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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: lucymags on Wednesday 29 November 17 06:41 GMT (UK)
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This is a marriage record from 1750, Edinburgh. It's mainly the last few words I'd appreciate a second pair of eyes on, please.
David Cuningham(e) baker [deduced from other refs to his occupation] in ??? [some kind of shorthand for Edinburgh, or part of Edinburgh? - same squiggle appears on several other records on the page] & Elizabeth Kirkland d. of surgeon in G??? in N???.
The last few words must refer to a place - perhaps I will find out as I search further amongst Scotland records, but if anyone has any ideas, please feel free to offer
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I think the very last word is Ratho. ???
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Google maps shows a Gogar, very close to Ratho in Edinburgh.... that might be the location of the surgeon father.
If you didn't know the groom was a baker, I'd have never guessed that, from the handwriting!
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I think the very last word is Ratho. ???
Ah - brilliant, thanks bbart! That would fit well. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratho
(When I find the father's records, that will probably confirm this.)
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Hmmm... The only possible birth record for Elis/zabeth with father James seems to be in Kilmarnock n 1720, but the search goes on... (There seem to be roads in Glasgow called "Gorget" - the asssociation is slim, but perhaps that other word denotes that he worked there?)
But if he was a doctor, I'm guessing that he'd have to have studied in either Glasgow or Edinburgh, so why would he be having babies in Kilmarnock during those years?
Oh well, I'll have to come back to this later. Thanks for your help.
Edit: I take that back - I was looking at ScotlandsPeople records, but have just had a look at FamilySearch. There seem to be a couple more possibilities there, although not in Edinburgh. The one in Glasgow looks most promising, age-wise.
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I was confused about the occupation, as I can clearly see an "x" in the word. Hmmm... Baxter? I asked Auntie Goggle and she directed me to Wiki who said:
Baxter is an Anglo-Saxon and Scottish name, originally from the English occupational surname meaning "baker," from the early Middle English bakstere and the Old English bęcere. The form Bakster was originally feminine, with Baker as the masculine equivalent, but over time both names came to apply to both men and women. Ancient variations in the spelling of the surname include Bakster, Baxstar, Baxstair, Baxstare and Baxster.[2][3]
You learn something new every day. If I stay on this forum, I'll end up clever one day. ;D
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I was confused about the occupation, as I can clearly see an "x" in the word. Hmmm... Baxter? I asked Auntie Goggle and she directed me to Wiki who said:
There is also a very useful glossary of occupations ( and other terms) on the Scotland's People ;)
https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/glossary/A?field_term_type_value[oc]=oc
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Oh, that's super-interesting, thanks Karen - I just love etymology too, can't get enough of it. :)
(And nice dog, btw - I am very partial to whippety type of dogs, having owned one myself once.)
And thanks for directing me to that list, JenB - that will come in handy. I used it to check "surgeon" as well, as I have a few Scots ancestors whose occupations were shown as such, and I was not sure whether it used to apply to any kind of doctor. Not sure the description helps, because it says "One who carries out medical operations, amputations, bleeding, etc.". I guess it was the apothecaries who doled out the drugs.
Some delightful other words in that list though - a rich mine for future perusal. I spotted Scrumpox (Skin infection, impetigo).
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Oh, that's super-interesting, thanks Karen - I just love etymology too, can't get enough of it. :)
(And nice dog, btw - I am very partial to whippety type of dogs, having owned one myself once.)
I'm one of those strange people who actually read etymology books. Sad, but true. ;D
(Thanks, JenB, too!)
Ali is beautiful. (I know - I'm biased!) He is a Galgo, possibly with a bit of something else mixed in - he's a bit solid for pure Galgo.
I spotted Scrumpox (Skin infection, impetigo).
I like that. :D
Karen
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I agree occupation is Baxter.
He is a Galgo, possibly with a bit of something else mixed in - he's a bit solid for pure Galgo.
Never heard of a Galgo - another new bit of information today ;D
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He is a beautiful dog.
The Marriage is on FreeREG and David is down as a Baker.
Trish :)
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:) :) :) Thanks.
By the way, it was a big sunflower. ;D He is greyhound-sized.
Lovely babies and cats in your photos, ladies!
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"James Kirkland Surgeon in Gogar in Ratho" may mean he is a Surgeon in Gogar and lives in Ratho.
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Thanks, everyone! And gorgeous baby and pussycats too. (Yes, I thought he looked a bit heavier than the average sighthound shape, Karen - and had never heard of Galgos, but now I am further informed by Wikipedia. Perhaps one day I'll be clever too? ;D)
Thanks for mentioning FreeReg, Trish - now that I look at it, one of the records there has been beautifully transcribed, confirming the place names too. In my excitement at having discovered ScotlandsPeople records and being able to look at some of the originals, albeit at a small cost, I hadn't got around to cross-checking all sources - just FamilySearch for a few of them. It's good to know that FreeReg seem to have good coverage of Scotland as well.
"James Kirkland Surgeon in Gogar in Ratho" may mean he is a Surgeon in Gogar and lives in Ratho.
And thanks for that, Isobel - translated "Gogar" for me, which, I see, is confirmed on the FreeReg record and transcribed as "James K surgeon in Gogar,in Ratho par.", which would confirm your interpretation.
Great to have this confirmation.
Edit:
1. Neglected to credit bbart for Gogar, sorry!
2. Does anyone have any suggestions for this abbreviation? (Not on the SP website, I checked.) "Groom parish S.W.P"
I can only think South-west parish... or perhaps it's a reference to the note below mentioning both Gogar and Ratho?