RootsChat.Com

Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Shetland => Topic started by: john ot ilk on Wednesday 16 February 11 12:13 GMT (UK)

Title: Moffat Burgess help please!
Post by: john ot ilk on Wednesday 16 February 11 12:13 GMT (UK)
Could someone please help me get out of a rut I find myself in. The rut is my great grandfather
John Moffat, shown as 'seaman merchant service' in my grandmother's death cert dated 1946
and since her age is shown as 83, I calculate that his birth date would be about 1843. Since
his wife Helen Burgess was born 1842 this matches up. I would like to find him in a census a
marriage cert or a birth cert, if possible, all three. I would  be very grateful for any help any
one can give me.    John
Title: Re: Moffat Burgess help please!
Post by: gortonboy on Wednesday 16 February 11 12:21 GMT (UK)
oops    ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Moffat Burgess help please!
Post by: MonicaL on Wednesday 16 February 11 15:31 GMT (UK)
Gortonboy, it's John's grandmother who was born c. 1863 and John is estimating a birth year of twenty years earlier for her father, John Moffat.... :)

John, can't see a Scottish birth entry on IGI to parents with those names (John Moffat and Helen Burgess) which given the approx birth year for your grandmother, something should show. What was your grandmother's name? Have you found her on any of the censuses pre her marriage?

Monica
Title: Re: Moffat Burgess help please!
Post by: john ot ilk on Wednesday 16 February 11 16:05 GMT (UK)
Thanks Monica for clarifing a not too well written posting. I can only find  a marriage cert for John Hamilton Pollock and Helen Moffat 1885 ( John Moffat witness) and a death cert for Helen Moffat 1946 both state that john moffat was a 'seaman merchant service.  Sent a pm to Gortonboy. I think we are still good army friends. John.
Title: Re: Moffat Burgess help please!
Post by: MonicaL on Wednesday 16 February 11 16:47 GMT (UK)
I am sure you are  ;D

Have you found Helen and John Pollock in the censuses post their 1885 marriage to confirm her birth place/ age?

Monica
Title: Re: Moffat Burgess help please!
Post by: MonicaL on Wednesday 16 February 11 16:49 GMT (UK)
Now, it is my turn to oops  ;D Names were ringing a bell www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,507920.0.html

Monica
Title: Re: Moffat Burgess help please!
Post by: john ot ilk on Wednesday 16 February 11 17:24 GMT (UK)
thanks monica for bringing that to my attention. i thought i would try shetland to find better results,. i made no progress at that time.  the question still remains. I may finnish by closing the lid on the box unless i get some other lead. john
Title: Re: Moffat Burgess help please!
Post by: MonicaL on Wednesday 16 February 11 18:57 GMT (UK)
John, given that your Helen showed as born in Leith on the 1891 and 1901 censuses, this is where we focused searches on the previous post.

Have you considered the possibility, with the supporting information on the other post, that Helen was the illegitimate daughter of a John Moffat, a seaman, and a Helen Burgess?

There is no obvious birth or parents' marriage showing for your Helen. It's the lack of a birth that makes me more uncertain to be honest as to how you can proceed. I've checked on IGI using just the batch code for Leith and double checked on Scotlands People and nothing really jumping out that would fit for her birth in Leith. You can also do a search on IGI, for Scottish/Irish births only where mother's maiden name was included, where you put in simply a first name (no surname) and then mother's full name. This can often bring up illegitimate birth entries where you are not sure. Again nothing there.

It's a puzzle indeed. My gut instinct still pulls towards the information found in the original thread though.

Monica 
Title: Re: Moffat Burgess help please!
Post by: john ot ilk on Wednesday 16 February 11 20:15 GMT (UK)
Thanks for that Monica. I feel you may have scored a bull's- eye with your summing up of the facts of the case.
I think I will accept this as the answer to the question and close the lid on the box. I will   make a note
 of guidance for anyone attempting the same search. I would like to thank all of you for your kind assistance
and hard work and wish you well.  I hope we meet again.sometime. John.
Title: Re: Moffat Burgess help please!
Post by: Tlmoscardini on Friday 08 June 18 23:48 BST (UK)
Hi there
I also am searching my great grandparents family.
Green, Moffat, Pollock, Smith, Burgess.
Please contact me if you are still looking.

Terri-Lynn