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Hi all. Having made wonderful progress (for a while) with my Scotty ancestors, I'm now back researching the London side.

My grandfather was Edward George Fuller Wells, born 1909 in Bethnal Green. His parents were Charles Edward Wells (1880, Mile End) and Ethel Rose Fuller (1880, Bethnal Green).

I'm trying to find out more about Charles' parents. His father was Charles William Wells, born 1841 in St. Giles, Cripplegate. He married a Hannah Shilton in St. George Hannover Square in 1876.  I am having trouble finding out more about Hannah. I've found a few entries from N. England, plus a Hannah Shillton (with 2 l's) in Lambeth, but they are all a bit vague.

Any Shiltons / Shilton descendants out there who may be able to help?!

Any help gratefully received.

Thanks from Germany,
Karen McD.

Hi! I'm still struggling with my McDonalds back in the 1800's and have a question regarding birthplace. Kenjo has helped me tremendously with my research and recently found a couple of possibilities for ancestors. One of them is shown as having been born in "Aberdour, Aberdeen".  I do have an RAC road map book here, and Aberdour would appear to be about 100 miles away from Aberdeen. Was Aberdour really part of Aberdeen, or was there perhaps a borough in Aberdeen that was known as Aberdour? Just curious...  Thanks, Karen McD. in Germany

I'm researching my family and have had a certain amount of success with the English records, but am stuck as far as the Scottish side goes...can anyone help?!

My grandfather, Norman Francis McDonald, was born in Edmonton, London in 1909. He allegedly had a brother, the elusive Hector. Norman's parents were Alexander Leslie McDonald/MacDonald, born ca. 1879 in Aberdeen, and Violet Frances Needham, born ca. 1879 in London. They married in Edmonton in 1903.

We know that Alexander Leslie's father was also an Alexander, also born in Aberdeen, around 1855. He was a baker. His wife was Mary A., surname unknown, born ca. 1852 in Kent, Surrey or London, depending on the records...! We do not know when they married - we're guessing at the mid to late 1870's.

Alexander Leslie had 6 siblings. His sister Elizabeth was also born in Aberdeen; the other children were born in London.

The family is shown in London on the 1881 Census, i.e. they must have moved from Aberdeen to London around 1880/1881.

We are having trouble filtering through the Scottish records from back then; there were zillions of Alexanders and many of them married ladies named Mary...

One point of interest: the family is listed as "MacDonald" on the 1881 Census, but "McDonald" in 1891 & 1901. I have traced Alex. Leslie's marriage details, which show him as MacDonald, and have ordered a certificate.

Does anyone have any useful tips for narrowing down the number of possible Alexanders?! My brother tried the ScotlandsPeople site, but after a lot of searching (and considerable expense) he had to give up without success. There are so many possibilities for finding English records free of charge via the web - is there anything similar for Scotland?

I would dearly love to be able to trace the family back further and would be grateful for any help whatsoever, however small!

Many thanks & best regards from Germany,
Karen McD.