advice on death certificates please

[islay 1]

I am sorry to be a nuisance,but am totally stuck on any further progress and would appreciate your advice or help so much.
I am trying to find out about a great(XX)grandfather,John Mckechnie,b 1824 or 1826(the date varies on two census forms)on the Isle of Islay,but living in Dunbartonshire for most of his life.He married Jane Christie in 1849 in Kilpatrick,Dunbartonshire where they were both residing in Milton. He was a blacksmith in Cardross,and lived in Dumbarton(High street) with his wife and children in the 1851 and 1861 census,and then at 61 Kelvin st - Milton?- in the 1871 census.Later in 1871 Jane,his wife dies and there is no sign of him or his children again,but I do know that his middle son Angus was in Govan,also a blacksmith, in 1878.

Could anyone tell me where I am going wrong - or what I ought to be doing to solve the puzzle. It is John Mckechnie's parents I would like to find. I have written lists and lists of Mckecknie families who have a son called John born at the right time,have written lists from scotland'speople of John Mckechnies who have died after 1868,when his last child was born,but how do you make the link without a death certificate? How do I find the death certificate apart from what I have already done and know that it is for  the right person?If I could find the family on a post 1871 census I may be able to narrow down when he died and where.Please advise as to my next step.Many,many thanks.

I am really sorry to post again,but I am spending so many hours on this part of my research and getting nowhere.

[ev]

Islay 

i've not really been keeping up with this so don't know if you have this -
1881 173 govan road govan lanark
jane steel wife 46 born england
angus mckechnie 21  son in law ship smith born dunbarton
mary mckechnie daur. 20 born england

SP has a marriage(not sure if you have this already) 1879 govan lanark
angus mckechnie and mary steel

does this marriage cert. show if his father is deceased ?
does mother's death cert. show that her husband is still alive ?

might narrow down a death for john mckechnie 

ev

[ev]

"1868 , when his last child was born"

the IGI has -
john mckechnie born 30th april 1871 milton glasgow lanark
parents john mckechnie and jane christie

were they not at milton lanark(?) on the 1871 census ?

ev

[islay 1]

Thank you,ev,for taking the time to help me with this.Ididn't know about the 1881 census - I have been using the ancestry site and it only gave me the years I mentioned earlier,so I was really grateful to have that extra piece to fit in.
 A good point about the wife's death certificate - the wording just says "married,John Mckechnie,blacksmith" which implies that he was still alive then,doesnt it?
I have just looked at the marriage certificate for Angus and Mary,and it says,father John  Mckechnie,blacksmith, and Mother Jane Christie deceased" - so now we know that John was still alive in 1879. A very good piece of advice to check up on,ev,thank you.

Little John,born 1871 at Milton,according to the 1881 census,is not mentioned at all in the 1871 one,so that is great - another member of the family discovered!Jane must have died very shortly after she gave birth - she had phthisis for 4 months prior to her death - I'm not sure what that is!

Thank you for the extra details you have uncovered,ev,and please continue to help if you would be so kind - I'm so,so grateful for your advice and help,Carolyn

[ev]

Carolyn 

the 1871 census was taken on 2nd/3rd april so that john wouldn't have been
on there(born 30th april)
phthi-sis , a wasting of the body , going by my medical dictionary
can you please give a list of their children and i'll see if i can find anything else
(approx. birth years as well)

ev

[islay 1]

Oh,ev, thank you for the offer. The children are john Malcolm,b.1851 Dumbarton


                                                             Christina,b.1854 England
                                                             
                                                              John,b.1857 Dumbarton
                                                             
                                                               Angus,b.1859,Cardross

                                                               Agnes,b.1864 Paisley

                                                                Hugh,b.1868 Glasgow

                                                                 John,b.1871,Milton

I wonder where the other children were in 1881,as they were obviously not with Angus.Maybe if we trace them it will reveal where John was until he died,and then...that elusive death certificate!Will I ever find out?Thank you again,ev,for your help.I'm really grateful,Carolyn

[ev]

islay hugh mckechnie born 16th june 1867 milton glasgow lanark
parents john mckechnie and jane christie(IGI)

scotlandspeople has islay hugh mckechnie death 1886 govan lanark
born c1868

maybe that death cert. will give you more info. 

ev

[islay 1]

Morning,ev,thank you for that.I have now looked at Hugh's death certificate,which is definitely for the child of John Mckechnie and Jane Christie,and John is now recorded as deceased.
So between 1879(marriage cert. of Angus)when he was presumably alive,as he was not recorded as deceased like Jane was,and 1886(Hugh's death)he must have died.
  A step nearer?! Muddy waters,this family of mine. Thanks for the input.
 Any suggestions as to what my next step should be?

[islay 1]

Still having no luck.I have been on scotland's people and for the years 1879 and 1886 there is only one John's death for his birth year,plus one year up and down,but that is for someone married to a Margaret Anderson on Bute. Also checked if there was a marriage between these people after Jane died in 1871,but there isn't.
   See  that brick wall?!Help!