Beginners question about Scotland's people

[NewRhi]

Hello there,
I have just started using the Scotland's People website and have found several useful records.
I am stuck trying to find a marriage record for William Jackson of Westerkirk, Dumfriesshire(I believe he married in 1824).
I have done the search and can't find him on the OPR.  I wanted to know if it is possible to look at the online OPR records for a certain year(to see if I can spot him myself), or should I be satisfied if he's not on the list, it's not there?
On Ancestry I have found a name of a possible wife and I found her listed on the IGI but it's one of those entries without source info, just supplied by a church member.
Anyone got any ideas?
I've looked at census entries for the family and the wife appears to have been born in Hoddom, Dumfriesshire

[Ann Baker]

Hi New

SP is a fab site indeed!

There are 3 sets of marriages on SP - 1855 and beyond covering everyone , OPRs (which are just banns usually) pre 1855 but are Church of Scotland only and the Catholic registers.

Not every marriages on there tho. Some couples could have had irregular marriages - legal in Scotland but without a church ceremony which wouldn't necessarily appear in the OPR.

IGI submitted records do need to be treated with caution  but always worth following up.

If they were not church of Scotland or on the Catholic registers, I'd suggest Kirk session records BUT they're not online and held at the National Archives Scotland in Edinburgh.

Around the early 1800s the Scottish chruch was in a state of schism with many spins off such as presbyterian, free, united free etc which over the years grew, merged, split, re-merged etc etc

What is his wife's name?

Ann

EDIT : Should have said don't expect to see parents names on marriage banns on OPRs. Rarer than hen's teeth! They usually just have the names of the parties intending to marry

[sancti]

Hi NewRhi

Did William Jackson live beyond 1855? If so his death record should give his wife/wives names along with his parent's names.

As Ann says, pre 1855 there was no requirement to record births/deaths/marriages

[terry h]

Could this be the family in 1841?

Westerkirk -Dumfries-shire
Old Hopsrig

1841 Census
JACKSON William M 45 Shepherd Dumfries-shire
JACKSON Janet F 35 Dumfries-shire
JACKSON Anne F 11 Dumfries-shire
JACKSON George M 9 Dumfries-shire
JACKSON James M 6 Dumfries-shire
JACKSON William M 5 Dumfries-shire
JACKSON Janet F 3 Dumfries-shire
JACKSON Thomas M 1 Dumfries-shire

Terry
Added- There is an IGI extracted record for an Anne Jackson c- 13/6/1830 Westerkirk, parents William Jackson and Janet Porteous. Would tie in with Anne aged 11 above.?

[terry h]

If this were your family there is a death on SP for a Janet Porteous, other surname Jackson,  1897 aged 93 in Westerkirk, Dumfriesshire.?

Terry

[MonicaL]

I hope it is the family you have found Terry  There is an extensive family tree on Anc/y which looks well researched.

Included also is the image on an obituary for William Jackson "Death of the oldest inhabitant of Westerkirk". This gives the marriage date as June 1824.

Monica

[terry h]

Hope so to Monica....Here they are in 1881

Old Hopsrig   
Westerkirk, Dumfries, Scotland
   
1881 Census   
William JACKSON   M   86    M   Westerkirk, Dumfries, Scotland
   Rel:   Head
   Occ:   Shepherd (Retd)
Jessie JACKSON   M   76    F   Hoddam, Dumfries, Scotland
   Rel:   Wife
William LITTLE   U   15    M   Westerkirk, Dumfries, Scotland
   Rel:   Grandson

Death on SP for William Jackson in 1888 aged 94, Westerkirk, Dumfriesshire

Terry

[Forfarian]

Around the early 1800s the Scottish chruch was in a state of schism with many spins off such as presbyterian, free, united free etc which over the years grew, merged, split, re-merged etc etc

Not quite. The Free Church broke away from the Church of Scotland in 1843, and the others you mention were all later splits.

Also all[/b] the denominations you have listed are presbyterian, as is the Church of Scotland. 'Presbyterian' is a system of church organisation, not a creed or belief. Each church has a committee of management called the Kirk Session. Every parish belongs to a group of parishes called a Presbytery, and the kirk sessions send a delegate to the Presbytery. The Presbytery in turn belongs to a larger grouping called a Synod, and the Synod belongs to the General Assembly. All the numerous presbyterian denominations are organised on similar lines, even though their beliefs may differ somewhat.

There were other denominations before the big split in 1843; Auld Lichts, New Lichts, Burghers, Antiburghers, Bereans to name but a few.

[Ann Baker]

Hi Forfarian

Yes I know that - but ty 

Was trying to keep it simple as all the upheaval started in the 1820s as you'll know took years to settle down ! Point was trying to make was that just cos not in OPR or Catholic Registers didn;t mean it hadn't happened. I've found several not in OPR but in Kirk Sessions (Free, UP and Presby).

Best Wishes

Ann