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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Roxburghshire => Topic started by: Suemitch on Saturday 06 July 13 08:31 BST (UK)
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Hi Listers,
I have found my husbands ancestor Adam Slater (under Adm) in the 1841 census as a young man working in a hotel in Galashiels. He was born in Oxnam about 1808 but I have not been able to find a birth for him or any parents either! In 1846 he married Agnes Howison at Melrose and they had three children before emigrating to Australia. I have seen Oxnam listed as part of the parish of Roxburghshire but also Berwickshire and Jedburgh. Where should I look now in an attempt to find Adam and his parents?
Sue.
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Hi Sue
Oxnam is a parish in its own right, in the county of Roxburghshire, not to be confused with Roxburgh village and parish (nor Oxton in Berwickshire!).
The nearest town to Oxnam is Jedburgh, about which the 1797 Statistical Account of Scotland had this to say:
"There are four clergymen in the town of Jedburgh; the minister of the Established Church, of the Relief congregation, of the Burgher, and the Antiburgher, seceders. Their respective examination rolls are as follows: Established Church 800; Relief congregation 1200; Burgher congregation 600; Antiburgher 150 ... Near a half of all the families in the parish of Jedburgh, and a great proportion of the families in all the surrounding parishes, are members of this [Relief] congregation."
Scotlandspeople only has the records of the Church of Scotland (Established Church), whose members, as you can see, were in the minority in the Jedburgh area. Not many records exist for the non-conformist churches, though some may be on film at an LDS centre, if you are near one.
Regards,
Lesley
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Hi again
Having just found the family living in Stow, Midlothian (partially also in Selkirkshire) in 1851, I see Adam says he was born in OxTON, Berwickshire, around 1810, not OxNAM, Roxburghshire.
The village of Oxton is in the parish of Channelkirk, though sadly I can't see a birth for Adam there either.
Regards,
Lesley
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Hi Lesley,
Thanks for your reply. Why I am confused, apart from not being able to find a birth is that on his grave is written "A native of Jedburgh", on the census for 1841(under Adm Slater, living in Galashiels) he says that he comes from Roxburghshire and as you say other documents suggest Berwickshire. And none of them seem to have a birth for him or any parents for him. If I ordered his marriage certificate would that have his parents listed? Sue.
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Hi Sue
it's highly unlikely that a Scottish marriage entry before 1855, when statutory registration began, would have his parents listed. Before then the records show either banns (proclamation of banns) or marriage entries in the parish records. They might have more details of their locations, occupations.
What were their chilren's names, in date order? This might give some hint to his parents if they used traditional naming.
Gadget
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The children were "Agnes", "Adam", and "John" in Scotland, then "Sarah Scott" in Australia.