Good morning all
I too have been digging further over the last 24 hours. But firstly thank you for your efforts as well.
is all this Royalty stuff nonsense??
Probably, but . . . Ever since my father gave me the (copy) letter 30+ years ago I've wondered too. However in the first part of the letter the writer gives details about his grandparents and relatives in Dumfriesshire - Caird, Rae, Burnet et al - no dates - but all can and have been proved. The fact that he is talking about a 'close?' relation - "my grandmother's brother" suggests that there ought to be 'something' in it
Since I last posted I have looked at John Caird's Will, his Death Certificate and earlier censuses - 1861 and 1851 anyway.
john Caird died on 9th October 1861 at Montague St. Edinburgh. He had written his Will in 1838 and the date in the 'register' is 29th October 1861 which I assume is the date of Probate. His Death Certificate gives his parent's names as Gavin Caird and Mary McLaughlan - and as Tidy pointed out - the IGI has an extracted baptism for a John Caird at Kirkinner, Wigtownshire for 5th September 1781. I did find other children baptsed to Gavin and Mary named Vilot
(sic), Jean, Ann, Robert and James. The eldest was baptised 1767 and the youngest, John, in 1787.
His Death Certificate gives his wife's name as Charlotte Averne (deceased). Her name is in the Will.
However in both the 1861 Census - the April a dew months before he died - and in 1851 his wifes name is given as Elizabeth - from A*****y so far.
Info about Charlotte is just coming through as I write. Thank you.
Knowing now more detail about John Caird Surgeon I will now pick up on Annie's origiinal suggestion and contact the library of the Royal College of Surgeons.
Now for the disconcerting news - -
The letter refers to John caird being the brother of Sarah Caird. He burial place/memorial is known giving a birth year of 1765. I think I have her baptism record - father is John caird and mother Janet Cuthbert in Dumfries. Her siblings can also be seen - but all within years of 1765 -
not the period around 1787 when Dr. John was born.
If this is the correct Dr. John than it would appear that he was not a brother of Sarah - the writer's grandmother - but a cousin.
More to go. I'll add another extract from the letter in due course
Regards
Reiver