Author Topic: Tracing my mother's family as xmas pressie - stuck PLEASE PLEASE HELP!  (Read 1447 times)

Offline phcarter

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Tracing my mother's family as xmas pressie - stuck PLEASE PLEASE HELP!
« on: Thursday 07 December 17 23:36 GMT (UK) »
I'm tracing my mother's family as her xmas pressie as she knows nothing past her parents and only knew her father's name!

I've gone as far back as 1800 on her mother's side but cannot get past her grandparents on her father's side!

I obviously need this finished before xmas as I still need to write it all up yet.

I have taken and attached a screen shot of my ancestry.co.uk tree where i'm stuck and would appreciate any help or findings whatsoever.

My mother's parents are Joan May and James Cran-Chalmers. The name Cran-Chalmers consists of his mother and father's names who were never married. I know James was in foster care until he was 5 years old when he moved back in with his mother Annie and her new husband James Smith. They lived in Banffshire in Scotland.

I also know that Annie was a twin and her mother died young. Her father then remarried and had twin boys. This is hearsay info from Jeanette Smith though and I cannot find records for this.

I cannot find anything for either James Cran or Annie Chalmers, or even a marriage cert for Annie and James Smith. Any help would be really appreciated!!!


Image removed , see reply #5.

Offline Josephine

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Re: Tracing my mother's family as xmas pressie - stuck PLEASE PLEASE HELP!
« Reply #1 on: Friday 08 December 17 00:39 GMT (UK) »
Hi, phcarter, and welcome to Rootschat.

 :)

You have an Annie Chalmers who lived in Banffshire, Scotland, was married to a James Smith, and died in 2000.

The ScotlandsPeople index (www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk) has a death entry for an Annie Chalmers, aged 94, who died in 2000 in Banff registration district. The same entry can be found by searching on Smith as her surname with Chalmers as the other name. Her mother's maiden name is listed as Wilson.

Since the death occurred less than 50 years ago, the record can't be downloaded, but it can be ordered from ScotlandsPeople.

The death record should list any legal husbands and both of her parents (if known).

This might be a good place to start.

Regards,
Josephine

P.S. Once you have an exact date of death, you could email the library in Banff and ask if they have an obit on file for her. (An obit might list all of her children.)
England: Barnett; Beaumont; Christy; George; Holland; Parker; Pope; Salisbury
Scotland: Currie; Curror; Dobson; Muir; Oliver; Pryde; Turnbull; Wilson
Ireland: Carson; Colbert; Coy; Craig; McGlinchey; Riley; Rooney; Trotter; Waters/Watters

Offline Josephine

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Re: Tracing my mother's family as xmas pressie - stuck PLEASE PLEASE HELP!
« Reply #2 on: Friday 08 December 17 00:45 GMT (UK) »
Hi, again:

The ScotlandsPeople index has a 1938 marriage for an Annie Chalmers and a James Duncan Smith in Banffshire. This record can be downloaded from www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk for 6 credits.

Regards,
Josephine
England: Barnett; Beaumont; Christy; George; Holland; Parker; Pope; Salisbury
Scotland: Currie; Curror; Dobson; Muir; Oliver; Pryde; Turnbull; Wilson
Ireland: Carson; Colbert; Coy; Craig; McGlinchey; Riley; Rooney; Trotter; Waters/Watters

Offline Josephine

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Re: Tracing my mother's family as xmas pressie - stuck PLEASE PLEASE HELP!
« Reply #3 on: Friday 08 December 17 01:01 GMT (UK) »
Another suggestion:

You could search the newspapers for any notice of a paternity suit, just in case Annie took James's father to court for financial support.

There are Scottish newspapers online at www.FindMyPast.co.uk and www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk.

Regards,
Josephine
England: Barnett; Beaumont; Christy; George; Holland; Parker; Pope; Salisbury
Scotland: Currie; Curror; Dobson; Muir; Oliver; Pryde; Turnbull; Wilson
Ireland: Carson; Colbert; Coy; Craig; McGlinchey; Riley; Rooney; Trotter; Waters/Watters


Offline rosie99

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Re: Tracing my mother's family as xmas pressie - stuck PLEASE PLEASE HELP!
« Reply #4 on: Friday 08 December 17 07:52 GMT (UK) »
Welcomme to rootschat

The ScotlandsPeople index has a 1938 marriage for an Annie Chalmers and a James Duncan Smith in Banffshire. This record can be downloaded from www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk for 6 credits.

20 April 1938 - Boyndie, Banff
James Duncan Smith occ Farm Servant - Bachelor-age 21 - abode The Ley, Fordyce
father William Smith occ Farm Servant
mother Jeannie Smith - M.S. Hepburn

Annie Chalmers- domestic servant -spinster -age 31 - abode Broom Cottages, Fordyce
Father Alexander Chalmers - labourer
Mother Jessie Ann Chalmers - M.S. Wilson (deceased)

Elsie M Chalmers of 30 Fonshill Road, Aberdeen was one of the witnesses
Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline rosie99

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Re: Tracing my mother's family as xmas pressie - stuck PLEASE PLEASE HELP!
« Reply #5 on: Friday 08 December 17 08:04 GMT (UK) »
Just posting as the mods will probably remove your screen shot which shows living people

James A Cran  -  Annie Chalmers
                 /
James A Chalmers-Cran 1933-2016 married Joan M May 1936 - 2004


Annie Chalmers then married James D Smith 1938
Children
living female 1938
living male 1946
Census information is Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline phcarter

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Re: Tracing my mother's family as xmas pressie - stuck PLEASE PLEASE HELP!
« Reply #6 on: Friday 08 December 17 09:30 GMT (UK) »
Thank you so much! That's incredibly helpful :)

I'm thinking James A Cran may be a bit of a dead end sadly, can't remember if i mentioned in my original post but my Aunt believes he was a shepherd, don't know if that will be of any use though.

I'll have a search on the links you've both suggested - thanks again!

Offline Josephine

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Re: Tracing my mother's family as xmas pressie - stuck PLEASE PLEASE HELP!
« Reply #7 on: Friday 08 December 17 15:47 GMT (UK) »
You're most welcome, phcarter.

I think I've found your James in the birth index on ScotlandsPeople.

If you do a search on births for James Chalmers in Banffshire in 1933, one of the results shows a James Alexander Chalmers, in Rathven registration district, with the reference number 164/1 46.

If you do a new search, this time for James Cran in Banffshire in 1933, one of the results shows a James Alexander Cran, in Rathven registration district, with the reference number 164/1 46.

This birth occurred less than 100 years ago, so it can't be downloaded directly from the ScotlandsPeople website; it has to be ordered specially from them. When you do, make sure you mention the different index results, because there is probably a correction attached to his birth record regarding his parentage or surname.

Regards,
Josephine
England: Barnett; Beaumont; Christy; George; Holland; Parker; Pope; Salisbury
Scotland: Currie; Curror; Dobson; Muir; Oliver; Pryde; Turnbull; Wilson
Ireland: Carson; Colbert; Coy; Craig; McGlinchey; Riley; Rooney; Trotter; Waters/Watters

Offline isobelw

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Re: Tracing my mother's family as xmas pressie - stuck PLEASE PLEASE HELP!
« Reply #8 on: Friday 08 December 17 17:12 GMT (UK) »
Alexander Chalmers married Jessie Ann Wilson in Alvah Banff in 1905. There is a birth of an Annie Chalmers in Alvah in 1905 (146/24). There is also a birth in 1905 for a Mary Chalmers (146/23). Proximity of entries could possibly indicate a twin birth but you can check the entry for a small sum on Scotlandspeople, just to be sure.
Jessie Ann Chalmers or Wilson died in Enzie, Banff in 1910 age 25 ( 152/32)
Isobel
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