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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Selkirkshire => Topic started by: suek2075 on Thursday 19 February 15 16:01 GMT (UK)
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I am trying to track the marriage of James Keddie and Helen Hutson anytime before 1843 when their daughter Margaret was born in Selkirk. I have no idea if she was their first or last child, so no idea when they were likely to get married. He was from Parish of Hume, she was from Parish of Ashkirk and their first child was born in Selkirk, so they likely probably married in Selkirkshire or Roxburgshire but so far haven't found anything as far back as 1800.
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There is a marriage on Scotlands People on 21/01/1841 Selkirk between a James Keddie and Elizabeth Hutson ??
Kay
Edit - On the register she is listed as from Ashkirk and he was from Selkirk. I think the date on the register is incorrect and it should be 21/01/1842 as the couple gave in their names to marry on 7/01/1841 sorry 7/01/1842
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Thank so much Kay99 for replying so quickly - but been there and done that!! Twice in fact, came across it years ago, checked it out, threw it away and forgot about it, then got all excited when I found it again recently ;D The places are correct, the names and dates are SOOOO close. The problem I have is that in 1841 as far as I can tell James was still single and lodging on a farm. Also I think Helen in 1841 was still single and working on a farm. There IS the possibility that he was married and working on a farm where he couldn't get 'married quarters' so Helen was living elsewhere. I'm going round in circles on this one because whichever way I go there is always a bit of information missing or something I can't verify completely. I can't trace an Elizabeth Hutson from the information I have, Helen doesn't have a sister Elizabeth as far as I can see, so maybe a cousin. Someone did tell me that Elizabeth's were sometimes called Helen, but she was definitely baptized as Helen, and is Helen in all certificates I have for her. But thanks again, anyway.
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I think the date on the register is incorrect and it should be 21/01/1842 as the couple gave in their names to marry on 7/01/1842 so they wouldn't have been together in 1841
The name Helen unfortunately is not another name for Elizabeth but I can't see an Elizabeth is the 1841 census - Have you found Helen in the census??
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Is this the family? http://scottishindexes.com/61transcript.aspx?houseid=75301014
If so have you looked at the birth certificate for one of the children born after 1855? The date and place of Helen and James' marriage should be on there. (see http://scottishindexes.com/learningcivil.aspx#q2)
Emma
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I'm not sure if I can reply to each of your answers seperately so:
Kay99 - thanks, I missed that on your last message, saw it after I'd replied. That date would definitely fit better. I think I've found Helen in the census, unfortunately there is a Helen Hutson domestic servant in Glasgow and a Helen Hoodson farm servant in Melrose. Of the two I think the Helen Hoodson the more likely a) because she comes from an agricultural family and b) becuase she would be unlikely to meet James in Glasgow as far as I know. It's possible that Elizabeth Hutson could be a 'Betty' or 'Betsy' in the census, or something similar? I've never managed to track her down but it's always possible I've missed something. Unfortunately as I haven't been able to track down any of James' siblings I don't know if he had a cousin James either, there were rather a lot of James Keddies in the census. (Can't you just see the next query that will be going up? ;D)
Emma - thanks for the reply. Yes that's them. From 1851 on they're very easy to find in general, there are so many of them. I have two birth certificates, one for 1856 and one for 1858 but neither has a marriage date on, just the parent's names. I've noticed before that none of my very early certificates have marriage dates, I always assumed that they only started doing that after a certain date. Maybe some registrars were just late in getting the memo ;D
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try a different tack
if they were non-conformists (as are a lot in this area) check out the church records, because up until 1855 most of their BMD's were not in the OPR
the IGI has some of their kids listed and helen in ashkirk is listed
the census' show some info
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thanks for your help terianne - I have Helens details from IGI, but have so far only been able to find the marriage mentioned by Kay99 above. I'm going to recheck all the details again now after Kay99s comments and see if there is anything else I haven't spotted before. The only problem I have with that certificate is that she is Helen, not Elizabeth, and I can't fathom why she would have been recorded as Elizabeth. If she had been recorded as Elizabeth somewhere else as well I could accept it more easily, but she always seems to appear as Helen.
Thanks everyone for the help
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in the igi - helen shows up in Ashkirk
the marriage between james & helen could have been non-conformist and only recorded by the Minister in the church or session record - Until the 1855 not all BMD's were registered - usually depended on the Minister or Clerk's record keeping
If you could find the Birth cert of one of their children born after 1855 it may have their marriage date below their names (this is common)
they are farming stock so probably moved a lot with the Hiring
try searching the church records at the national archive (non-conformists = CH3) NB: of the church record are also held at the Hub in Hawick - worth trying their first.
Did some digging and found helen's death at camieston St Boswells 12 may 1890
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hi terianne - I have the birth certs for two of the sons born after 1855 and neither has a marriage date on. Many of the certificates I have around that period have no marriage date on, just the parents names. The marriage dates are on the birth certs that are slightly later though.
Thanks for the info about the hub - I went on there last night to have a look. Nothing I found was helpful with the Keddie/Hutsons but there were some interesting artefacts like Dr Muirs diary and information about a James Stoddart who was a grocer - Stoddart is another family I am interested in, so I'll go back there later when I'm in 'Stoddart' mood as he fits in the right age bracket for 'my' James Stoddart :)
I have nearly all the death certificates for the family and most of the marriage ones, it's just the earlier pre-1840 stuff I'm a bit stuck with. I'll re-evaluate the 'Elizabeth Hutson' certificate and census information for the period and see where I geet to.
I appreciate all the help and advice from everyone, so thanks.