The only mention of Helen's parents are on her marriage registration in 1870 both deceased - Robert Laidlaw and Helen nee Laidlaw.
I have found a matching Helen in the 1851 census living with an aunt Mary and uncle David (School teacher) with the sister and brothers parents being John Laidlaw and Helen Anderson. Both siblings were buried in Roberton. Question is were these the parents of Robert or Helen?
Another uncle Thomas has also been found and his name along with Mary and Helen are are used with Laidlaw in her descendants.
Any help would be appreciated. Thoughts are that her parents died during the 1847 or 1849 cholera epidemic.
One note for every one with a Hawick connection a revised March 2011 version of the Hawick Word book is at
http://www.astro.ubc.ca/people/scott/book.pdf Looking in the 1841 census for her possible parents I was intrigued by a Helen Laidlaw, teacher at Sclenty Hall (School?) and finding her will , she died in 1846 in Ween Cottage, she gave various legacies etc to William Oliver her nephew, son of her late sister Agnes and to Thomas, John, William and Margaret Thomson children of her late sister Mary. There was a William Oliver living with an Agnes (widow) (1841 census) and because of the interesting occupation this line was followed which with various extracts from Douglas Scott's on-line book there is a picture building of various family connections but still no proof of what member of 1845 Helen's parentage is connected to this family grouping.
Scienty School "The schoolmistress was Nelly Laidlaw, referred to as ‘Mrs. Laidlaw’"
The marriage (Wilton 1806) of the John Laidlaw and Helen Anderson has her listed as Nelly Andison (Anderson)
The death of William Oliver shows his parents as Adam Oliver and Agnes Anderson also having been married to Agnes Henderson and Catherine Ballantyne with an Agnes Anderson (Niece 19) living with him as a housekeeper in the 1861 census.
"William ‘Blinnd Wull’ (1818–71) noted local fiddler, born at Tandlaw, he lost his sight to a game cock at the age of 5, and also lost his father early. He learned the violin from Johnnie Oliver, and played regularly at weddings and social functions. Tales were also told of his prowess as an angler and poacher and as a maker of nets. On one occasion he was caught poaching, but gave his captors the slip, escaping to Edinburgh, where he worked for a while. He also ran a dance class at the Fleece Inn ballroom, and is regarded as the last of Hawick’s blind celebrities."
The will of Helen Laidlaw also mentions, James, the son of William Oliver, but he is proving like everyone at this time a little difficult to tie down but with a James (see image ) also a visitor in the 1851 census.
Question 2: Is Helen Laidlaw nee Anderson/Andison the teacher at Scienty in the 1841 census bearing in mind that David her son was also a teacher?
Having now found the digital version of " Rulewater and its people" the answer to the above question is made clear to me and the various possible connections to Mrs Laidlaw of Sclenty have just been blown away.