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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Dumfriesshire => Topic started by: stoop on Sunday 03 June 07 12:49 BST (UK)
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This is my first communication, please forgive any it .mistakes as i am anovice.Thomas Ker was born circa 1780, he married Mary Slater in Annan in the year 1805. They had George born 1817 ,James born 1811, Jean Millar born 1807,Mary born 1806 and Martha born 1820 they were all born in Annan with the exception of Martha who was born in Dumfries. I presume Thomas was born near Annan to have met and married Mary living and working in Annan. I cannot identify which Thomas Ker my ancestor is any ideas please?.
Moderator comment: topics merged, as they seem to relate to the same Thomas
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Second com. Thomas left Annan and farmed at the Stoop just outside Dumfries. He lived there until his death in 1837 ,unfortunately he died during an epidemic in Dumfries and his burial details appear not to have been registered because of mass burials. His widow Mary took up a farm with a daughter Mary at Doweel on the Goldielea estate outside Cargenbridge. One of her sons James farmed at Newbridge Terregles, James was married to Sarah Pattie Phillips, James Kerr had at least 10 children and the Kerr family lived in Newbridge for over a 100 years until the nineteen sixties.
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Hello stoop
Wecome to Rootschat :)
It's always difficult to identify ancestors when one goes back to the 18th century and further. One of the first ways is to list his children in birth order and see if the names conform to the Scottish naming conventions:
couple's first son - after male's father
couple's second son - after female's father
couple's third son - after male
couple's first daughter - after female's mother
couple's second daughter after male's mother
couple's third daughter - after female
The only other way is to attempt to follow each possible to see if some died young, etc.
Regards
Gadget :)
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Thank you for your reply,and your advice. I have gathered a lot of material regarding Thomas Ker children. I know who they are, their birth dates,marriage details and of their children .I have accumulated census copies charting their movements.Going back further is the objective, finding out who T.K parents were. Any further advice will be appreciated.
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If you could list the names of his children in birth order here and also the names of his wife's parents, it might help us identify his possible parents. Also, did he have any brothers or sisters who died 1855 or afterwards?
Gadget
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Good evening Gadget, Mary Slater was the wife of Thomas Ker,her father was Daniel Slater he died in 1802 at the age of 50. Daniels wife was Marion Milligan she died in 1828 aged 81. Mary was living in Annan in 1811. In the old parish records the Slater family are living in Urr, Mary however was baptised Troqueer. Her family then moved back to Urr where they are buried. Thomas and Mary had the following children in order they were Mary born 19/1/1806 in Annan, Jean Millar born 27/7/1807 in Annan,James born 16/7/1811 in Annan, George born 14/9/1817 inAnnan and Martha born 26/8/1820 in Dumfries at the Stoop does this help, thanks Gadget
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Hello again Stoop :)
I've been doing some investigations on your family. Could you confirm the following
Thomas Ker(r) b.c. 1780 m. 1st Jan 1805, Mary Slater, Annan. Mary Slater - parents Daniel Slater and Marion Milligan
Children of Thomas and Mary:
1806 - Mary
1807- Jean Millar
1811 - James
(1817 - George - you mention - I can't find)
1820 - Martha
all b. Annan except Martha - b. Dumfries
Slater:
Daniel Slater and Marion Milligan
Children:
20 Oct 1780 - George (Troqueer)
13 Jan 1783 - George (Troqueer)
13 Jan 1783 - Mary (Troqueer)
21 May 1795 - Margaret (Troqueer)
16 Jan 1786 - Thomas Gordon (Buittle)
From MI (Urr) also son John b.c. 1777. Daniel Slater d. 1802 aged 50. Marion Milligan d. 1828 aged 84.
Thomas Ker(r)
The most likely from OPRs are:
1773, Torthowald to James Ker
1780, Dalton, to George Ker and Margaret Harkness
However, Thomas's baptism might not have been recorded for a variety of reasons - missing, not recorded because of an entry tax, not Church of Scotland, etc.
Gadget
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Much obliged Gadget, I can confirm the details in your com. .Ihad listed the two as possible candidates I am pleased that you have confirmed the most likely parents of Thomas Ker. I was not aware of an entry tax,I will search for details about the Torthorwald Dalton connection.I already have connections in Mousewald andTorthorwald,thank you for your time and trouble.
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Hi Stoop
Information about the fees/tax can be found here:
http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/content/help/index.aspx?448
In particular:
Not every event was actually recorded - many people simply did not bother, particularly if they had to pay a fee (or tax as was the case 1783-1794).
Gadget
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Hi Gadget, will contact Scotlands People, thanks.
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Hi Stoop
Could do with picking your knowledge on this one -I've hit a right brick wall - for some reason I was under the impression of :
Alfred Kerr - 1904 - lancashire -
John Charles Ker - 1880 - born Ireland - lived and worked in Manchester 9mother Irish)
John Ker - 1849 - Gloucestershire
James Ker - 1811 - Annan
William Ker & Nancy Holiday Annan ... and so forth and my tree was looking ok! Until .... a
Thomas Ker and Mary Slater came up don't know if you can shed any light on these two compared with William and Nancy ? All the records , no faults state James was born 1811 however there is another James Ker born December 1810 -
James Ker in Gloucestershire was a tea dealer and then later a traveller - he appears to have married twice but the marriage certificates are silent on his father. Can you help ?
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James b 1811 married Sarah Phillips Pattie they both lay in Terregles. These are my half-sister's paternal g grandparents.
The 1810 James and his family I looked at but never pursued. Perhaps Stoop did not sure.
Don
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Thanks for the info DonM - It has to be the other avenue which I suspected