Hi akc,
Thank you very much for the information especially the records going back to 1821. I did not know there was a census that far back so I have learned something new today.
I think this next bit of information could either muddy the waters even further, but with fingers crossed it just might confirm which Louttit family Catherine came from!
As I said previously the Brass family moved to the North East of England by the time of the 1861 census, and Catherine [nee Louttit] can be found living with her daughter Jessie [by now Mrs. Lockyer] & son James Brass.
RG9/3786 Folio 13, page 14,
1 Lower Thames Street, Westoe, South Shields, District 3.
Catherine gives her place of birth as Stromness, Orkney Isles unlike the Scottish 1851 census which gives her place of birth as Sandwick, and by 1861 she is widow, but I don't know where or when Robert had died.
Also on the 1861 census for Hartlepool there are more of her family.
RG9/3700 Folio 81, page 3 Olive Street, Hartlepool, District 13e
Francis Walter - head - married - 46 - master mariner - Scotland
Jessie Walter - wife - married - 46 - Scotland
Margaret Rosswell [Rosewell] - sister-in-law - married - 48 - seamstress - Scotland
Jane H. Brass - niece - single - 13 - Scholar - Scotland
From the BMD Margaret Loutitt married Mark Rosewell during the quarter ending March 1853, Stockton 10a 108 so I think that the Jessie Walter & Margaret Rosewell would have been Catherine's younger sisters. The Jane H [Hourston] Brass is the one who grew up to marry John George Douthwaite and started this search in the first place!
Unfortunately when I look at the census returns in sequence the ages do not progress in neat 10 year gaps so I am not putting much faith in their accuracy! However if Margaret was aged 48 in 1861 it would give an approximate DOB of c1813 whereas the Margaret on the 1821 census taken at Sandwick would give a birth date c1803. The more I look at the information the more confussed I am getting!!!!!!
Are there any old maps of the Orkney Isle which might show where Louttit's Pier was once located?
Thank you once again for your help it really is appreciated.
Best Wishes, Patsy