Gordon Arthur 1799 - 1845 Peterhead, Aberdeenshire

[Nettie]

Although I have visited the beautiful land of Scotland myself, this is my first voyage into Scottish records and I have a few questions to ask.

In a tree I am doing for a friend, I found the name Gordon repeating down the generations, often as a middle name and thought it was possibly a mother's maiden name. I was half right,  it was a mother's first name. Gordon Arthur is a woman.

How common is Gordon as a female name?

I have found Gordon as marrying Alexander Shewan (1792-1834) in 1819 in Peterhead and a probable second marriage to William Robertson in 1836.

I have found reference to her on her son, Andrew Shewan's, memorial inscription listed a DoD as 20 January, 1845 and she is still named as Gordon Arthur.

Is it the Scottish tradition for women to be known by their maiden name for life and not take their husband's name?

Do you have any quick tips for a novice in which records / sites would be best?

Thanking you in advance.

[J11]

Scotlands People have 882 female Gordons born up until 1854 and 9524 from 1855 to the present date.  You also find female Johns, Williams, etc.

[loobylooayr]

Hi Nettie,
To my knowledge Gordon was not a popular girl's name but it was certainly used .
According to Freecen- www.freecen.org  there were 61 women in Scotland on the 1841 Census with a first name beginning Gord**** . There are Gordan/Gorden/Gordina/ Gordons  and one Gordonata.
I would think they were named for a relative either a male Gordon or perhaps a grandmother with maiden name Gordon.
Sometimes male names were adapted for females - Jacobina/ James, Roberta/Roberta, Davidina/Davina/David etc.
I thought I would find your Gordon Arthur/Shewan/Robertson on the 1841 but can't see her 

Regarding the use of maiden name - married women were not obliged to change their name to their husbands in Scotland. Some women kept their maiden name always. Some reverted to their maiden name on widowhood.

Have you used Scotlands People www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk  - that is where you can view records online. There is a small charge for credits.

Looby

[Nettie]

Thanks, J11 and Looby, much appreciated.

[buckhyne]

I have a William Lawrie and his wife Stuart Henderson McDonald married in 1919, Perthshire which is a wee bit unusual.

[Nettie]

Definitely unusual. I guess this reinforces the 'do not assume anything' motto we doing family history should be living by.

[Forfarian]

Scotlands People have 882 female Gordons born up until 1854 and 9524 from 1855 to the present date.  You also find female Johns, Williams, etc.

Bear in mind that when the SP web site counts given names, it includes middle names. So some (probably most) of the 10,136 females with given name Gordon will have it as a middle name.

Several names that are now generally regarded as male names were occasionally given to girls - Gordon, Douglas(s), Cameron, Kerr and Nicholas spring to mind, but I'm sure there are others. However most of them were in the 18th century or earlier. They became very rare as first names by the 19th century.

[buckhyne]

I have a William Lawrie and his wife Stuart Henderson McDonald married in 1919, Perthshire which is a wee bit unusual.

Definitely unusual. I guess this reinforces the 'do not assume anything' motto we doing family history should be living by.

That’s very true.
When I first saw the name in SP I thought surely some mistake.
1911 census: Perthshire
1911   MCDONALD   STUART   F   10   KINCARDINE (PERTH)   /PERTH

1919 marriage: Perthshire
1919   LAWRIE   WILLIAM   MCDONALD   STUART H S KINCARDINE (PERTH)   /PERTH

Also that is a good point by Forfarian.
Most of the names in SP will be middle names.

[hurworth]

We have an Andrew ARTHUR, tailor in Peterhead in our tree in that era who had a daughter called Margaret who was born approx 1800 (based on the census).   I wonder whether this could be the same family?