Betsy Fergusson

[carrumba]

Hi all and Merry Christmas!

Christmas cash has been spent on some SP Credits and thought I would look at an intriguing pair of characters in my wife's family tree, Thomas William Bolt and Betsy Fergusson.  I know they married in 1855 in Perth and Thomas was a soldier in the 4th Hussars.  Their first son died of Congenital Syphilis and the timings of marriage/births seems a bit.. well, close shall we say. ;-)

So i know of Thomas' history from London and was trying to find out more about Betsy Fergusson.  Lo and behold, I cannot track down her birth certificate.  I know her parents were John Fergusson and Mary Peters and, from the 1851 census, Betsy was born about 1846.  Betsy could be short for Elizabeth or a form of Betty or Bess and the only birth certificate I have found on the OPR for SP is of an Elizabeth Ferguson born 13/04/1845 to a John Ferguson and Mary Paterson in Argyll.

I have the marriage entry for her parents as John Ferguson and Mary Peterkin (1825, Relief Church marriage in Perth).  The Peterkin may be a corruption of Peterson but later on her name is only listed as Peters.  Saying that, there is a burial in Greyfriars Cemetry for 1855 of a Mary Peterkin so am not too sure on my reasoning!!

Betsy lived pretty much all her life in Perth and died in 1929 at 7 Barossa Street aged, according to her death certificate, 83.

If anyone can find her birth details I would be most grateful!   

[junev]

Hi,

the Family search pilot site has some of her siblings (ref. brother Andrew on 1851 census)

Andrew born 20 mar 1836 bt 7 april Perth
Janet 15 may 1834 bt 25 may 1834 Perth
Jane Whittet  25 dec 1851 bt 31 jan 1842 Perth

all to John Ferguson and Mary Peterkin

Junev
PS (I take it that the marriage was in 1865!)

[junev]

Just found another 3 to John & Mary

Peter 1828 & Barbara 1826 & James 1830

no Betsey though - it may be worth considering that she may perhaps be their granddaughter?

Junev

PS I see Stewart (b~1839) also does not come up in SP (or Pilot family search)

[carrumba]

Hi there!

Thanks for the help so far and yes, you did spot my deliberate mistake!  They married in 1866...curse my sausage fingers!

Hmmm... perhaps a grand-daughter and she is listing her grandparents as parents.  Wouldn't surprise me as Betsy seems to have married a bit of a "wrong-un" and spent most her life ducking and diving from what I have found so far.  Hehe.

So, could that point the finger at Barbera perhaps being her mother I wonder. Hmmm...

[carrumba]

That's some excellent new Fergusons to explore.  The Jane Whittet Ferguson you have listed as being born on christmas day 1851 is interesting purely for the middle name as haven't got anyone of that name in the tree so far.  I know middle names can often incorporate grandmothers' maiden names etc and have seen many examples of this with our family trees so far.  However, am intruiged by the apparently "random" middle names that appar.  In fact, Betsy named one of her children Jane Cuthbertson Bolt and have no idea where the Cuthbertson has come from either.

Are there any other naming conventions that people are aware of?

[bleckie]

Hi Carrumba

Middle names as you have said could be grandmother's maiden name etc as they often were, but they could also be the names of employers, family friends or even in some cases named after the local minister.

yours aye
BruceL

[junev]

Hi,

For first names I have been told that 1st boy after paternal grandfather; 1st girl after maternal grandmother, 2nd boy after maternal grandfather; 2nd girl after paternal grandmother - it did work for my husbands family!

I don't know if you have looked at John yet but there is (perhaps too convienient!) a birth 4th august 1803 in Perth to Peter Ferguson & Janet Lownie.

Junev

[carrumba]

Thanks for your thoughts on the naming patterns...must see if I can apply it to what I have so far.  Hmmmm.  Interesting.

Yes, I have looked at John and I have also matched Peter Ferguson And Janet Lownie (Laurie on her wedding certificate).  Her father was a James Laurie from Mickel Whitefield in Cargill (can still be seen on the map).  He was a shoemaker though haven't got much further with him yet.  Peter Ferguson was a soldier on the marriage certificate in the 2nd Regiment of Fencilbles.  They married on 24 February 1798.  Later, I have found Peter Ferguson in the 1806 militia survey as being in the 2nd regiment, 1st Batallion of the Royal Perthshire Volunteers.

Now, if the "2nd Regiment" in the marriage certificate was the same unit as 1806 then he was a local lad.  However, If he came down to Perth with the 2nd Regiment of Fencible Men raised exclusively in Sutherland then he obviously wasn't.  If, I believe, he was in the Royal Perthshire Volunteers all his time then he should have a Chelsea Pensioners record as I read that they were entitled to this right if they signed up before 1798 but not sure - I may be slightly out on my dates there but I certainly now there was a cutoff.

Peter Ferguson and Janet Lownie (Laurie) are my brick walls on that line at the moment (two of many!!)   

Cheers for all the help - it's good to discuss these.  I have also found a random Bolt who died in the Poorhouse in Perth that may be a second wife of my Thomas William Bolt but not sure.   That's for another time ;-)