Author Topic: Peeblesshire Paternity cases 1837-1854 now online!  (Read 4656 times)

Offline ScottishAncestry

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Peeblesshire Paternity cases 1837-1854 now online!
« on: Saturday 23 November 13 18:18 GMT (UK) »
You may have seen me mention on the Dumfriesshire and Roxburghshire boards that we have begun a project to index the 'paternity' cases found in the (civil) Sheriff Court books of extracted decrees for the South of Scotland.

I am pleased to say the index to the first volume for Peeblesshire is now online 1837-1854.

A lot of civil court material is not particularly useful genealogically, but the cases where the mother of an illegitimate child takes the child's father to court for aliment, or maintenance, of the child are fantastic; so that is what we are indexing.

Not only can this record help you unlock a family mystery it can also help you learn more about your ancestor's, perhaps uncovering a family member you knew nothing about!

This is a new resource for most people so we have created a guide to help explain what we're doing.

Search the paternity collection: http://maxwellancestry.co.uk/ancestry/resources/courtsearch.aspx

Read the online guide: http://maxwellancestry.co.uk/ancestry/resources/helpcourt.aspx

Offline Midlad

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Re: Peeblesshire Paternity cases 1837-1854 now online!
« Reply #1 on: Saturday 23 November 13 19:46 GMT (UK) »

Hi,
   I am hoping to go to Edinburgh early in the new year where can I access these Peebleshire

Paternity cases there?

Thanks

Midlad

Offline ScottishAncestry

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Re: Peeblesshire Paternity cases 1837-1854 now online!
« Reply #2 on: Sunday 24 November 13 14:11 GMT (UK) »
The original books are held by the National Records of Scotland (NRS) but as they are stored in another building they need to be ordered into the search room a few days in advance. Have you done this before?

The volume for Peebles, which is on our website, has the reference SC42/9/10.

When you search our database you will see a list of results, here is an example:
Pursuer's Name, Occupation and Residence: Defender's Name, Occupation and Residence: Child Born,   Case Year,   Court
   
Margaret Affleck, The Pike, Parish of Lasswade, Midlothian: James Linton, Farm Servant, West Loch, Peeblesshire: 1841, 1842, Peebles Full Record [Note] Female twins, one died 25 October 1841

When you click 'Full Record' you will be given the NRS reference and page number in the book (SC42/9/10). So for the above example you will see:

Margaret Affleck, The Pike, Parish of Lasswade, Midlothian   1842   SC42/9/10 p140

So you can order the book 'SC42/9/10' and when you get the book the entry will be on page 140.

Of course these books exist for Sheriff Courts throughout Scotland and most do not have an index. After 1855 a note should have been made on the birth certificate, this will give you the date of decree. You can then use the NRS catalogue to find the correct volume and search it yourself. It might take a little longer but still possible if you are in Edinburgh.

Searching before 1855 can be more difficult, you would need to start your search around the time the child was born and continue for a few a few years after the birth or until you find the entry.

Once you have the entry in these books you can then go on to find the processes, that is the paperwork of the court case. These can be fantastically interesting as they often include witness testimonies!

I'll be writing a piece about processes on my blog soon.

If you need help finding the right book for a specific case just let me know the details and I'll point you in the right direction. The NRS catalogue is good but can take a while to get used to.

Hope this helps,

Emma

Offline Midlad

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Re: Peeblesshire Paternity cases 1837-1854 now online!
« Reply #3 on: Tuesday 26 November 13 19:21 GMT (UK) »
Thank you so much for the advice unfortunately I won't be able to get to Edinburgh until early in the New Year but now I know how to access them.

It is Brodies in Peebleshire I am researching and I found three through your link so looking forward

to seeing the files in Edinburgh.

Midlad