Alexander Morrison (possibly Paisley, Renfrewshire...)

[emorrisn]

Hi everyone!

I was wondering if I could please ask for assistance on where to search next...I've hit a bit of a wall and not sure what to do/where to go!

I am searching for the ancestors of Thomas Morrison (born about 1835, married Janet LAUCHLAN 3/11/1859 in Paisley, Renfrew, died after 1909)
On his marriage certificate his parents are listed as:

Alexander Morrison
Margaret Peacocks (although it could be a little scrawl at the end, even a 's..so could turn up to be Peacock, Peacocks, or Peacock's)

Both Alexander and Margaret are listed as deceased on Thomas' marriage certificate I have in 1859.

I have no other information on them besides they are probably from Paisley, Renfrew (as the majority of our Morrisons in our tree are Weavers from Paisley)

I have searched scotlandspeople and am turning up nothing in both the old parish registers/catholic/statutory registers. I've spent credits in vain searching for death certificates etc!

To confuse matters, over on Ancestry there are records and family trees that list an Alexander Morrison and Margaret Peacock:


Margaret Peacock (1790 - 1859)

Spouse
    Alexander Morrison (1779-1861)
    Married 1807

Children

    Janet (1807-)
    Alexander (1809-)
    William (1811-)
    Henrietta (1815-)
    James (1816-)
    John (1819-)
    Helen (1821-)
    Patrick Hutchon (1823-)

Is it strange to find the same names about 15 yrs too early. Have messaged the owner of one these trees with these details and they thought perhaps my Thomas is related in the childrens generation if that makes sense? What are the chances of another Margaret Peacock marrying the Alexander though?

Or maybe I need to scrap these family trees and say they are definitely not related at all. I even thought could there be a mistake on Thomas' marriage certificate?

Does anyone have any thoughts please on where to go next 

Many, many thanks any help greatly appreciated! 

[GR2]

Have you tried to find Thomas on the 1841 and 1851 census? He should be with his parents, at least in 1841. You could try the FreeCEN site first.

[emorrisn]

Thanks GR2....yes have tried the Census records and I can't find him or his parents Alexander/Margaret.

[loobylooayr]

Hi emorrisn

There are certainly births in Paisley to Alexander Morrison and Margaret Peacock spanning from 1809 to 1823 for some of the children listed above including an Alexander born 1809- https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XTJX-X8Q     
Other records are for John born 1819, Helen born 1821 and Patrick Hutchon born 1823 

Looby

[Ann Baker]

Hi

I have found 8 children for Alexander and Margaret on Scotland's People - tho not a Thomas 

Listed below - some variations in spelling which isn't unusual. Abbey parish includes Paisley

1   05/03/1815   MORISON   HENRIETA   Father ALEXANDER MORISON Mother MARGARET PEOCOCK. ABBEY Parish RENFREW    (Ref No559/00 0030 0469)
   
2   13/12/1807   MORISON   JANET Father ALEXANDER MORISON Mother MARGARET PECOAK.    ABBEY Parish RENFREW   (Ref No 559/00 0030 0377)
   
3   28/02/1813   MORISON   MARGARET Father ALEXANDER MORISON Mother MARGARET PECOAK .ABBEY    Parish RENFREW   (Ref No 559/00 0030 0443)

4   24/09/1809   MORRISON   ALEXANDER Father ALEXANDER MORRISON. Mother MARGARET PECOK. ABBEY Parish RENFREW   (Ref No 559/00 0030 0401)
   
5   26/08/1821   MORRISON   HELEN. Father ALEXANDER MORRISON. Mother MARGARET PEACOCK . ABBEY Parish RENFREW   (Ref No 559/00 0060 0052)

6   08/12/1816   MORRISON   JAMES.. Father ALEXANDER MORRISON. Mother MARGARET PEOCOCK. ABBEY Parish RENFREW   (Ref No 559/00 0030 0515)

7   05/09/1819   MORRISON   JOHN.  Father ALEXANDER MORRISON Mother MARGARET PEACOCK. ABBEY Parish RENFREW   (Ref No 559/00 0030 0584   )

8   06/10/1823   MORRISON   PATRICK HUTCHON. Father ALEXANDER MORRISON. Mother MARGARET PEACOCK ABBEY Parish RENFREW (Ref No 559/00 0060 0111)

[Ann Baker]

Hi

One possible explanation for the parents possibly being incorrect on the marriage is that Thomas was a grandson and may not have known that hence named them as his parents e.g. was an illegitmate child of one of Alexander and Margaret's children and brought up as one of theirs so might be worth checking for any records for one of the daughters as a base born son would have mum's surname.

If no luck there, may be worth checking out the sons and their offspring.

Hope that makes sense

Ann 

[Ann Baker]

Hi

Nothing like caffeine to get the grey cells moving.

The other thing to consider is the fact there were a lot of changes in the church in the 1820s/30s and it's possible as many in Paisley did they moved away from the Church of Scotland to a secessionist church. This would account for his baptism not being there as the SP records don't include those. You'd need the Kirk Session records and they're not online so may be worth posting asking is anyone is going to Edinburgh and can have a look for you.

My mum's side all Paisley (me too tho don't live there now) and they all jumped ship to other churches around that time and I've found them in the Kirk Sessions rather than on SP or LDS (The LDA records for Paisley including Abbey are not complete)

Hope that gives you a few pointers 

Ann

[loobylooayr]

Hi again 

I would agree with Ann Baker's posts.
Looking at the ages of Alexander and Margaret's children think it's feasible that Thomas was a grandchild they had reared perhaps after parent(s) death, or because he was illegitimate.
There may be no OPR (Old Parish Record) of his birth unfortunately. However he should be recorded on 1841 and 1851 Census, although naturally some folk slipped through the net. I , as of yet, have not located Thomas, Alexander or Margaret on the 2 Census .
Looby    

[Ann Baker]

Hi

I found a Thomas Morrison aged 15 on an 1851 as a lodger on Ancestry. He's a weaver. At the time things were going into a bit of slump in the Paisley weaving trade so did he go south to get work? Might be him?

Details are

Name:    Thomas Morrison
Age:    15
Estimated birth year:    abt 1836
Relation:    Lodger
Gender:    Male
Where born:    Scotland
Civil Parish:    Scotch Street
County/Island:    Cumberland
Country:    England
Registration district:    Carlisle
Sub-registration district:    St Mary
ED, institution, or vessel:    1b
Household schedule number:    61
Piece:    2430
Folio:    49
Page Number:    21
Household Members:    
Name    Age
Ellen Parker    63
Peter Parker    25
Eliza Parker    23
David Neeman    44
Eliza Neeman    30
Jane Neeman    14
Archibold McCormick    16
George Nelson    52
Neil Melton    90
Thomas Morrison    15

Might be a red herring but a possible sighting. Not found an 1841 yet

Ann