on: Saturday 16 March 13 22:37 GMT (UK) »
Thanks Forfarian, fountain of all knowledge. I am very grateful.

Offline angusg

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Re: Alternative name for 'Alexander' Williams 1869 Banff
« Reply #17 on: Thursday 19 February 15 02:01 GMT (UK) »
In the Mearns and Angus another alternate for Alexander was Sy.  Not sure if that is the official spelling

Watt, Beattie,Glass,McDougal, Guthrie,Blackie,Pringle,Balmer,Headridge,Hunter,France,Greenhill
Gordon,Lawson,Anderson,Reid,Stott,Milne,Jackson,Walker McArthur,Hardie.Dunnet,Dundas
Thorburn, Mosley, Stewart, Wood, Gladstone, Darrie,Melrose
Duff,and in the States/Canada: Kidder,Duff, Blake,Robertson,Kerr.