Cemetery Records - Stoneykirk/Kirkmaiden

[Esspee]

I am new to rootschat so I’m unsure of how this works but I am interested is a puzzle with my 3rd gt grandmother Elizabeth Wither b.1811 in Leswalt.  She married my 3rd gt grandfather James McHarg in 1828 in Portpatrick and they had 3 children, Alexander, whom I’m descended from, b.1829, Mary b.1832 and John b.1834 after which she fades from the scene to be replaced by a Minnie Adair (wife) in the 1941 census and Minnie and James have 2 children, Margaret b.1840 and James b. 1841.  In the 1851 census Minnie is down as Minnie McHarg (spouse) and as the mother to all 5 children.
On the surface it looks like a routine first wife dies and a second takes over although I cannot find a marriage between Minnie and James.
Then I discovered Elizabeth alive using her maiden name living with her father in the 1841, 51 and 61 censuses.  In the 1871 and 1881 censuses she is head of the household her father presumably dying.
If anyone can shed any light on this family I would be most appreciative.

[Forfarian]

Welcome to RootsChat!

Try the Kirk Session minutes at https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/advanced-search .

[Esspee]

Thank you Forfarian.  I had not been aware that was available on Scotlandspeople.

[Forfarian]

Thank you Forfarian.  I had not been aware that was available on Scotlandspeople.

They only became available some time in the last year or so.

[bikermickau]

I have Robert Thompson and wife Agnes Neilson who had 6 or so children baptized at Kirkmaiden from 1817 to 1842, some of them may be buried there. I've not located any death records.

McJeffs

[Esspee]

To everyone who kindly tried to help in my search for Elizabeth Wither I would like to give an update.
She married James McHarg in 1828, had 3 children with him then vanished from the records.  Her place was taken by a Minnie Adair who had 2 children with James and presumably they married as they were husband and wife according to their death certificates.  I still don’t have a birth or death record for Elizabeth nor a marriage record for Minnie and James.
What I have discovered is a Portpatrick census done in 1832 by the Reverent Andrew Urquhart then assistant minister to the Rev. John McKenzie.  In it on page 57 he lists James McHargue [sic], Elizabeth Wither, their first two children and Elizabeth’s mother Janet McBride.  If the age given for Elizabeth is correct it confirms that there are two Elizabeth Withers in Wigtonshire at this time.  On Scotlandspeople I could find only one so mistakenly assumed she was the person James married.
So it looks like the simplest explanation is the correct one.  Elizabeth probably died, Minnie moved in to care for the three children, eventually married James and had two children with him.
I will continue to search for definitive proof but in the meantime thanks everyone for your generous help.

[bikermickau]

Esspee, is it possible to obtain a copy of the Portpatrick census done in 1832 by the Reverent Andrew Urquhart.

Mick

To everyone who kindly tried to help in my search for Elizabeth Wither I would like to give an update.
She married James McHarg in 1828, had 3 children with him then vanished from the records.  Her place was taken by a Minnie Adair who had 2 children with James and presumably they married as they were husband and wife according to their death certificates.  I still don’t have a birth or death record for Elizabeth nor a marriage record for Minnie and James.
What I have discovered is a Portpatrick census done in 1832 by the Reverent Andrew Urquhart then assistant minister to the Rev. John McKenzie.  In it on page 57 he lists James McHargue [sic], Elizabeth Wither, their first two children and Elizabeth’s mother Janet McBride.  If the age given for Elizabeth is correct it confirms that there are two Elizabeth Withers in Wigtonshire at this time.  On Scotlandspeople I could find only one so mistakenly assumed she was the person James married.
So it looks like the simplest explanation is the correct one.  Elizabeth probably died, Minnie moved in to care for the three children, eventually married James and had two children with him.
I will continue to search for definitive proof but in the meantime thanks everyone for your generous help.

[Esspee]

Mick,
I have PM’d you with my email address as I can send you the photos I have.
For the record, I knew there was a copy in Utah but couldn’t work out how to get sight of it.  I was told that perhaps Dumfries and Galloway libraries held a copy but after being told by the Mitchell Library in Glasgow that they couldn’t locate a copy anywhere a delightful real librarian in the Mitchell disappeared for 15 minutes and came back with a previously unread copy.
So for anyone searching there is one in Glasgow.

[Esspee]

Final or penultimate post regarding the elusive Elizabeth Wither.

Having discovered her on the Urquhart census together with her husband and first two children I now had her age and mother’s maiden name.  A session on Scotlandspeople gave me her mother’s marriage to Alexander Wither and the baptism dates of their children.  The child born in the year Elizabeth was born was entered without a name which explains how the confusion arose.
I am convinced I now have the correct line so the story is almost over.  All I need now is her death record then I will be completely satisfied.

If anyone has any ideas how I might find this I would be extremely grateful.