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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Stirlingshire => Topic started by: Thermo on Friday 20 June 14 23:50 BST (UK)
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Hi
I am investigating my family tree and trying to find the surname of Janet. I have a copy of the register of marriages for 29/09/1850. All the entries on the page state husbands surname and wife's maiden name apart from David Stevenson and Janet Stevenson. So my question is this, was it legally binding to state maiden name or is this just a mistake. I know that there are a lot of Stevenson's resident in St Ninian's Stirlingshire so she could be a cousin or unrelated. David was the second son of John Stevenson and Jane Barry and was born abt 1827.
Any help would be appreciated
David
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What maiden name is shown on the births of their children? Her maiden name could also have been Stevenson
If she died after 1855 her maiden name and parents names will be on her death cert
It will also be on the marriage certs of their children
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All the entries on the page state husbands surname and wife's maiden name apart from David Stevenson and Janet Stevenson.
The simple answer is that Stevenson was her maiden name as well as her married name. In Scotland, a woman does not legally change her surname on marriage, which is why you get the mother's maiden surname in many pre-1855 baptism records, and why all statutory records list the mother's maiden name as well as any married names.
The IGI at https://familysearch.org/search/collection/igi lists four children of David Stevenson and Janet (maiden surname) Stevenson, all born in St Ninians.
Jane, 21 November 1856
Janet, 23 February 1859
Mary, 20 February 1860
Robert, 27 January 1862
If you have the marriage record, I assume that you are familiar with Scotland's People. If I were you I would look for the 1861 and 1871 census records for the family. I have not found them in the northern part of Scotland (which includes Stirlingshire) in the LDS' CD-ROM transcription, but someone else may have access to some other transcription that might help. This should narrow the search for Janet's (and David's) death certificates.
There is, in the above 1881 transcription, a widowed Janet Stevenson, aged 53 (so born 1827/8) in Muiralehouse, St Ninians, with unmarried sister Margaret Stevenson, 43, and son Thomas, 26.
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Hi
I am only just starting investigating this part of the family. My line comes through the youngest son of John and Jane Stevenson, Peter who was born 1837. I only have the marriage entry for 29/09/1850 and the 1861 Census for David. I'm glad that Janet's surname is probably correct as this gives some chance of identifying her family, albeit there may be several Janet Stevenson's in the area. If there is anyone out there who has already traced this line and has info they could pass on I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks in anticipation
David
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My line comes through the youngest son of John and Jane Stevenson, Peter who was born 1837.
I take it that you mean John Stevenson and Jane Barry? :)
I only have the marriage entry for 29/09/1850 and the 1861 Census for David.
Do you mean that Janet is not with David and their children in the 1861 census?
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Yes David's parents were John Stevenson and Jane Barry. Janet does appear in 1861 Census. Can't seem to find them in 1871 Census or a Death Certificate for David.
David
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Janet does appear in 1861 Census.
So you know her age per census, and where she was born. So you can use that age to get a rough date of birth, then use that to look for her death certificate.
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Age for Janet is 33 giving birth around 1828. Have searched Scotlands People For Birth for Janet Stevenson 1827 - 29 giving 15 entries none originating in Stirling (1 in Banff the rest Glasgow or borders).
David
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Age for Janet is 33 giving birth around 1828.
Yes. The census was taken around the end of March or beginning of April, about a quarter of the way through the calendar year. Therefore only about a quarter of people had had a birthday in census year, so they would be a year older by the end of the year. So it's a three to one chance that Janet was born in 1827 rather that 1828.
That matches the age of the widowed Janet Stevenson living with her unmarried sister Margaret Stevenson in 1881.
There is one 12-year-old Janet Stevenson in the 1841 census at Muir of Bannockburn, with parents Robert Stevenson and Fanny. There is a two-year-old daughter Margaret. In 1851 the same family is still at Muir of Bannockburn, Janet aged 22 and Margaret 14. You can see the full transcriptions at http://www.freecen.org.uk/cgi/search.pl
Can you find Robert and/or Fanny in 1861? If so, there will be death certificates which should give you the names of their parents.
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The only Fanny Stevenson I could find in 1861 Census was in Kilwinning aged 22.
David
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So she must have died between 1851 and 1861. If she died on or after 1 January 1855 there will still be a death certificate.
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Age for Janet is 33 giving birth around 1828.
Yes. The census was taken around the end of March or beginning of April, about a quarter of the way through the calendar year. Therefore only about a quarter of people had had a birthday in census year, so they would be a year older by the end of the year. So it's a three to one chance that Janet was born in 1827 rather that 1828.
That matches the age of the widowed Janet Stevenson living with her unmarried sister Margaret Stevenson in 1881.
There is one 12-year-old Janet Stevenson in the 1841 census at Muir of Bannockburn, with parents Robert Stevenson and Fanny. There is a two-year-old daughter Margaret. In 1851 the same family is still at Muir of Bannockburn, Janet aged 22 and Margaret 14. You can see the full transcriptions at http://www.freecen.org.uk/cgi/search.pl
Can you find Robert and/or Fanny in 1861? If so, there will be death certificates which should give you the names of their parents.
Robert Stevenson
Birth 26 April 1786 in St Ninians, Stirlingshire
Death 11 July 1866 in St Ninians, Stirlingshire
Married
Fanny Birkhill
Birth abt 1801 in Stirlingshire
This couple are my hubby's 3rd gr. Grandparents.
I have 6 Children for them.
John, Robert, Cathrine, James, Janet, Mararet.
Hubby come down from Cathrine.
I am interested in hearing about "Muir from Bannockburn" is this a little village or....
If I have the same Stevenson family, happy to hear from you.
Cheers from Australia
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I am interested in hearing about "Muir from Bannockburn" is this a little village or....
It's Muir of Bannockburn, not Muir from Bannockburn. It is or was most probably a farm or croft rather than a village.
I have been trying to look for it in the digitised map collection at www.nls.uk but the connection where I am at the moment is very slow and too unreliable to load large images. You could try it for yourself. From the maps home page go for 'series maps', then select the first edition of the six-inch map, then the second option (zoomable map with overlay) and type Bannockburn in the search box.
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I am interested in hearing about "Muir from Bannockburn" is this a little village or....
It's Muir of Bannockburn, not Muir from Bannockburn. It is or was most probably a farm or croft rather than a village.
I have been trying to look for it in the digitised map collection at www.nls.uk but the connection where I am at the moment is very slow and too unreliable to load large images. You could try it for yourself. From the maps home page go for 'series maps', then select the first edition of the six-inch map, then the second option (zoomable map with overlay) and type Bannockburn in the search box.
Thank you so very much for your reply, I will go and see what I can find.
Cheers
Bev
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The Muir of Bannockburn is an area of land located immediately west of the site of the old Bannockburn hospital, which has recently been demolished. (as found today on an old map)