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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Topic started by: DavidCowley53 on Friday 14 May 21 17:13 BST (UK)
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My Grandmother from Selkirk married a second time a gentleman from Galashiels in 1933 in Canada. In 1947 my mother took a ship to Scotland to visit her relatives on her way home she landed in New York City. On the customs form it stated: Residence Location: Canada; Residence Description: Marital Status: Single; Relative Relation to Head: Uncle.
Actually the head of the household in Canada was her step dad. Both my mum and her sister refused to be adopted. So (finally) my question is it common in Scotland to call one's step dad "uncle".
Thanks
David in Canada
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I was born in the 1930s. My father was a Scot married to an English woman. We lived in England and even unrelated neighbours who were good friends with your parents were called aunt and uncle.
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Since your mother and her sister didn’t want to be adopted by their mother’s new husband, and as it was not considered polite for children to address adults by their forename, they may have settled on addressing him as uncle. If that was the case, your mother probably, automatically gave Uncle as his relationship instead of stepfather.
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Children in the UK were always told to call adults uncle/aunt, so the next door neighbour or family friend down the street was uncle John or Auntie Mary, same with older adult cousins it was a sign of respect.
I had lots of aunts and uncles when I was a child and in reality it was only when I became an adult that I realised that many of them were not related to me at all or were my parents cousins so my cousin once removed
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My widowed grandfather remarried at the age of 71. We children (aged between 9 and 16) always called her 'Auntie Dot'.
As others have said children would never address adults by only their 'Christian' name. Neighbours would be Mrs Jones or Mr Smith whilst closer friends of our parents were 'Auntie' Jane or 'Uncle' John.
My Dad's Auntie Joyce was actually his cousin but, as Joyce was close in age to my Nan, all the family used the prefix 'Auntie'.
Tony.
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My Dad's Auntie Joyce was actually his cousin but, as Joyce was close in age to my Nan, all the family used the prefix 'Auntie'.
Tony.
My father's cousins, who were my 2nd cousins, we grew up calling them Auntie/Uncle. Guess it was just how things were back then.
Cheers
KHP
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My father's cousins, who were my 2nd cousins, we grew up calling them Auntie/Uncle. Guess it was just how things were back then.
Cheers
KHP
Don’t you mean your first cousins once removed? Your father’s cousins children are your second cousins. :D
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I am only going by the Relationship Calculator, my Father's cousins children are my 2nd cousins 1x removed. :D Oops, Dad was 1st cousin x 1 removed.
Oh well, I will go and stand in the corner ;D Recite must have glasses on! ;D
Cheers
KHP