Place Names Dumfries-shire

[wyanga]

Hi I have an Alexander Grierson b about 1763 at Wigton, Dumfries . 1851 Census
 Would this be Wigtown or is there a Wigton or a Wigton Parish in Dumfries ?

[csc]

this is probably wigtown wigtownshire    there is a wigton in cumbria  csc

[wyanga]

Thank you csc, Wigtown was my first thought but I have been unable to find any births that could be him. I have found an Alexander Grierson born 1762 at Bowden, Roxburgh on IGI, but I am sure he isn't mine as he is included in other trees. By 1851 the Griersons had spread far and wide, but Dumfries was their place of origin. There were Griersons in Cumberland for the English census 1851, but I have been unable to find any siblings that were born in Wigton.
     I am hoping that someone that knows Dumfries well may be able to come up with a local locality that conforms with the census registration of Wigton, Dumfries.
 Wyanga

[redspookhunter]

hi wyanga

As csc advised, wigtown is part of dumfriesshire today and would have been classed as part of the old shire of wigtownshire in the 19th century.  For ease of reference it is likely records were simply placename, dumfries as dumfries was and remains the largest town in what is now dumfries and galloway.

These links may be useful:

http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/counties/countymaps31.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wigtownshire

Best wishes,

Kenny

[csc]

do you know anything else about alexander there is one around that time in kirkcudbrightshire  csc

[csc]

there is an alexander  father james kells 1761 that is the nearest one i see csc

[akc]

there is an alexander grierson born 1763 dumfriesshire died 1857 married to helen mckellar, does this sound familiar?

akc

[wyanga]

AKC
   Hi AKC, that is the one that I am trying to trace. He married Helen McKellar in Dunoon Kilman in 1837 and was resident there in 1841 and 1851 census. The birth date varies as 1771  (1841 census)  1763 ( 1851 Census )
   The only reference we have for a birth place was in the 1851 census. The death date of 1857 is not confirmed, if it was then it should be recorded and I have not been able to find it. It is more likely that he died between 1851 census and the commencement of death recording in 1855.
  If his age was correct in 1851 he would have been 88 yrs old.
  Apart from the fact that he was a mason, I do not know anything else about him. He would have been my g.g.grandfather
     Thank you also kenny and csc
 Wyanga

[wyanga]

Redspookhunter
 Hi Kenny, I must plead ignorance with the changes of county/shire boundaries that may have taken place over the years. I am in Australia so it is a bit of a mystery to me.
   I can see that Dumfries most likely referred to the then county of Dumfries and I have seen various references to Wigtown as Wigton,  as we are looking at a birth date of 1760-70 , that could very well have been the designation then, or at the time of the census in 1851. Wigton, Dumfries
I mean.
    Possibly Parish records for Wigtown may be my best chance of finding a baptism record, if they still exist.
   Wyanga