Lookup request for James Clark and Isabella Lawrance

[MonicaL]

Tracey

Looking good  From the 1871 Census, everyone showing as born in Edinburgh except Laban:

Laban Lawrence    30, Foot Officer Slamper (?!), b. England
Jane Lawrence    29
Joseph Lawrence 5
Margt C Lawrence 4
Elizth M Lawrence 2

Address: 4 Milne Square, Edinburgh High Church

And in 1881:

Laban Lawrence    40, Porter General Post Office, b. England
Jane Craig Lawrence 39
Joseph Lawrence 15
Margaret Craig Lawrence 14
Mary Squire Lawrence 9
Alexander F Lawrence 7
Laban Lawrence    5
William M Lawrence 2
Jane Craig Lawrence 7 Mo

Address: Specific address not given on index but showing in Edinburgh St Giles


Unusual name Laban, only two entries coming up for Laban Lawrence in the whole of Scotland. Probably father (b. circa 1840) and (son b. circa 1876):

1   1887   LAWRENCE   LABAN           M   47   ST GILES   EDINBURGH CITY/MIDLOTHIAN   685/04 1038   
2   1926   LAWRENCE   LABAN           M   50   COLINTON   EDINBURGH CITY/MIDLOTHIAN   685/14 0152

Regards.

Monica

[Traceyelizabeth]

Roy

I have been looking for the same info at the same time!!  goodness you're quick!  I've gone a bit further:
Jane died in May 1885 in childbirth, and then Laban died in 1887 of cancer?.  All those children left alone!!  it's all a bit sad. 

Any ideas what would have happened to the children?  7 of them ranging from about 7 years old to 20.

Have found Laban (jnr) death cert for 1926... he was married to Elizabeth McLeod who happens to be his Auntie Matilda's daughter (was that legal?). 

T

[MonicaL]

Tracey

I'm Monica not Roy 

Monica 

[MonicaL]

One possibility for the older children in 1891:

Joseph Lawrence 25, Rubber Worker
Margt Lawrence    24, sister, Clerkess (Unemployed)
Mary Lawrence    19, sister, House Keeper
Alexr Lawrence    17, brother, Telegraph Messenger
Euphemia Lawrence 9, sister
Francis Godfrey 27, boarder, vanman b. Edinburgh

Address: 5 Murray St Edinburgh St Cuthberts

[Traceyelizabeth]

sorry for calling you 'Roy' !!!  I think i've been at the computer too long!

Thanks for the info, will check it out.

Tracey

[Traceyelizabeth]

I am doing much better with my searching now... things are falling into place nicely!  thanks for all the help.

Can anyone tell me though, is it usual for ages to be a bit 'off'??   Joseph Lawrence, christened 1815 (same parents as on death cert), manages to get married at 'age 19' in 1838 (surely he would have been 24?).  all the way through on the Census returns and his death cert his age is more like a birth date of 1818, not 1815...  did they randomly chop years off records just to confuse us?!  All the other info adds up, i.e. profession, spouse, parents, children etc... 

Also, I know that him and his wife, Elizabeth Morris, were both born in England and went to Edinburgh with their eldest son, Laban (christened 1841 in England).  trouble is, I can't find an 1841 Census for either England or Scotland for them...  is it possible they were travelling up to Scotland at the time?   Laban was born in 1840 I think, so he would have been a baby.  If they were staying somewhere would they have been listed as 'travellers' or something?

Thanks for any help!
Tracey

[MonicaL]

Hi Tracey

Always be open minded on people's ages    Exact ages were not important in those times, indeed many people may not have remembered their exact birth day - a sign of the times. Always worthwhile adding a +/- x years when you are carrying out exact searches on the censuses and death at age.

When searching the 1841 census, also bear in mind that ages were supposed to be rounded down to the nearest 5 years for everyone over 15, children should show their actual age. Not always followed by the enumerator, but in most cases this was.

Regards.

Monica 

[flst]

In response to Roy's question -Yes, it is usual to find women's maiden names on Scottish headstones & also on censuses if they're widowed.
flst

[MonicaL]

In Scotland, Scottish women never legally 'lost' their maiden names and could/ would use their maiden name on a number of registrations even though married or widowed. The 1841 census in particular often shows married women under their maiden names in their family's household entry.

Monica