Gadgirth House - Burnett family - Coylton, Ayrshire

[Lweston]

Hi!

Looking for information regarding Isabel/Isabella Burnett, born 1803.  Her father is Lt. Col. Joseph Burnett (born 1753, Aberdeenshire) and her mother Margaret Steele (born 1769, Coylton, Ayrshire).

I believe she is my 3rd great grandmother, who married William Crozier of Roxburghshire in Selkirk in 1827.  The marriage record doesn’t list her parents, so I can’t directly track her back to the Gadgirth Burnett’s.  Her date of birth is about right.  Most of the documentation I have suggests she is from Gadgirth, but I’ve come across some records that suggest it may be another Isabel.

Gadgirth and Selkirk appear to be about 70 miles apart.  The Burnett’s were landowners and William Crozier appeared to be a farmer.  Does it seem likely that their paths would cross?

Any information that provides clarification would be appreciated.
Lil

[GR2]

Have you found the William and Isabel in the 1841 and 1851 census?

Where were they living when their child, from whom you are descended, was born?

[Lweston]

They emigrated to New York, USA in 1831.  I have several census records for them in New York.

I descended from their daughter Jane, born 1830, in Selkirk

[GR2]

I think it is unlikely that the Isabel Burnett married to William Crozier, given what you say about the distance, was the daughter of Joseph Burnett and Margaret Steele. Can I ask what you are basing your surmise on?

[Lweston]

Information from other family trees on Ancestry.  I still try to correspond it with actual records.  Haven’t found her in Selkirk before her marriage.  Not sure where to go with it now.  Her marriage records don’t list her parents.

[GR2]

The accuracy of some of the trees there is not very good. You are quite right to be wary of them. A big mistake that people make, especially people at a distance from Scotland, is to assume that every baptism and marriage was recorded. Many weren't and some of those that were have been lost. The 1841 census for Selkirkshire shows 27 people called Burnet. Roxburghshire shows 58 Burnets and 6 Burnetts (not that the spelling matters). Your Isabel could well have come from the local area.

One thing that can help are the names of the witnesses to the baptisms of any children. They can be relatives. It was also traditional (although the tradition was not always followed) to name the first son after the paternal grandfather, the second after the maternal grandfather and the third son after the father. The first daughter was often called after the maternal grandmother, the second after the paternal grandmother, and the third daughter after the mother.

[Lweston]

The two oldest sons, James and William, I can track to the Croziers.  The third and youngest, Robert, I can’t track yet.  I’ve only gone 2 generations past William the father (trying not to go back too far until it seems right).

The middle daughter is Isabelle.  The oldest daughter, Jane, and the youngest, Nancy, are ones I should use to find the right family for William’s wife, as well as Robert, is what you’re saying then?

It is somewhat harder to trace back in a different country.  Knowing customs is helpful.

I did learn my lesson about confirming on this side of the pond though.  My mother’s lines go back to the mid 1600’s, colonial times.  There can be so many Johns, Williams and Thomases that I’ve climbed the wrong branches a few times and had to backtrack.  Sometimes it has helped to find “odd” family names that repeat.  It helped that I live in Virginia and the migrations here made sense.  I also have many DNA matches, with common ancestors in the 1600’s, where I can track back to current times along parallel lines.  There were several written histories that others had done that provided clarification as well.

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly and for your advice.
Lil

[isobelw]

The daughter born to Joseph Burnett and Margaret nee Steele was actually Isabella Christina. She appears not to have married and died in Edinburgh in 1880 ( see attached death notice).
There is a possible birth on Scotlandspeople in Stow ( which is close to Selkirk) in 1800. Parents Robert Burnet and Janet Burnet.
Isobel

[Lweston]

Thank you!

This is just the sort of thing I was looking for.  I will follow the new trail and see where it goes.

Lil