Hi Tiffaney
Missed your last couple of posts - for some reason I am not getting alerts on some of my old posts. Picked up your last post by chance.
You now have confirmed in both Christina's marriage and death certs. her parents' details.............and therein lies the puzzle!
I've spent some time going back on all the details, and this where I am at:
From 1841 Free Cen, the following two families are the only possibilities that stand out in Caithness, assuming she remained there after her birth:
Family 1
SUTHERLAND William age 40 Mason b. Outside Census County
SUTHERLAND Christian age 40 b. Outside Census County (1841)
SUTHERLAND Mary age 15 b. Caithness
SUTHERLAND Elizabeth age 15 b. Caithness
SUTHERLAND Anne age 13 b. Caithness
SUTHERLAND Alexander age 10 b. Caithness
SUTHERLAND John age 9 b. Caithness
SUTHERLAND Catharine age 4 b. Caithness
Address: Brehungy, Latheron-Caithness
Two issues with this family. Father is down as Mason and we have a Catherine aged 4 rather than a Christina. However, this is the family for the children of a William Sutherland and Christina SUTHERLAND With the exception of Catherine/Christina, the children match those showing on IGI (although the IGI submitted entries are not complete). I've also looked at child Ann's marriage cert in 1855 (good year for info on certs!), mother's maiden name certainly Sutherland.
I've got the family in 1851. By 1861, Catherine, a domestic servant, is showing as younger than she is and is living unmarried with her parents, all the other children have left home. Cannnot find mother's death, but she died between 1861 and 1880. There are no Sutherland/Sutherland deaths showing on SP (which I find strange given it's a common name particularly in those parts and there are lots of couples who both have that name).
Her father William died in 1880, a widower, and in the Poorhouse (registered Pauper).
Family 2
SUTHERLAND William age 40 Farmer b.Caithness
SUTHERLAND Janet age 35 b. Caithness
SUTHERLAND Donald age 13 b. Caithness
SUTHERLAND Margaret age 11 b. Caithness
SUTHERLAND Alexander b. 7 b. Caithness
SUTHERLAND John age 5 b. Caithness
SUTHERLAND Christina age 2 Caithness
SUTHERLAND Catharine age 3m b. Caithness
Address: Shinvall, Latheron-Caithness
The only other possible family that I can find in 1841. Again some issues, mother is down as Janet (Bruce). However, this William is down as farmer which fits the description in Christina's M/D certs. The fact that Christina's M& D certs clearly state Christina Sutherland, makes me think this is not her family.
So where now from here? If I was speculating, I would wonder whether the Catherine showing with a William and Christina Sutherland was actually your Christina. She left Scotland in 1867, I wonder if this may be around the time her mother died (can't prove it given that her death details have probably been mistrascribed and are not showing under Sutherland/Sutherland).
Next stage, I would try to find the marriage cert in Scotland if it exists of a Catherine Sutherland with those parents to at least be able to discount her/family.
Also, given that we now know that this father William died in 1880, I would check what Poor Relief Records exist for him. I don't know what the Poor Relief Records are like for Caithness and what periods are available. If lucky, and they can be found, they can provide a wealth of personal information not normally available and as such might provide further clues/confirmation.
Regards.
Monica
PS: the death details of a Christina Sutherland (parents William and Christina Sutherland) which have been submitted to IGI are completely incorrect. There is one death in 1869 of a Christina Sutherland in Edinburgh. Wrong father and mother is a Christina but a different maiden name. Perfect example of how submitted entries on IGI can just be plain wrong!
