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I am currently researching my mother's mother's side of the family, who were coal mining Duncans who lived at various addresses on Overton Row, Dreghorn from the early-mid 1800's onwards. Overton Colliery was owned by Merry & Cunningham from about 1860, and I discovered, on the Scottish Mining web site, that in July 1898 "Robert Scanlon, an Overton fireman, was killed yesterday while engaged in the pit there. He was going his rounds as usual, but, unknown to some brushers who were blasting, he came on a shot just as it exploded, as was killed instantaneously."

I have searched high and low on Scotland's People for a Robert Scanlon without success, except for the 1891 Census, which shows a "Robert Scanlon" aged 3 living in Springhill Row, Dreghorn. The father, William Scanlon, is listed as a Colliery Fireman. Presumably this is a coincidence and not the Robert Scanlon who was killed in 1898.

However, in my own tree there is a Jane Scanlon, who gave birth to an illegitimate son in April 1866. The boy - named as Robert Duncan on the Statutory Register - was born at 6 Overton Row, Dreghorn and the father is named as Robert Duncan, a coal miner. Robert and Jane later married.

When I search Scotland's People for the death of a Robert Scanlon - giving 5 years leeway and covering all Counties - I get zero results. When I do the same search for Robert Duncan, there are plenty of names but nothing where the age, year and location match.

The 1871 Census Shows Robert and Janet (sic) Duncan living at 23(?) Overton Row, with sons Robert (age 5) and George (2).

I can also find nothing of relevance in Find My Past regarding Robert Scanlon or Robert Duncan, except the same Census entry.

Can anyone out there help? Is the illegitimate Robert Duncan born in 1866 the Robert Scanlon who was killed in 1898? Has the Scottish Mining web site got it wrong? Am I missing something in my search of Scotlands People? Any hints and clues, or even answers, will be much appreciated.

Sorry if this appears to be a lazy request, but I have n=been unable to find answers anywhere online.

My grandfather, a carpenter, emigrated from Scotland to Toronto around about 1912 to work at the Kodak factory. I know that the Canadian government were actively recruiting for immigrants at that time. Does anyone know if Kodak was part of this drive, or did they recruit independently.

I also understand that if men were actively recruited their passage was free or heavily subsidised. If there was no subsidy, what was the fare likely to have been.

Many thanks.

Ian

My father - John Cowan was born in Toronto in 1914. My grandfather - James Cowan - was born in Paisley, Scotland in 1879 and emigrated to Canada. My aunt - Agnes Cowan - was born in Toronto in 1916. My grandmother - Margaret Cowan (Wilson) - was born in Howwood, Scotland in 1890 and died in Toronto in 1920, after giving birth to John, Agnes and Archibald, who died as a baby.

I have found Canadian birth records for my father and aunt, Canadian death records for my grandmother, and 1921 Canadian Census records for Aunt Agnes, when she was boarded out to the Cadie family in Toronto. James, John and Agnes all returned to Scotland together in 1921, after the Census was undertaken.

My problem is that I can find no record of James or John Cowan anywhere in the 1921 Census. I hate to give up and ask for help, but can anyone trace James and John's whereabouts in 1921?

I think that my grandfather, James Cowan, emigrated to Canada around about 1905, returned to Paisley sometime later to marry Margaret Wilson in 1912, the returned to Toronto where my Father, John, was born in 1914. A daughter (Margaret?) was born in Toronto, but wife Margaret died in 1920, and James, John and Margaret (?) returned to Paisley in 1921.

I have been totally unsuccessful in finding shipping records to and from Ontario, apart from a 1905 entry. Can anyone help please?

Also, family lore has it that James worked at the Eastman Kodak factory in Toronto. It is always interesting to discover why things happened at a particular time. So, does anyone know if Kodak had a recruitment drive in Scotland around this period?

Incidentally, James was the father of Jimmy Clews Cowan - my dad's half brother - goalkeeper when Scotland beat England in 1949, when Jimmy was carried off in triumph and the game went down in football history as "Cowan's Wembley".