Help with a family member? I'm entirely stuck. Lanark/Wigtown

[HermitCedar]

Also, Susan M is my grandmother. The M stands for McPherson, so her full name is Susan McPherson Wilson, but she married into the Harrison family (they later moved to America).

I don't want to send you down another rabbit hole but...

There is a James Wilson, born 1888, Kirkdale, Lancashire to Thomas Wilson, dock labourer (born Monaghan, Ireland) and Elizabeth Wylie Rodie (born Wigtonshire, Scotland). This couple were married in Liverpool in 1884. The reason I think this may be your James Wilson, is that in 1891 and 1901 he is in Kirkdale with his parents, and an elder sister named Susan McPherson Wilson.

I believe this may be the same James Wilson who is in Devonport as an Able Seaman with the navy in 1911, and who Isobel found in the 1939 register with wife Margaret - and the same James Wilson who died in Knowsley in 1957.

Ruth

Hi Ruth,

Wow - thanks so much for the help! You sharing this just sparked my memory... I only have one auntie from Liverpool left... and a couple years ago she told me that she THOUGHT that some of her dad's (her dad would be james wilson) family moved to Liverpool from Ireland.

Between all of the details you brought up, I'm pretty sure this is the one! Thanks again!

Any ideas on how I can be sure? This does sound right, though, especially given the McPherson thing and the Ireland thing.

[isobelw]

Great find ruthhelen. I hadn't scrolled that far down the 1891 choices. Was looking at one further up born in Liverpool. Think you are on the money with the Kirkdale one.
Isobel

[HermitCedar]

Also, Susan M is my grandmother. The M stands for McPherson, so her full name is Susan McPherson Wilson, but she married into the Harrison family (they later moved to America).

I don't want to send you down another rabbit hole but...

There is a James Wilson, born 1888, Kirkdale, Lancashire to Thomas Wilson, dock labourer (born Monaghan, Ireland) and Elizabeth Wylie Rodie (born Wigtonshire, Scotland). This couple were married in Liverpool in 1884. The reason I think this may be your James Wilson, is that in 1891 and 1901 he is in Kirkdale with his parents, and an elder sister named Susan McPherson Wilson.

I believe this may be the same James Wilson who is in Devonport as an Able Seaman with the navy in 1911, and who Isobel found in the 1939 register with wife Margaret - and the same James Wilson who died in Knowsley in 1957.

Ruth

Hi Ruth,

Wow - thanks so much for the help! You sharing this just sparked my memory... I only have one auntie from Liverpool left... and a couple years ago she told me that she THOUGHT that some of her dad's (her dad would be james wilson) family moved to Liverpool from Ireland.

Between all of the details you brought up, I'm pretty sure this is the one! Thanks again!

Any ideas on how I can be sure? This does sound right, though, especially given the McPherson thing and the Ireland thing.

Hey Ruth,

How and where did you find all of this? I am still new at this, but want to get to work updating my tree!

Thanks so much for your help!

[[Ray]]

Hi

GRO has SMW 1885 with Mother's MN as Rodie

R

[HermitCedar]

Hi

GRO has SMW 1885 with Mother's MN as Rodie

R

Hey Ray,

THanks for the help but what does SMW mean?

Thanks!

[isobelw]

Elizabeth wylie Rodie was born 12thSep 1867 in Old Luce, Wigtownshire to Thomas Rodie and Elizabeth Rodie nee Shaw.
Isobel

[ruthhelen]

And Elizabeth Shaw appears to be the daughter of Robert Shaw and Susan McPherson...

I can't find a baptism record, but there is an Elizabeth Shaw, aged 7, in Stoneykirk in 1851 with parents Robert and Susan Shaw. And a marriage of Robert Shaw and Susan McPherson in Kirkmaiden in 1842.

Ruth

[[Ray]]

Hi

"GRO has SMW 1885 with Mother's MN as Rodie"

Apologies . . . . .
That'll be SusanMcPhersonWilson with Mother's maidenname as Rodie.

Ray

[Forfarian]

HermitCedar, these are some useful sites for information
https://www.freebmd.org.uk/search is an index to most of the England and Wales birth indexes from 1837 and 1983. It will eventually be complete. It is a transcription of what is in the published indexes.

https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/Login.asp is the official government site where you order copies of certificates (do not get suckered into using any of the many other sites that offer to get certificates for you - all they will do is charge you extra for getting them).
The indexes here have been revised and now contain the maiden names of mothers right back to 1837, and I think they have death ages for the years when the original index (and therefore FreeBMD) do not have ages.

Most of us have access of some sort to transcriptions and originals of the England and Wales censuses. You can view some transcriptions free, but to get the originals you need a subscription to a pay site that has them.

For Scotland there is only one site, www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk where you can get originals, though the indexes at https://www.familysearch.org/hr/search/ can sometimes be helpful. (They can also be unhelpful - don't trust anything that says 'Of....' or 'About ....'.)