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Messages - KennethDavidson

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1
Lanarkshire / Re: St John's kirkyard Symington
« on: Friday 12 July 19 13:28 BST (UK)  »
Hi Sancti,

Do you have gravestone pictures for any of the following families?
Waugh-Gibson c1870, Waugh-Howison c1850s & Waugh-Lindsay c1830s?

Many thanks,

Kenneth.

2
Lanarkshire / Re: James & Margaret Davidson - Motherwell to South Africa
« on: Friday 11 January 19 15:12 GMT (UK)  »
Hi Monica,

Many thanks for all your hard work. It will take me some time to sort out all your information! However, here are some first thoughts/comments:

The FamilySearch hyperlink for Jim & Maggie death dates was my original breakthrough discovery.

The Birth Certificates (from SP) for William, Mary Helen Davidson and Robert Edward all show Motherwell addresses. I don’t have any of the younger siblings certificates yet.

James’ father William was born in Anderston, Glasgow. He lived in Uphall, Broxburn and then Queensferry (working on the Forth Railway Bridge?) for about 12 years, and had 7 children born during that time. There is no record of anyone in that family living in Hamilton.

William (b 1853) had two wives; Elizabeth Crombie (1851-1885, from Inverary) and Mary Morris (1854-1925, from Tulliallan), and had 13 children in all!

William Davidson and Elizabeth Crombie had a son called William (b 1877). I have very little on him at present. In the 1891 census, he was an apprentice joiner who lived in Beechmont Villa, Queensferry. He would have been a half brother to James (b 1891) and Peter (b 1888).

Thanks for finding what looks like a plausible history for Margaret Ann Davidson. I hope that side of that family is well understood now. I still don’t understand James vs William. Is there any official way to change names?

Thanks,

Kenneth.

3
Lanarkshire / Re: James & Margaret Davidson - Motherwell to South Africa
« on: Thursday 10 January 19 20:09 GMT (UK)  »
Hi Monica and Colin,

Yes, I have the birth certificates (SP) for James (b 1891), and children William, Mary Helen (Ellen) and Robert Edward.

James moves away from the rest of the family sometime between the 1901 Census and 1918 & 1919, when he posts a notes to the Motherwell Times regarding the deaths of two of his brothers.

I have several possible James' for his military career still to research. He was awarded MM sometime between 1915-1919, and I assume he was with a Lowland Regiment.

The years of birth for the children were estimated based on the likely marriage date of 1914-15, and the fact that the youngest child (Margaret) was born in 1926, in SA. The Ship Manifest (for June 1925) shows ages for each of the children in the right order and with generally consistent ages. James did not sail with the family. I assume he traveled out earlier to start a job. That would put his voyage as being between 1919 and June 1925.


Comments from my SA cousins:

James (Jim) married to Margaret (Maggie).

William (Bill) Davidson is the eldest of Jim’s (James’) kids, married ……..
May (Mary Ellen) b 7th Dec ?, married …..
Robert (Bob) Edward Davidson married  …..
John (Jock) married  ……
Susannah (Sue) married  …...

The children's names on the Ships Manifest match those used by the present-day family in SA, and also those names in the SP search (except that they have the father named as William!).

I'm still confused!!

Thanks,

Kenneth.


4
Lanarkshire / Re: James & Margaret Davidson - Motherwell to South Africa
« on: Thursday 10 January 19 13:32 GMT (UK)  »
Hi Colin,

The SP Birth record for James Davidson gives him no middle names. He was born in Queensferry (Mid Lothian) in 1891.

The 1901 Census records him with his parents (William & Mary) and his surviving siblings in Haldane Street, Govan.

He was missing in Motherwell for the 1911 Census, so I assume he had left home. I've not been able to trace him since.

I'm assuming he married about 1914-15, and joined the Army around that time also. I also searched the SP records for 'Mary (H)ellan, 'Robert Edward' and 'Susannah' These correspond with the names provided by the Davidsons in SA.

Before Christmas, I did a quick search on Ships Passenger records for James which showed nothing. I will go back to Kew Records sometime in the next few weeks, otherwise I really don't know what to do next.

All comments appreciated!

Thanks,

Kenneth.

5
Lanarkshire / James & Margaret Davidson - Motherwell to South Africa
« on: Wednesday 09 January 19 20:36 GMT (UK)  »
Hi,

For several years I have a been searching for the descendants of a James Davidson (b 1891 in West Lothian). I thought that after WW1 James emigrated from Motherwell to South Africa, married and brought-up a family there. My father met with some of that family in 1943 while traveling to India and Burma.

Last summer I had a breakthrough (with help from RootsChat regulars), when I discovered some letters between my parents and two of James’ daughters. This allowed me to contact several of the next generation.

All was well.

The elephant in the room was that I knew nothing about James’ wife Margaret. So I searched SP and came up with 16 possible marriages, none of which ‘looked right’. I then looked at Ships Passenger Records for SA between 1920-1930 and found that there was a family (minus father) of:

Mother: Mrs. Margaret Ann Davidson
Child 1: William
Child 2: Mary Helen
Child 3: Robert Edward
Child 4: John
Child 5: Susannah

who were travelling from Motherwell to Capetown.

The names of the children match with the names already supplied by current family members from SA. I obtained the original Birth Certificates (from SP) for William, Robert Edward and Mary Helen Davidson, and discovered that the mother, Margaret Ann Davidson (ne Williams) was married to a William Davidson!

And I cannot find any other list of names in Scotland that match.

So, has anyone got any ideas as to where else I can check?


Many thanks,

Kenneth.

6
London and Middlesex / Re: Robert Davidson & Caroline Oliver in London 1830s
« on: Friday 12 October 18 11:15 BST (UK)  »
I'll try to follow up on all this new information when I visit the NR at Kew later this month.
Thanks to everyone for their assistance.

Kenneth.

7
London and Middlesex / Re: Robert Davidson & Caroline Oliver in London 1830s
« on: Friday 12 October 18 09:58 BST (UK)  »
Thanks ShaunJ. Very interesting. I'll look through this line when I go to Kew at the end of the month.

Kenneth.

8
London and Middlesex / Re: Robert Davidson & Caroline Oliver in London 1830s
« on: Friday 12 October 18 09:56 BST (UK)  »
That's interesting. I'd not thought about the informant being mistaken. In this case the informant was his married daughter, (Jane (Jean) Watson, who would have been about 52 at that time. If there was an error of memory, then I'd expect that the name 'Caroline' was more likely correct, as William Davidson (b. 1835-30) had a daughter with that name.

I've checked for marriage records for Robert Davidson & Caroline Oliver in SP for Parish and Statutory records (1855+) nationally, with no returns (and omitting Oliver from the search).

I've also checked for marriage records for London for Robert Davidson & Caroline Oliver through Ancestry with no success.

I'm planning to be in London anyway in 2 weeks time. I was thinking about spending a few hours at  the National Records at Kew. How would I go about investigate parish records within the London area?.

9
London and Middlesex / Re: Robert Davidson & Caroline Oliver in London 1830s
« on: Friday 12 October 18 08:53 BST (UK)  »
Hi avm,

There is no reference to either parent in William & Elizabeth's marriage (from SP), or any of their census records (1851-1901, see below). Having just re-checked the SP records for 1841, 1851 & 1861, there is is no record of a Robert & Caroline Davidson in Scotland. In the 1841 Census there is a record for a Caroline Davidson (b abt 1807 in Barony, Glasgow), but wrong husband name, and wrong maiden name.

Using Ancestry data, I've tried to find a record of their marriage in England, without success.

In summary, I have:

William Davidson (b. about 1825-30, from SP Census ages)
Wedding 1850   Joiner                       Barony, Glasgow
Census 1851   Joiner         England
Census 1861   House Carpenter   England, London
Census 1871   House Wright      England
Census 1881   House Joiner      London
Census 1891   Patternmaker      England
Census 1901   Joiner House      England
Died 1907

How would I access London parish registers?

Thanks,  Kenneth.

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