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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Dumfriesshire => Topic started by: aidansrest on Tuesday 18 April 17 13:18 BST (UK)
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Hi
Can anybody help trace a baptism for:
Christian Prior born c1844 in Langholm/Westerkirk daughter of James Prior (born c1817 in Norfolk)and his wife, Mary Waugh, (born 1818 in Langholm).
I am convinced that Christian is their daughter, but she appears to live with her maternal grandparents, William Waugh and Ann Young throughout her life.
Her father was a gamekeeper and moved around Scotland and England, but took his wife and children with him.
They also appear to have had another daughter, Joyce, born around 1844 too, so if anyone can find her baptism that would be great!
Thanks
Sue
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Hello
Did you see the 1851 census Croy Inverness address Cantraybrea?
James Prior age 34 Gamekeeper born England
Margaret wife age 32 born Langholm Dumfries
James son age 12 Langholm
William son age 10 Langholm
Mary Ann dau age 9 born England
Joyce dau age 7 Langholm
Adelaide dau age 5 Forres Moray
Devenas?? dau age 2 Forres
There is a Joyce age 7 born 1844
1861 Margaret is Mary
Devenas is son Davidson but I think should be girl
1861 Featherstone Northumberland
James age 44 born Norfolk Gamekeeper
Mary wife age 42 Scotland
Joyce dau age 17 Scotland
Davidson age 13 son Scotland
James son age 9 son Scotland
John son age 6 Scotland
Adelaide dau age 16 Scotland
Maria L dau age 3 Scotland
the other James son must have died
Pam
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Did Christian have a son James in 1868, Westerkirk?
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XYYW-Y1S
Trying to find a death or marriage for her in Scotland - so far, I'm not having any luck. Do you have any info for her after 1868?
Gadget
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I see that James is listed as Ann Waugh's great grandson in 1871:
Bentpath, Westerkirk
Ann Waugh, widow, 75, b. Canonbie
Janet Young, sister, unm, 85, b. -do-
William Murray, grdson, unm, 31, ag lab, b. Dumfriesshire
James Prior, grt grdson, 2, b. -do-
Thomas McMurdo, lodger, m, 64, carter, b. -do-
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Hi
Yes, she did - James is my husband's great grandfather, he died in Seaham in 1952.
No sign of Christian after his birth; James was brought up by his maternal great, grandparents, William and Ann Waugh, Christian's maternal grandparents.
Can follow her father, Mother and siblings without a problem; but she disappears before 1871
Sue
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It's very odd how she disappears - I've done a couple of trawls for her in Scotland and Eng&Wales but just nothing. Do you have James's birth cert 1868? If so what address does it give?
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Hi
Sorry I don't have James' birth certificate, just his baptism record which confirms Christian as his mother (no father).
Christian registered her grandfather's death in 1866 and then had James' in 1868, before disappearing.
James remained with his great grandparents, so I was assuming that she had died or remarried before 1871. I fear that she may have died.
Sue
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Hi again
When/where did James (1868) marry ?
Also, I couldn't find anything for Joyce's birth/baptism. Their ages suggests that they could well be twins. Maybe, Christian was left with her grandparents for domestic reasons.
Gadget
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Hi
James married in St John's Church, Seaham Harbour on the 12th July 1899 (I think, don't have my documents in front of me).
He left Scotland around 1886 after joining the 11th Hussar's (Prince Albert's Own) and served abroad in South Africa and India.
I'm assuming after he was discharged he was making his way back to Scotland when he met his future wife, Hannah, in Seaham, as they married less than a year after his discharge date.
He never returned to Scotland, and named his cousin, Thomas Murray, as his next of kin on his army papers.
Sue
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Just looked at it in Durham Records (12 July 1899) - sadly he did what my grandfather did and gave his own name for his father. Such a pity E&W certificates don't give mother's details :(
Added - I see that James was born at his gandparents home.
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Thanks Gadget for all your help - at least we know alittle more about him now!
Sue
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Were you aware then of a Flora Prior, daughter of James Prior and Mary Waugh who died at Bentpath, Westerkirk in May 1873 aged 27 (so born about 1846, I guess, though no birth record shows up)? Flora married Matthew Peat of Lanark at Gretna Green in January 1871. I was wondering if 'Flora' was possibly a pet name for Christian.
Ian
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Interesting, Ian - did you see the marriage cert to get the witnesses names?
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Death cert certainly looks correct - apart from age but that is only what is known to informant. Also same address as census and James' birthplace.
Excellent find :)
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Yes, it is in the Gretna Green register in Anc*try, so not on SP. The witnesses are two women - Mary Elizabeth [can't read the surname] and Mary Goodfellow. I'm guessing (from my personal experience as a witness once at GG) that these are either two passers-by or local professional witnesses.
The father named in Flora's death record is also described as a gamekeeper, which also seems to confirm the family.
Ian
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Think I've now made the defeinite link to Flora - I remember seeing her on one of the censuses as Christina F - looked back and it's the 1861
Bentpath, Westerkirk
William Waugh, 75
Anne, 65
Christina F Prior, grand daughter, general servant, b Dumfriessshire
Added - so far not found the couple on the 1871.
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Wow! This is fantastic news! I can't thank you all enough for your help and interest!
James Prior (Christian/Flora's son), names his first child Flora which just adds to the evidence.
Sue
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Although not related to James Prior, I think that this is Matthew Peat and his new family in 1881:
Hill Cottage, Lochrutton, Kirkcudbrightshire
Mathew Peat, m, 37, Railway surfaceman, b. Lanark
Mary, w, 27, b. Kirkcudbrighshire
Mary, d, 6, b. Troqueer
Elen, d, 5, b. -do-
Annie, 3, b. Kirkcudbrightshire
Jane, 1, b. -do-
There is a marriage between Matthew Peat and Mary Morgan in Lochrutton in 1874.
Gadget
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Think I've found them in 1871 in Carlisle, in what looks like a lodging house. Indexed as Prat - possibly one of those funny es that look like rs, although other es on the page are 'normal'
Barwise Court, Blackfriars Street,
RG10/5217/42/30
Elizabeth Hetherington, 65, b. Cumberland
...
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Mathew Prat, lodger, 27,sawyer, b; Scotland
Flora Prat, lodge, 26, b. Scotland
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......which is only 25 miles from Featherstone Castle, where James and Mary Prior were living in 1861 with some of their family, including 17yo Joyce.
Mat(t)hew Peat died in 1925 at the age of 85, still at Lochrutton and by then a widower.
Ian
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I'm still thinking that Christian Flora and Joyce were probably twins . Such a pity that there's no birth record. I wonder if there might be something in the Kirk Sessions records?