Emily Grant - Aberlemno & Montrose, Angus, Scotland

[caljam371]

I have been searching for information on my Great Great Grandmother, Emily Grant, b. abt1855, Aberlemno, Angus.

From Emily's marriage and death certificates I know she was born around 1855 to William Grant (Inn Keeper) and Jean or Jane McHardy (farm Servant). The marriage certificate does not state that her parents had died but in the 1861 census she is a lodger with a family called Gordon at Muirside of Melgund, Aberlemno, this is also where she married. I cannot find any trace of her parents in the 1861 census.  I have been in touch with a decendant of the Gordon family but they could not shed any light on this.

By the 1871 census Emily is a servant at Auldbar Castle (close to Aberlemno) as is her future husband Alexander Spence (b. June 1852, Brechin, Angus). 

Emily and Alexander married in 1874 (a son was born a year earlier in Perthshire - odd ) 

There were the following children:
William b. abt 1873, Prisie, Perthshire
Alexander b. abt 1876, Lunan, Angus
Emily b. abt 1879, Lunan, Angus
Isabella, b. 1882, Montrose, Angus
Ethel b. abt 1888, Montrose, Angus
Robert b. abt 1893, Montrose, Angus

Emily died in 1933 in Montrose.

The problem is I can't find any trace of Emily's birth, her parents marriage or any siblings.  I have contacted Angus Registrars and archives but no success.

 
Any ideas would be appreciated!

Emily is the lady in the hat below with daughters Ethel and Isabella and some of her grandchildren.

[ev]

hi caljam 

from the IGI this looks like son william -

william grant 15th july 1872 persie perth mother emily grant

can't see anything else for emily 

ev

[hume]

Hi Caljam, welcome to Rootschat.

If both parents' occupations are mentioned on Emily's marriage certificate and/or her death certificate, it is likely that they were not married at the time of her birth. There would also be no mention of M.S. (maiden surname) on the certificate (i.e. not Jean/Jane Grant m.s. McHardy).

This will make it harder finding Emily's mum, unfortunately. No birth for Emily in 1855 (or year afterwards), so she might have been born just before statutory registration.

hume

[caljam371]

Yes, I even downloaded the extract from SP to double check there were no extra clues that would give me an address of where he was born - could she have gone to her a parents or grandparents home to give birth?  I can't quite read the name of the place he was born Glen___.  I hoped to find an address and then check who lived there in 1871.

The death cert does say "Jane Grant MS McHardy (Deceased)" but the marriage cert gives fathers details followed by "Jean McHardy Farm Servant".  Her groom's parents were written in a similar way but did not give a his mother's occupation.  The other marriage on the document gave the usual method of mothers name followed by MS ___.  I do think that the parents probably didn't marry as the death informant (grandson) would not likely have been told about any scandal .

[caljam371]

Son William's birth -

[caljam371]

Glenkilry???

[ev]

how about glenkilrie 13 miles north of blairgowrie and to the north of
persie house

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=313187&y=761352&z=3&sv=313187,761352&st=4&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf&ax=313187&ay=761352

ev

[caljam371]

Looks like it might be .  http://www.glenkilrie.co.uk/
Now how can I find out who lived there in 1871/2? 

1871, Perth, Persie -
There is a William Grant, age 55, in the area that year - born in Kirkmichael, Perth, Married to Susan.  Address given as Wynd.
There is one Jane McHardy but she is only 23 and is living at Craigton, Persie.

[hume]

This is possibly a red herring, but there is a Jean McHardy, servant to the Grant family on East High Street, Forfar. Not too far from Aberlemno.

Address: South Side, East High Street, Forfar
Elspet Grant, head, wid., 69, vintner, b. Meigle, Perthshire
James Grant, son, unm., 32, flesher, b. Forfar
Jean Grant, dau., unm., 26, assistant, b. Forfar
Jean McHardy, serv., unm., 21, house servant, b. "Kerkden", Forfarshire

"Kerkden" is an index transcription, but here is the original image snap of it. Can't make it out myself.

hume