Thomas Sunter/Clementina Glasgow/Brechin Scotland 1848

[Forfarian]

The birth certificate of one of Thomas' Scottish-born children by Elizabeth Paterson would tell you when and where Thomas and Elizabeth were married.

I did not find Thomas Sunter in the England and Wales census, or indeed any Sunter born in Scotland. (There were three indexed on the site I use but on viewing the originals, two should have been transcribed as Sinton and the third as Linton, so Thomas and family could be hiding under goodness knows what creative spelling of the surname. Maybe someone with access to a different transcription might have more success.)

I found no marriage of Thomas Sunter to a Paterson in England and Wales but again there could be a transcription issue.

Re Glasgow/Kilconquhar. It isn't impossible for Thomas to have been born in Glasgow and baptised in Kilconquhar. Or even for Elizabeth's parents to have presented Thomas for baptism as their son, to spare the family the stigma of illegitimacy. Have you looked at the original of the baptism?

I note that although the eldest child of William S and Elizabeth Peebles listed in the IGI was Andrew, born in 1827, William and Elizabeth were married in 1820, so there is a gap of six full years between the marriage and the first recorded baptism. The 1841 census lists Margaret and David, both 15, after Elizabeth and before Andrew. There are also two 20-year-old Elizabeth Sunters in the 1841 census in Fife. Maybe one of them is a missing Elizabeth, daughter of William and Elizabeth and mother of Thomas? Or could Thomas' mother have been Margaret, and he got confused and gave his grandmother's name by mistake, having grown up believing that Elizabeth Peebles was his mother?

[Red herring. An Elizabeth Sunter, daughter of William Sunter, married James Marshall in North Leith in 1849. James Marshall, wife Elizabeth, aged 30, born Kilconquhar, is in the 1851 census in North Leith with baby daughter Isabella. An Elizabeth Marshall, other surname Sunter, born 1816 plus or minus one year, is in the death indexes at SP. However there is an Elizabeth Sunter baptised in Kilconquhar in 1816, parents William Sunter and Isabella Scott. So I am pretty sure that this is not a hypothetical daughter of William S and Elizabeth Peebles.]

[ev]

Not sure if this has been mentioned before but FreeCen 1851 transcription has an Elizabeth Sunter aged 26 born Fife , house maid , living Greenock , Renfrewshire.



ev

[Scottleneveu]

Hello again
Yes one of the children not mentioned would of been Nellie Sunter, who Thomas had with Clementina Wright. She was my gg grandmother and she was born 1894 in Brechin.  No I haven't seen the original baptism unfortunately, it only comes back on his ancestry hints as born in Glasgow, but as you say, he could been taken back to Kilconquhar straight away. As you've said you that you can't find any marriages for a Sunter/Paterson, what other option does that leave me?  all of the theories that you've put forward could be perfectly valid
Scott

[jonn]

Hello All,

The 1901. census for Brechin, Angus, you have,

Thomas Sunter, M. aged 52 Years,
Clementina Sunter, F. aged 42 years,
Elizabeth Sunter, F. aged 19 years,
Andrew Sunter, M. aged 18 years,
May Sunter, F. aged 16 years,
Isabella Sunter, F. aged 12 years,
Robert Sunter, M. aged 10 years,
Nellie Sunter, F. aged 7 years,
Lena Sunter, F. aged 4 years,
Albert Sunter. M. aged 0 years.

This census index is over Two Pages.

Nellie Allison Sunter, that spelling was born 1894. Brechin, Angus.

Regards,
Jonn.

[jonn]

Hello All,

The Elizabeth Sunter, aged 19 years on the above 1901. census that i posted, was actually born 24/ August/ 1881. as Elizabeth Paterson Sunter, to parents Thomas Sunter, and Elizabeth Paterson, in Brechin, Angus.

Regards,
Jonn.

[Rosinish]

On birth cert. of Janet Smart Paterson Sunter b 08-03-1879 (Bo'ness) parents Thomas Sunter & Elizabeth Paterson were married (supposedly) 13-09-1871 Berwick-on-Tweed (can't find this)  

Annie

[jonn]

Hello All.

The 1881. census Address, 63 River Street, Brechin, Forfar.

Thomas Sunter, Head, Gen. Labourer, M. age 32 years, M. born Glasgow,
Elizabeth Sunter, Wife, M. age 29 years, F. born Brechin,
Thomas Sunter, Son, Scholar, age 7 years, M. born England,
Alexander Sunter, Son, Scholar, age 5 years, M. born Brechin,
William Sunter, Son, age 4 years, M. born England,
Jessie Sunter, Daug, age 2 years, F. born Boness, Linlithgow.

Elizabeth Sunter, born August 1881. misses being on this census because census taken prior to August.

Regards,
Jonn.

[Rosinish]

William Patterson Sunter
Registration Year: 1877
Registration Quarter: Apr-May-Jun
Registration district: Berwick
Inferred County: Northumberland
Volume: 10b
Page: 431

Annie

ADDED...... Emigrated from Glasgow to Boston 1937 on SS Cameronia

[Scottleneveu]

Hello all!
Thank you all for your input  yes Nellie Allison Sunter was my gg grandmother, looking over some of this info (and there's so much of it!) am I right in thinking that Thomas' mother WAS infact called Elizabeth and the Sunter/Scott people was his grandparents and that's why he called one of his children Isabella? Possibly after his gran? Or am I getting it all confused?  and one of the children emigrated to Boston? That's incredible, I've had a lot of family from Scotland end up there, was it a big thing back in the day?
Scott