*Completed* Brickwall - searching SP - McKinlay

[Macharskin]

Happy New Year to fellow posters!

I have been trying to find 2 Death registrations on SP and to date have not managed to get the site to yield the records I am after, and would appreciate suggestions on making my searches more effective, or even find the people I am looking for. 

I use the site a lot  - and am familiar with the sticky above about refining searches on SP, but I am finding my searches are wasting a lot of valuable credits as the information I am getting is too vague and I download the wrong records.

In a previous post I highlighted the variations of spelling of the McKinlay surname on the Caithness census returns, so perhaps the same issue is confusing my searches!

The first death is that of Janet McKinlay (nee McKay or Cockburn) born Reay, Caithness. Census records suggest she must have died between 1861 and 1871. A search on SP with soundex off gives 2 Caithness deaths 041/00 0014 and 037/10 035, neither of which is the one, while a search with soundex on indicates I would have to download 11 pages.

The second death is of Hugh McKinlay, born Halkirk c1811. He died after the 1881 census. Again many many pages with soundex on.


Kind regards, M.

[Clare Fowler]

Hi there,

There are a couple of things I have tried in the past...

Have you tried using wildcards in the surname rather than soundex?  For instance, searching for M*kinlay will search for McKinlay and MacKinlay. 

Another one I have found successful is putting the birth year in as well, so at least you know you'll be getting people of the correct age (you can set it to search for a few years either side).

The only other thing I can suggest is to look outside of Caithness in case they had moved.

Sorry I'm not more help 

Cheers,
Clare

[MonicaL]

Poor you M, still battling though with the McKinlays 

From your last post, www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,412653.0.html, did you check whether Hugh showed as a widowed by 1871 with that likely entry we found for him?

Son John's marriage in 1863 still showed parents as alive (not that this is always 100% certain).

Have you tried searching for Janet's death under Cockburn? I can see the two entries that you have found with the other name McKay.

I did see this entry, and wondered whether the McKinlay name had been mistrascribed. There was only one entry for a death of a Janet Cockburn/M*c*l*y b. 1814 +/- 10yrs...so happens in Wick:

Janet Cockburn - MCAULEY, aged 51 who died in 1867.

Janet showed as aged 46 in the 1861 census entry we had, so might fit apart from the issue of McAuley....

Monica 

[MonicaL]

M, your McKinlay's look to have become McAuleys by their deaths 

Hugh's death is registered as McAuley in 1885 Wick  He shows as a travelling hawker, which fits with what we have seen in the censuses. Widower of Janet Cockburn (written as Colburne). Can't make out father's name but mother shows as Annie McRae. Death reported by the Inspector of the Poor.

With Hugh's death showing as McAuley, I would guess that death for Janet under Cockburn/McAuley is also hopefully the correct one 

Monica

[MonicaL]

This is the section with Hugh's father's name;

[Macharskin]

Very many thanks again Monica for finding those elusive McKinlays (and Clare for the suggestion about wildcards).

Ironically I had previously downloaded the Janet McAuley death following the earlier suggestion by sancti but had overlooked it when I had a fresh look at finding the deaths.

I think as a lowlander I can be forgiven for thinking that McKinlay could only be written one way!

Is the Caithness brogue so broad?

Kind regards, M.

[pablo1]

I am cleaning up a genealogical mess I have made and came across these scribbles which may or may not be relevant--

Hugh McAuley, ancestor of McAuley family of Queensbury, Lake George

Janet Coburn (Cockburn) died 1847, aged 48 , nee McAuley
buried near Alexander Cockburn, died 1850, aged 53?, Sighthill Cemetery

At the bottom of the paper I have
archive.scotsman.com  which might be where I found this information

[Macharskin]

Hi Pablo1,

Your post is interesting, referring as it does to a Hugh McAuley and a Janet Cockburn. 

Do you have any additional information regarding the Queensbury, Lake George descendants, as I am aware of some of Hugh's  children migrating to North America?

Also the Janet Coburn (Cockburn) death seems at first sight to be too early for the one I have been researching, but you'll be aware from my posts above that I shouldn't rule anything out! Any further info would be much appreciated. 

Kind regards, M.

[pablo1]

Hi, Macharskin,

I have no additional information that I can share at this time.  If I should find anything of interest, I will be sure to let you know though.

Best wishes, Paul