The Strang's

[Mells]

Sancti, 

Re. your doubts regarding the children of John STRANG & Janet IZATT:  Yes, let’s not leave out James, b. 1767, and Janet. b. 1774.  And, of course, John, b. 1757 (he who m. Margaret WESTWATER).  But there is also William, christened 1 Apr 1770 in Tulliallan.       M.

   

[sancti]

Mells, I have no doubts. I was interested in how you sourced them 

[tommacgregor]

Hello Mells,,

It's nine in the morning here in Melbourne, and I got up a bit later than usual and read my incoming mail. Absolutely delighted, lass, to see that all the work that the three "Must Get There's" is making sense at last. With my name, Thomas, I'm supposed to be "Doubting Thomas", but, I don't give up too easily.

I have written out several new Ancestral Charts, (all in beautiful, old-fashioned copperplate, of course!), and instead of just the normal parent's data, inserted the names of the children as well. What a difference that makes! I still tend to do a lot of things in the old-fashioned way although I used to be South Pacific Regional Consultant for one of the largest computer companies in the world! I am constantly amazed at the huge advances in technology, and some of the neighbours' kids can show me a thing or two.

The co-operation between Sancti, you and I, demonstrates what really can be done. I see it as a team effort with good friends trying to reach the same objective. What I will now do with all of the new information, is continue to put together the true story of the Strang family using all of the tools available.

Hey, "Sancti", what's the best way of printing out just a solitary posting instead of the entire "thread". Is it just a Print Screen operation, or what? Since the information is contained on the posting, I see little point in hand-writing out the same information whilst conducting further research.

Probably, I'm the one in our little team that has the most time to spare, but you and Sancti have the "tools". I think that this isn't a bad situation, how about you?

I'll just have a shower and get ready to take my wife to the shops and then really have a closer examination of your latest postings. I feel sure that Sancti will do a bit of spitting and spluttering when I say, welcome to the "New Tricks" team! To other researchers: "Sancti" will know that I'm only pulling his leg and that Mells and I, as well as many of you out there, greatly appreciate his on-going assistance.

Kind Regards,


Tom.

[tommacgregor]

Hello Mell, "Sancti" and other researchers,

Now you can see, how even some of the most difficult situations can gradually be eroded away. Note that I didn't say all of them.

John STRANG, who was christened 13th March, 1692 at Tulliallan married Katharine Henderson after marrying Margaret Thomson when he was only 16 years old, (I think!). You will have noted Mell's comments about a witness named Joseph Thomson as well as 90 year-old Margaret STRANG, the widow of a John THOMSON.

Incidentally, I noted Mells comment about Halbeath and Wellwood Colliery. Halbeath, of course, was my mother's "stamping ground" when she was just a little girl. Cowdenbeath is where quite a few of my relatives still live.

It looks as if I'm going to be in for quite a busy time researching some of these families - including the THOMSONS. Busy time or not, you know that I enjoy doing it, and when I have a few extra tools at my disposal, will be able to do quite a reasonable job for you.

Kind Regards,


Tom.

[Mells]

Sancti,  The sources I use for the pre-1855 data are from the OPR, mostly using films and/or the cds supplied by the LDS.

[Mells]

I think I have caught up on my 'reading assignments' here at rootschat.    I have the same info going back to dear old Bessie PEACOCK.  I love that name!  Unfortunately, my BESSIE files are/were on PAF, but since getting my new computer that is going to have to be resurrected.

Remember, Elspeth is also a nickname for Euphemia.

I do have one question, Tom.  What is the controversy you refer to in this statement --

<<<. . . . about the John STRONG/STRANG marriage to Janet Izat(t). What appears to be surrounded by some controversy, is that John Strang, (spelt STRONG)was christened on 10th April, 1757, and he had a number of brothers and sisters, including Andrew, Katharine, (named after her grandmother?),Agnes, Helen and Janet.>>>

I mentioned to Sancti that I get my info from the LDS cds and films.  Well, I haven't looked at the actual films for Tulliallan, Alloa, Culross, etc.  Probably should order those films up.  You can find valuable little tidbits in them.  For example, the birth record of Andrew STRANG, b. 1793 to STRANG/WESTWATER, stated that Andrew's father was a coal hewer from Alloa.   


Tom, you say you have Cowdenbeath rellies.  I do, too.  My parents grew up there and married there.  We'll have to compare family names sometime.

  M.

[tommacgregor]

Hello Mells,

Nice to hear from you again. The controversy that I was writing about was simply the different spelling of the Surname, i.e. STRANG/STRONG, but I believe that we can now put that to rest - at last!

Yes, As I have mentioned in several of my postings, the CD's available from the LDS can be quite useful. I suggested this to "Beansgram" some time ago and she went right ahead and purchased some. I only managed to spend a rather short time at the LDS because of my health condition, but whilst there, managed to get quite a decent amount of information by using Gregg Shorthand - something that I was taught back in the Stone Age. Using a combination of CD's from the LDS and the Fife Family History Society should be a reasonably good idea - andd that comment isn't meant to be a slight on ScotlandsPeople or Ancestry, which are wonderful sources of information.

It's my understanding that there is a User's Guide to the Pre-1855 Deaths in Fife CD, but don't be surprised if I ask you the occasional question by e-mail!

I'm most interested to hear that you too have "rellie's" living in the Cowdenbeath area. Some of mine live just round the corner from the railway station, in Union Street. The Livingstone's and Gourlay's.

When you noted that Andrew STRANG, son of John STRANG and Margaret Westwater had his father down as a coal-hewer from Alloa in Clackmannanshire, that made me sit up a bit. I was under the impression that his father was born and married at Tulliallan in nearby Perthshire.

Talk to you later.

Kind Regards,


Tom.

[tommacgregor]

Hello Mells, Sancti & other researchers

In order to make things even clearer, and cement various relationships in the STRANG family, I pounced on those old, dog-eared records of mine once again to give you the following information:

John Thomson was born on the 23rd of August, 1802 at dear old Halbeath in Fife. He was the son of James Thomson and Margaret BOWMAN. When he was about 25 years of age, he married Margaret STRANG on the 31st of August, 1828. The poor man died at the early age of 34, on the 4th February, 1837 at Halbeath.

Margaret STRANG was born about 1803 at Crossgates, (only a short distance from Halbeath). Her parents were John STRANG and Elizabeth (Betsy) Izatt. She died on the 6th of August, 1893, at the ripe old age of 90 years.

Their children:

James Thomson born 29th July, 1829 "at Dunfermline" in Fife.
John Strang Thomson born 26th January, 1831 at Halbeath, nr Dunfermline.
Elizabeth Thomson born 30th April, 1833 at Halbeath nr. Dunfermline.
Archibald Thomson born 15th January, 1835 at Halbeath nr. Dunfermline.
Robert Strang Thomson born 14th January, 1837 at Halbeath nr. Dunfermline.
Margaret Thomson born about 1839 at Crossgtes, nr. Dunfermline.

So, there we are, quite a nice slice of information for you. Researchers of the Thomson and Bowman families will now have a handy bit of data with which to work on.

Kind Regards,


Tom.

[tommacgregor]

Hello All,

You will have noticed, I'm sure, that "Mells" is showing quite an interest in the Strangs, and working very closely with "Sancti" and I. It's really great to see this, and is exactly what I like to see. We are a friendly bunch of people on RootsChat, and really do enjoy assisting each other.

On a recent posting, "Mells" made mention of May Strang, the daughter of John STRANG and Elizabeth (Betsy) Izatt. May was born around 1821 and eventually went on to marry a William Campbell on the 17th of December, 1841. Life can be a funny old thing and so, I thought that you may want to ponder on this:

Elizabeth (Betsy) Izatt's parents were William Izatt and Margaret Simpson who married at Alloa in Clackmannanshire on the 21st of August, 1778. Elizabeth was born to them on New Year's Day, 1782 at Culross in Perthshire.

However, I wonder how many of you realise that Elizabeth's maternal grand-parents were William Simpson and, would you believe it - Janet CAMPBELL.Now, I'm an enquiring old so-and-so, (amongst other things!), so I wonder whether there is a connection with this Janet CAMPBELL and the William CAMPBELL who married May STRANG at Aberdour in December, 1841.

Rightly or wrongly, that kind of "coincidence" appeals to me, and when I investigate such things, it's surprising what I am able to uncover. Although I probably have more time on my hands than many of you out there, I would suggest that you may want to spend a little bit of time investigating similar "coincidences" that appear on my postings.

Kind Regards,


Tom.