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I require some assistance and advice in finding Jame Nicol's parents, distant ancestors of mine.

Based on age records from the marriage registers in the OPRs, I know that James Nicol was born in approximately 1820. Upon doing a familysearch.org search in Fife, there is more than 1 James Nicol coming up in the results born around 1820.

He married Jane Ormrod in 1842 and had two children, Janet and William. Sometime between 1845 and 1851 Jane either died (cannot find death record) or they were divorced (can they do that back in the mid-1800's?). He remarried in 1851 (I believe) to Christian (Christina) Fraser and had more children.

Based on this information, I considered that I could locate his statutory death register and confirm the identity with the name of his spouse. Using that record, I could then find his parents' names. I had success, and located the death record with the spouse Christina Fraser and witness by his son W. Nicol. However, upon looking at the parent name section - it is blank.

I am at a loss of how to move forward on this part of the tree and need advice. Should I hire someone in Scotland? I am not sure what other resources are available to me from Canada.

I would appreciate any and all advice. Thank you in advance!

Fife Free Press on BNA reports a couple of tributes paid by the minister of Pathhead West Church, one from the pulpit at Sunday service and one at the local presbytery meeting. James Nicol had been a member of the church choir, an elder and also superintendent of the Sunday School. He had retired fr Messrs Nairn a few years previously and died in EDinburghRoyal Infirmary following an operation.
There is also a death notice in the paper on 18/7/1942 which mentions his wife Magdalene Beveridge but does not give funeral arrangements.
Isobel

Thank you very much Isobel! Although there's no information re: funeral arrangements, you have still given me some information that I never knew about my great grandfather. Unfortunately a lot of information was lost and was never passed to my father as his father (James' son) died when he was a baby. It's comforting to learn personal details about him 

So, thank you very much!
Stephanie

One possibility is to look at the minutes of the kirk session for the parish to see if there are details of the father there. If they survive they would be available to read on-line in the National Records of Scotland in Edinburgh and in some archives elsewhere in the country.

It might be useful, however, to look at the 1871 census to see if there are any suspect John Falconers in the area. The mother, of course, might have conceived the child while working, perhaps as a domestic servant, away from home, but returned there for the birth.

Thank you for the tips! I'll definitely be going to the National Records when I'm in Scotland again, maybe next year. What a wonderful idea - to look at the 1871 census for his name. I hadn't thought of that! Williamina's mother, Caroline, was a domestic servant so that may give me some idea of where to go from here.

Thanks again, much appreciated! 

There is a possible marriage showing for a couple with these names in 1924. You can view the image of the cert on Scotlands People which will let you confirm that it is the right James Nicol. It is the only entry...

Was James showing as resident in the Ediburgh area when he died? He died at the Royal Infirmary from what you found. Normally there will be a 'Usual Address' also included. This could help you determine where he may have been buried (or cremation is also possible by now). He may not have been buried in Edinburgh if he wasn't a resident there normally.

Some guidance records here www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/20019/burials_and_cremations/316/burial_records

There is also this database here www.deceasedonline.com/emails/email_20110624_1.html Couldn't see a ref to a James Nicol 1942 on this though.

Monica 

Hi Monica,

Thank you very much for that tip! I had no idea he had remarried.  I'm descended from his first wife, Elizabeth Black, so all I originally knew is that she died in 1922 and I had no idea where he went after that. I went to the local library and indeed found he remarried in 1924. So, thank you, it's much appreciated!

Also, thank you for the address tip. It appears he did live in Fife, as the other posters have mentioned, so I'll look there.

Much appreciated!

~Steph

Hello,

I need some help locating where James Nicol is buried.

He died in July 1942 at the Royal Infirmary Edinburgh. He was 71 years old, born in February of 1871 in Fife.

I just realized he remarried, and it appears her name is Magdaline Beveridge on the death record. Spelling might not be correct on that, the writing is a little tricky to read.

Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much!