RootsChat.Com
Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Lanarkshire => Topic started by: dancingscottie on Monday 17 December 18 19:26 GMT (UK)
-
I'm trying to trace details of my maternal grandfather.
He was born (according to DNA) to a Robert Miller and Euphemia Crerar. It seems Euphemia was married to someone else at the time, and so my grandfather was "given" to another family, the McNicol's.
John McNicol married my grandmother Margaret Gilkison in 1948 at Bridgeton Methodist Church. They had two children. He was in the Navy, they lived in Wales for sometime before returning to Pollock area. He then disappeared. He went to sea and never returned (he did not die, he just fled his family).
It is believed he may have also reverted to John Miller at this time.
Can anyone help me figure out how to find where he may have gone, and what his life looked like? I'm working on the assumption that he is now deceased, of course.
This topic is very painful for my mother, and my grandmother certainly never spoke his name to us. He left her alone with two small children, understandable that they closed the door on that chapter.
Thank you in advance.
-
Hi Euphemia who died in 1951 at Aberfeldy had other name Rees which would match with a marriage between Euphemia Crerar and Alexander John Rees in 1921 at Aberfeldy There is a birth in 1929 in Aberfeldy of a John McNicol Crerar this would possibly be your grandfather
-
Also the marriage between your grandparents has been indexed 4 times under the surnames of Duff, McNicol, Miller and Crerar which shows he used those surnames through his life at one point
-
Welcome to Rootschat
Rootschat has a no living persons policy so we have to be careful what information is given as he may still be alive. Have you obtained a copy of the 1948 marriage cert to establish who he named as his parents?
Also - the 1929 birth cert may yield some information
-
Yes, absolutely understand the "no living person" policy. Makes sense, unfortunately, I have not been able to CONFIRM for certain that he has died, I am only going by the fact that every other person of that generation in my family has passed - the youngest who would have been his sister in law - died in 2015.
Attached is the marriage certificate I obtained.
-
Hi Euphemia who died in 1951 at Aberfeldy had other name Rees which would match with a marriage between Euphemia Crerar and Alexander John Rees in 1921 at Aberfeldy There is a birth in 1929 in Aberfeldy of a John McNicol Crerar this would possibly be your grandfather
Thank you. I didn't think to look for him using Crerar.
-
Hi Euphemia who died in 1951 at Aberfeldy had other name Rees which would match with a marriage between Euphemia Crerar and Alexander John Rees in 1921 at Aberfeldy There is a birth in 1929 in Aberfeldy of a John McNicol Crerar this would possibly be your grandfather
That does sound right, yes. I don't have that birth record, however. The name Alexander J Rees has shown up in my research, also, although I didn't have the dots connected correctly that he would be my great, great grandfather! Thank you.
-
The marriage between Euphemia and James Duff was in 1924 in Bonhill Her name is indexed as Euphemie this Euphemia died 1977 in Vale of Leven mothers ms Cowan age 73 There is a marriage between a Donald Crerar and Jemmia Cowan in 1896 in Bonhill and a birth of a Euphemia Crerar in Bonhill 1903 so not sure about the 1929 birth in Aberfeldy
-
There is also a birth of a John McNicol Miller b1929 in Bonhill which could also possibly be your grandfather which would fit better with the Euphemia who married James Duff
-
He was in the Navy, they lived in Wales for sometime before returning to Pollock area. He then disappeared. He went to sea and never returned (he did not die, he just fled his family).
Roughly what year did he disappear?
Was he in the Royal or the Merchant navy?
Having his actual birthdate could be useful when looking for a death for him
-
He was in the Navy, they lived in Wales for sometime before returning to Pollock area. He then disappeared. He went to sea and never returned (he did not die, he just fled his family).
Roughly what year did he disappear?
Was he in the Royal or the Merchant navy?
Having his actual birthdate could be useful when looking for a death for him
Disappearance in the early 1960s from what I can gather. Royal Navy (with no particular status or rank), and 1929 seems to be the birth estimate, but I can't find definitive documentation yet.
-
Dancingscottie you can view 1929 births at General register House in Edinburgh and a few other locations otherwise you would need to order it from Scotlands People
-
The marriage between Euphemia and James Duff was in 1924 in Bonhill Her name is indexed as Euphemie this Euphemia died 1977 in Vale of Leven mothers ms Cowan age 73 There is a marriage between a Donald Crerar and Jemmia Cowan in 1896 in Bonhill and a birth of a Euphemia Crerar in Bonhill 1903 so not sure about the 1929 birth in Aberfeldy
Has her middle name:
DUFF James CRERAR Euphemie Watson 1924 493/ 91 Bonhill
Jamjar
-
If he was in the RN and at sea, I think money (an allotment) from his wages would have been going directly to your grandmother for support. I am not sure but I think this was a statutory requirement although I am happy to be corrected if this was not the case.
If this stopped - it would be because he left the RN and presumably your grandmother would have contacted them when the money ceased and been told that.
There is an outside possibility the RN have further info but they would not give it to your mother without proof of her fathers death - which is a mystery at the moment.
Do you know if your grandmother ever applied for a divorce?
-
Birth:
DUFF JOHN MCNICOL M 1929 493/ 113 Bonhill
There are only 4 DUFF children (boys) born in Bonhill between 1924 and 1942.
Jamjar
-
Have you connected the Crerar and the McNicol families. Could he have been given to a family member?
Added: How do you know he was ‘given’ to a McNicol family?
Jamjar
-
The 1911 census CREARAR 493/ 12/ 13 Bonhill Dunbarton
Donald 38
Jemima 38
Lizzie 12 - CRERAR ELIZABETH HERDM 1899 493/ 46 Bonhill
Donald 10 - CRERAR DONALD STEWART 1900 493/ 428 Bonhill
Euphemia 7 - CRERAR EUPHEMIA 1903 493/ 334 Bonhill
Catherine 2 - CRERAR CATHERINE STEWA 1908 493/ 391 Bonhill
CRERAR JEMIMA COWAN F 1911 493/ 365 Bonhill
Marriage:
CRERAR Donald COWAN Jemima 1896 493/ 91 Bonhill
1901 census CRERAR 493/ 13/ 27 Bonhill Dunbarton
Donald 28
Jemima 28
John 4 - CRERAR JOHN HERDMAN 1896 493/ 338 Bonhill
Elizabeth H 2 - CRERAR ELIZABETH HERDM 1899 493/ 46 Bonhill
Donald 0 - CRERAR DONALD STEWART 1900 493/ 428 Bonhill
Jamjar
-
I agree with Wendy on the death of Euphemia:
CRERAR Euphemia 74 mmn COWAN 1977 503/ 277 Vale Of Leven
DUFF Euphemia 74 mmn COWAN 1977 503/ 277 Vale Of Leven
Jamjar
-
Just to add the John McNicol Miller registration in Bonhilll is the same one as the John McNicol Duff in Bomhill also indexed under Crerar and Miller
As he is registered under Miller his father went and registered him with your gt grandmother and his name will be on the certificate
It also appears to have been registered in Springburn as well I would guess this is because your Grt grandmother was married to James Duff and John wasn't his child she had him away from the family home and he was born and registered in Springburn but also it was forwarded on to Bonhill as that was her usual residence
-
Just to add the John McNicol Miller registration in Bonhilll is the same one as the John McNicol Duff in Bomhill also indexed under Crerar and Miller
As he is registered under Miller his father went and registered him with your gt grandmother and his name will be on the certificate
It also appears to have been registered in Springburn as well I would guess this is because your Grt grandmother was married to James Duff and John wasn't his child she had him away from the family home and he was born and registered in Springburn but also it was forwarded on to Bonhill as that was her usual residence
Really helpful, thank you EVERYONE!!! I was so confused about all these different names and locations... it seems like the mud is clearing.
-
Have you connected the Crerar and the McNicol families. Could he have been given to a family member?
Added: How do you know he was ‘given’ to a McNicol family?
Jamjar
My Mum was able to tell me that about him. She vaguely remembers her Grandma McNicol, and knew that there was an affair with a bus driver.... I don't know how the McNicols came to be involved, but I was told that they "helped a woman out of a situation."
-
I still have been unable to find any more information on John McNicol-Miller-Crerar.
I've been searching for a death certificate, but as it is impossible to know where he might have gone after abandoning his wife and two children, and him going by multiple names, its so hard.
Any advice welcomed.