RootsChat.Com

thanks, she could still be alive am guessing, he was just wondering if he could find anyway of knowing if she was still alive but impossible as she coud have remarried or anything,  he may consider doing it officially now.

Thanks both of you, will investigate ths!

Anyone any ideas on how to identify other records of this David wotton around this area at this time?

Hi I have the record of David Wootton Whielaw born 19 Feb 1860 in Straiton as there is a record of birth there to Jane Whitelaw, registered illegitimate,and witnessd by a WIlliam Whitelaw which birth vert states as uncle. I have the birth certificate copy. (no father mentioned, name of child registred as David Wootton Whitelaw))  By 1880 he was known as David WHitelaw Wotton, when he got married to Isabella Cockburn in Kilmadock.  His birthplace has been confirmed by family trees on Ancestry.com,but no further details from the tree members, who unfortunately were researching Isabellas line not his.

Scotland Births and Baptisms 1564-1950 Transcription
Print transcription
First name(s) David Wootten
Last name Whitelaw
Gender Male
Birth year 1860
Birth place Straiton,Ayr,Scotland
Baptism year -
Baptism date -
Baptism place -
Father's first name(s) -
Father's last name -
Mother's first name(s) Jane
Mother's last name Whitelaw
Place Straiton
County Ayrshire
Country Scotland
Record set Scotland Births & Baptisms 1564-1950
Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
Subcategory Births & baptisms
Collections from Great Britain.

It would appear he was given away boarded out from then on, there are records of a David Morten Whitelaw in 1861 census, one year old, living in Maybole, with the a family named White.  Maybole is the next village to Straiton..
David Morten Whitlow
in the 1861 Scotland Census
Name: David Morten Whitlow
Age: 1
Estimated birth year: abt 1860
Relationship: Boarder
Gender: Male
Where born: Maybole, Ayrshire
Registration Number: 605
Registration district: Maybole
Civil Parish: Maybole
County: Ayrshire
Address: Kirklands
ED: 7
Household schedule number: 9
LINE: 22
Roll: CSSCT1861_88
Household Members:
Name Age
John White 30
Jean White 36
Barbara White 9
Margaret White 7
John White 7
Jean White 5
James W White 3
David Morten Whitlow 1

. I know census results were often wrongly recorded namewise around this time and after extensive searching these seem to tally.

 and then a David Wotten in 1871 census, living with a family named Servet in 1871 in Dalkeith, aged 11.  Gives birthpalce as Dalkeith but I have had this pointed out by an ancestry member that the fostering parents may not have known his birthplace..  There are no records of a David Wotten or WHitelaw or name variations born around this time in Dalkeith..

David Wotten
in the 1871 Scotland Census
Name: David Wotten
Age: 11
Estimated birth year: abt 1860
Relationship: Boarder
Gender: Male
Where born: Edinburgh, Midlothian
Registration Number: 683
Registration district: Dalkeith
Civil Parish: Dalkeith
Town: Dalkeith
County: Midlothian
Address: Lugton
Occupation: Scholar
ED: 8
Household schedule number: 49
LINE: 16
Roll: CSSCT1871_155
Household Members:
Name Age
Robert Servet 49
Helen Servet 48
Robert Servet 21
Helen Servet 16
Jean Servet 7
David Wotten 11
Eliza Welsh 10


David Whitelaw Wotton was married to Isabella Cockburn in Kilmadock in 1880.  On his marriage cert, he states his father as a David Wotton,  shoemaker.  This is the only possible info I have re the father.  I know Wotton or Wootton is an English name, so he was possibly fathered by an Englishman, a visitor to the region, anything really.  I have all the records for David (Whitelaw) Wotton who maried Isabella Cockburn from then on, census results etc and he did die in Possilpark, you are correct on that.  Its just the possible father I'm trying to find... of course it maybe that David (Whitelaw) Wotton born Wootton Whitelaw just assumed his father was David and assumed he was a shoemaker, may not be true at all. 
Just trying to investigate all possible mentions of a possible David Wotton senior in Scotland living in Scotland... there are no Woottons or Wottons on census reults about this time for the possible father...and the only thing i found was this record of innkeeper in Anstruther from 1889.  a record of a David Wotton innkeeper of Railway Tavern Anstruther Wester in Fife, lately dead, no age - a trust deed advert in East Fife Record 1st February 1889. Image is from the index cards from Cupar Library, Fife.  From newspaper records i can see the pub changed hands on 26 December 1888.   Is unlikely it is him, just wanted to try and get some info with possible birthdates etc to see if he could have been the father of the David Whitelaw Wotton... given that his father was indeed a David Wotton.  Is so difficult with name mispellings and changes over the years!