Author Topic: Helen Laidlaw b 1845 and connections  (Read 3922 times)

Offline Unë kthimi i papenduar

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Helen Laidlaw b 1845 and connections
« on: Monday 07 March 11 21:20 GMT (UK) »
The only mention of Helen's parents are on her marriage registration in 1870 both deceased - Robert Laidlaw and Helen nee  Laidlaw.

I have found a matching Helen in the 1851 census living with an aunt Mary and  uncle David (School teacher) with the sister and brothers parents being John Laidlaw and  Helen Anderson.  Both siblings were buried in Roberton.    Question is were these the parents of Robert or Helen?

Another uncle Thomas has also been found and his name along with Mary and Helen are are used with Laidlaw in her descendants.

Any help would be appreciated.     Thoughts are that her parents died during the 1847 or 1849 cholera epidemic.

One note for every one with a Hawick connection a revised March 2011 version of the Hawick Word book is at http://www.astro.ubc.ca/people/scott/book.pdf


Looking in the 1841 census for her possible parents I was intrigued by a Helen Laidlaw, teacher at Sclenty Hall (School?) and finding her will , she died in 1846 in Ween Cottage,  she gave various legacies etc to William Oliver her nephew, son of her late sister Agnes and to Thomas, John, William and Margaret Thomson children of her late sister Mary.     There was a William Oliver living with an Agnes (widow) (1841 census) and because of  the interesting occupation this line was followed which with various extracts from Douglas Scott's on-line book there is a picture building of various family connections but still no proof of what member of 1845 Helen's parentage is connected to this family grouping.

Scienty School   "The schoolmistress was Nelly Laidlaw, referred to as ‘Mrs. Laidlaw’"

The marriage (Wilton 1806) of the John Laidlaw and Helen Anderson has her listed as Nelly Andison (Anderson)

The death of William Oliver shows  his parents as  Adam Oliver and Agnes Anderson also having been married to Agnes Henderson and Catherine Ballantyne with an Agnes Anderson (Niece 19) living with him as a housekeeper in the 1861 census.

"William ‘Blinnd Wull’ (1818–71) noted local fiddler, born at Tandlaw, he lost his sight to a game cock at the age of 5, and also lost his father early. He learned the violin from Johnnie Oliver, and played regularly at weddings and social functions. Tales were also told of his prowess as an angler and poacher and as a maker of nets. On one occasion he was caught poaching, but gave his captors the slip, escaping to Edinburgh, where he worked for a while. He also ran a dance class at the Fleece Inn ballroom, and is regarded as the last of Hawick’s blind celebrities."

The will of Helen Laidlaw also mentions, James,  the son of William Oliver, but he is proving like everyone at this time a little difficult to tie down but with a James (see image ) also a visitor in the 1851 census. 

Question 2:    Is Helen Laidlaw nee Anderson/Andison the teacher at Scienty in the 1841 census bearing in mind that David her son was also a teacher?


Having now found the digital version of " Rulewater and its people" the answer to the above question is made clear to me and the various possible connections to Mrs Laidlaw of Sclenty have just been blown away.  



Offline Fiona513

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Re: Helen Laidlaw b 1845 and connections
« Reply #1 on: Tuesday 08 December 15 22:00 GMT (UK) »
Hi :-)

Thank you so much for the link to the Hawick Word Book .. Can't quite believe that I am reading about my ancestors, proving to me that my research so far is going well...

Kind Regards

Fiona

Offline Josephine

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Re: Helen Laidlaw b 1845 and connections
« Reply #2 on: Monday 14 December 15 21:46 GMT (UK) »
Fiona,

With all respect to the author of the tremendous Hawick Word Book, please be aware that he is not infallible, and not everything in his book is correct* (meaning that whatever sources he is drawing from are not all correct). As with any source, information should be proven by as many separate pieces of documentation that one can find.

Best regards,
Josephine

*I don't mean to suggest that he in any way claims that he is 100% accurate and I truly hope it  doesn't sound like I'm nitpicking.
England: Barnett; Beaumont; Christy; George; Holland; Parker; Pope; Salisbury
Scotland: Currie; Curror; Dobson; Muir; Oliver; Pryde; Turnbull; Wilson
Ireland: Carson; Colbert; Coy; Craig; McGlinchey; Riley; Rooney; Trotter; Waters/Watters