Maiden Surname

[Tikva]

The attached image is from a Scotland statutory Death record, and is the name of the deceased's mother.  I am trying to make out the Surname, but am having difficulty reading it.  It is recorded in the middle line, and has the letters "M.S." in front of it.  Many thanks for any assistance.

[lizdb]

Simmonds?

Or, actually the first letter doesn't look a bit like the S of M.S, so maybe Grimmond?

[avm228]

Drummond?

[lizdb]

I was just looking at it again and deciding that maybe Drummond was a better idea.

And I see avm has seen  that too!

[josey]

This may be a case for asking SP for a clearer scan [I understand they are very helpful] ....or maybe you can play with the image on the SP site using brightness & contrast buttons?

Having said that, I can just see 'Drummond'.

Do you have the baptism of the deceased person so you can find a possible marriage for parents? If you give some names & dates we can look.

[Tikva]

Yes, I did wonder if it was Drummond myself after taking a few looks at it.  I have searched for a Marriage record at SP, but so far haven't found one.  Have been unable to find a Baptism Record for the deceased person, although Census records have him born circa 1787 in Blackford, Perthshire.  The individual's name is Lewis Miller, aka Lewis Millar.

Thank you everyone for your help.

[Rena]

I can't make head nor tail of the first letter and don't see the surname "Drummond" myself but I can see from the Hugh Wallis website that a Mary Millar married a James Drummond in Blackford on 7 December 1799.  This shows that the Drummond surname was in the area at the right time but there's no sight of a Grimmond in the couple of marriage films I looked at - that's not to say there isn't another surname with the double 'mm' in the area.

This is just a thought - what if the wife's mother was widowed and she remarried (a Drummond?) and her children took the surname of her new husband which is what happened with one of my ancestors. (Agnes Darling was known by the name of Agnes Sime/Syme when her mother Mary Bell remarried to a David Syme).

[josey]

Can't see any dots for 'i's but what about Kininmont?

Familysearch shows there are children baptised to an Amilia/Amely Drummond & a George Millar in 1781 Patrick, 1782 Mary, 1790 Amely, 1793 George but all in Muthill, not Blackford but not far away. From the death certificate what was Lewis' father's name?
From this marriage
Name   George Millar
Spouse's Name   Aemilia Drummond
Event Date   1780
Event Place   Muthill,Perth,Scotland
Indexing Project (Batch) Number   M11386-2
GS Film number   1040132

ADDED: have you found Amelia's death - you know it's before Lewis' & that certificate should have her MS.

Also - for the back burner - familysearch has a baptism in Perth
Name   Amelia Drummond
Gender   Female
Christening Date   31 Oct 1762
Christening Place   PERTH,PERTH,SCOTLAND
Birth Date   29 Oct 1762
Father's Name   Donald Drummond
Mother's Name   Catherine Mcireland
Indexing Project (Batch) Number   C11387-9
GS Film number   1040383

[josey]

In the 1861 census, a Lewis Miller born Blackford ca 1787 a mason is lodging with some Cairns at 13 Ann Street in Tillicoultry; there are also some Drummonds; ED: 4; Page: 1; Line: 12; I only have access to the ancestry's transcription, perhaps OP can look at  original to see if the relationships are expanded

Robert Cairns   50
Agnes Cairns   50
Agnes Cairns   28
James Drummond   10
Agnes Drummond   7
Catherine Drummond   1
Lewis Miller   74
James Taylor   40

In 1851 in Tillicoultry Lewis is father-in-law to David Grant 32, with Ann Grant 25 & Christian Grant 3. Tillicoultry; ED: 2; Page: 33; Line: 4;