Hi Annette
I may have mislead you regarding the birth certificate. If so, my apologies.
In the square "Name, Surname & Rank or Profession of Father. Name and Maiden name of Mother. Date and place of marriage.", it is filled in as follows. "Nellie Allan. Hawker. (In brackets, what looks like) Dewieis:- 5 Bell Street, Airdrie." 5 Bell Street, Airdrie is clear to read, but the name is difficult to read.
In the square "When and Where Registered and Signature of Registrar." It is filled in as follows. "July 29th 1916. Linlithgow. George S. Adams Ass. Registrar."
The certificate is also headed "1916 Births in the district of Linlithgow in the County of Linlithgow."
It states on the certificate that my Father was born at the Show Park, Bo'ness Road, Linlithgow. A lady at the West Lothian History Library has been helping me with a query surrounding this. A family myth/story/belief was that my Father was born at the Palace Grounds in Linlithgow. My Grandmother giving birth to him whilst at an event there. They were Hawkers and I guess they would have attended fairs to sell their goods. She could not find any trace of a Show Park in Linlithgow, or of a "fair" taking place in the town at the time of my Father's birth. She did find however, in the Linlithgowshire Gazette of 14th July 1916 (The date of my Father's birth), an advertisement for the Bo'ness Mid-Summer Fair, at Corbiehall Show Ground which was in full swing and would continue for a further two weeks. At the foot of the advertisement it said not to forget to visit the Show Ground. If two weeks brought us to 28th July, then the date of 29th July, as mentioned above, might be relevant.
My Grandmother could not write. She signed the birth certificate with an "X". Was my Father actually born at The Show Ground, Linlithgow Road, Bo'ness? Bo'ness is about four miles from Linlithgow and I believe was in Linlithgowshire. This is new information to me and I am looking in to it.
