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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Moray (Elginshire) => Topic started by: MissMacCallum on Saturday 13 September 14 17:26 BST (UK)
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Hi.
I have this dead end in my family.. Quite far back, as she would be my ggggg-grandmother.
Her name is Catherine Gow/Gowie. The only certificate I have on her is her death certificate from 1857, Condorrat, Dumbartonshire. Her age is given as 80, so according to the certificate she should have been born around 1777. Parents unknown on certificate, so no help there.
In the 1841 census birthplace is only given as Scotland, but in the 1851 census she is recorded as born in Aldram, Morayshire around 1784.
Searching ScotlandsPeople I get one single hit on Catherine Gow between 1770-1800, and yes, she's born in 1784, but somewhere called Avoch, Ross and Cromarty? I'm Norwegian, so I have no idea if that is anywhere near Morayshire.
(On the certificate I can't seem to read the title/relation of the witness, but it could be someone other than family that has just given it a wild guess as to her age? I don't know.. I'll attach a screenshot of the witness part of the certificate if someone would like to try reading it.)
I found some other entries under Moray (Elginshire) mentioning the surname Gow, so if the surname originates there, the census may be correct?
Other info I have on her:
She had 10 children between 1804-1827 with James Boyd. All children born in Dumbartonshire.
(I haven't found a marriage certificate on them, but I assume they were married as they surely wouldn't have 10 children out of wedlock..?)
I feel like I have a million loose ends on this lady, but very few of the match up. I'm sorry about the total chaos of the post, but if someone would like to try and make any sense of it any help is much appreciated :) Maybe someone "knows" her for all I know!
Thanks,
Kine.
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The piece you've posted says William Wilson Inspector of Poor. Unlikely he would know much about her birthplace etc.
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The piece you've posted says William Wilson Inspector of Poor. Unlikely he would know much about her birthplace etc.
Thanks! OK, so he's not a relative then. So maybe her age is a bit of a guess. Since her parents is listed as unknown as well.
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OK let's think about this. There is a detached piece of Morayshire on the Black Isle which includes Avoch.
Catherine could be spelled Catharine, Catherine, Cathrin, Cathrine, plus C replaced with K I think she is likely to be your lady.
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Can you list the children by name in date order?
I see on the first three she's named as "Gowie" which is more likely to be correct as she was younger ie memory brighter.
First child Mary? would likely be her mothers name. Second son would be named after her father.
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Can you list the children by name in date order?
I see on the first three she's named as "Gowie" which is more likely to be correct as she was younger ie memory brighter.
First child Mary? would likely be her mothers name. Second son would be named after her father.
Mary, b. 1804
John, b. 1807
Janet, b. 1809
Margaret, b. 1811
Mary, b. 1813
George, b. 1815
William, b. 1817
Catherine, b. 1822, d. 1863 (my connection)
Jean, b. 1824
Agnes, b. 1827
The father of the Catherine Gow I found born in 1784 was named John Gow.
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If the informant on the death certificate was the inspector of the poor, then she would have been in receipt of support from the parochial board. Their records (if they survive for the period) might be helpful as they often give details of a person's place of birth and why they cannot be supported entirely by their family.
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If the informant on the death certificate was the inspector of the poor, then she would have been in receipt of support from the parochial board. Their records (if they survive for the period) might be helpful as they often give details of a person's place of birth and why they cannot be supported entirely by their family.
Oh? I have never heard of those records. Thank you! I have e-mailed the Dunbartonshire library to ask for their assistance in possibly locating the records if they still exist.
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My apologies MissMacCallum I got distracted by my own query :-[
OK do you have James' parents names? Reason I ask is that there are 3 sons but none called James.
I'll come back to this tomorrow :)
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My apologies MissMacCallum I got distracted by my own query :-[
OK do you have James' parents names? Reason I ask is that there are 3 sons but none called James.
I'll come back to this tomorrow :)
Actually, he is just as much a mystery as his wife. He must have died before 1841, because he doesn't show up in the census either.. So I have absolutely no clue as to birth or birthplace on him. That's why I'm trying to find some information on Catherine, as the whole line leading from them is blank at the moment, and at least with her I had a possible place of birth ;) I'll try searching ScotlandsPeople again for matches on James.
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This is really confusing. A quick search, and no matches for death of any James Boyd in the Dunbartonshire area between the year his last child was born and the 1841 census. OK, so he could have left the family or been elsewhere at the time of the census. But I can't find a marriage for a James Boyd to a Catherine/Catharine/Katherine/Katharine Gow/Gowie anywhere in Scotland, either. He just doesn't seem to exist in the files.. This doesn't make sense.