Thomson, Alloa

[DonnieMac]

Just wondering if anybody is researching this family, in particular a Margaret Kirkwood Thomson, in 1897 she was living in King Street, Alloa, trying to get through a conundrum, any help much appreciated. Thanks.

[diddymiller]

Hi Donniemac, I'm not researching this family but most of us are willing to help if you have a specific query. new eyes/ new ideas sort of thing! 

Diddy

[DonnieMac]

 I should have given more information on Margaret, Margaret married a Peter McKechnie in 1896 and moved to Lyatt St, Alloa (at the time of her marriage she was living in King St), in between 1896 and the 1901 census they had had 4 children, Christina ( who is not on the 1901 census ), Mary, Donald and Maggie, after the census they had another 2 children, William and Christina, in 1911 the family emigrated to America, the records can be seen in the Ellis Island Record Office, the family are still there in the 1920 census living in Queens although there is no Donald, after this census the family disappear.
Margaret's parents were a William Thomson and Christina Stewart, were the name Kirkwood comes from I'm not sure but 4 of the children had middle names which were Margaret Kirkwood, Donald Mckillop, William Norman and Christina Stewart, the Stewart and Mckillop names I can place, Peter's mother was a Mary McKillop and the Stewart name from Margaret's mother.

The main reason I am looking for someone who is researching this family is because the man Margaret married, Peter McKechnie may, just maybe my G/Grandfather, I say may because the family story I have heard is that he died in 1896, married to my G/Grandmother Flora MacPherson in Dunoon but have as yet been unable to find a death record for him. The information that Peter gave for his parents on both marriage certs are the same and both state he was from Oban, the only differences are the way the name is spelt, but with the name McKechnie that is not uncommon and his birth year is out by 1 year.
Sorry if this is all a bit muddlesome.

[MonicaL]

Certainly sounds like you have some good reasons to suspect that Peter who married Margaret in 1896 may be connected to Flora    Have you found Flora on the 1901 census to check her marital status. Does her death cert show anything of use (I assume she died after 1896 when Peter married Margaret)?

You say that Peter shows the same parents on both his marriage entries? Did he also give the same occupation himself and for his father? Did they both show as alived or deceased in the same way on the marriage entries?

Lots of questions...sorry 

Monica

[MonicaL]

Donniemac, struggling am I trying to find Peter's birth entry on IGI! The closest I can see is this one, with a different surname:

PETER MCEACHERN  Birth: 05 OCT 1872  Kilmore And Kilbride, Argyll, Scotland
Parents: DONALD MCEACHERN and MARY MCKILLOP

It might just be movement of the spellings of McKechnie over the years. Other entries for the couple show:

2. JANET MCEACHERN Birth: 02 JAN 1862 Kilmore And Kilbride
3. ARCHIBALD MCEACHNIE Birth: 22 JAN 1866 Kilmore And Kilbride
4. FLORA MCEACHNIE Birth: 26 JUL 1869 Kilmore And Kilbride

By Archibald and Flora's birth, the surname is sounding more like McKechnie!

Monica

[DonnieMac]

That's Peter that you have found, on the census report for 1901 Flora had moved back home to South Uist with there son Donald ( my grandfather), on her death cert it states Widow of Peter McKechnie.

The only differences between the 2 marriage certs are his job description, on Flora's he is a ploughman, on Margarets he is what looks like a mashoman.