Alexander LAING Help Please!!

[Thistle76]

As much as myself and others have tried to find Alexander in the 1861 census and birth records we think he hid, and possibly made up his past when he enlisted. Family story that he changed his name when he joined up from Wood to Laing. Mothers name as far as we know Jessie Wood.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Gary

Alexander Laing, b c1860
Apparently illegitimate, gives his birth place as Elgin, Banff (??).
It is difficult to find anything on him until he joins the Army in 1878, the 61st Brigade in Huntly. Is in Ayr 1871 Census (61st Brigade Depot became the depot for the RSF). Just after the Childers Reeforms in 1881 he transfers to the Cameron Highlanders, fights at Tel-el-Kebir, Egypt in 1882, returns to the UK to become a Quartermaster Sergeant for the regiment at Fort George and then the Cameron Barracks in Inverness. He is discharged in 1899 after 21 years. Moves to Edinburgh where he works in various messenger and commissionaire jobs. Dies at 48 Montrose Terrace 8 Feb 1940.
Married Clara Madeline Thomson 1888, Fort George Ardersier and had 7 children.
Next of kin as 'Mrs Carson, 3 Albany Terrace, Edinburgh' until he marries.

[MonicaL]

Hi Gary

We like good puzzles here on RC 

I assume both his marriage and death certs showed mother as Jessie (or Janet?) Wood. Did mother Jessie show as married to father on his marriage cert? What details if any did he give for his father, his name and an occupation for him? No family surnames as witnesses to the marriage?

Which censuses have you found him on to be able to reconfirm his age (birth year) and place of birth?

Questions, always questions 

Monica

[MonicaL]

Have you seen this 1861 entry, which would support the theory he might be illegitimate (and a pain if it is the right entry as he is not obviously with possible family):

William Taylor 62, farmer b. Grange Banff
Anne Taylor 63 b. Boharm, Morayshire
Mary Winton 16, servant
Alexander Wood 3, boarder b. Elgin, Morayshire

Address: Andersons Ward, Grange, Banff

Monica

[Thistle76]

H Monica!
Thanks for your help. I like questions, especially when I know the answers!

Army Records - Attested 14 Nov 1878, aged 18yrs 6m (the story goes he joined when he was 14, maybe lied about his age to get more pay as an 18yr old?)

Marriage Certifcate - 28 Sept 1887, age 27. Father - William Laing, Wood Merchant (deceased), Mother - Jessie Laing ms Wood. Witnesses, Isabella MacKenzie & William Robinson (neither known).

Death Cert - Alexander John Laing d 8 Feb 1940. Age - 76yrs(?). Father - Alexander Laing, Farmer (deceased), Mother - Jessie Laing ms Wood (deceased).  (Sone registered death so may have been guessing)

Census returns - Forget what I said about 1871 Census (whereabouts unknown), meant 1881 -
1881 Census - Ayr Barracks, aged 21, b Elgin, Elgin
1891 Census - Inverness, aged 31, b Elgin, Banffshire
1901 Census - Edinburgh,  aged 40, b Elgin, Banff
1911 Census – (name – Alexander James Laing) Edinburgh, aged 49, b Elgin, Banffshire (scored out by validator to Morayshire)

If it is him in the 1861 census then that would put him older when other docs point to him perhaps being born after 1860.

People can’t just disappear can they? Its a minefield!!!
Gary

[MonicaL]

Getting nowwhere at the moment...not surprising really is it given the lack of info on young Alexander's early years 

One interesting thing though so far worth mentioning. Have you ever tried to trace the Mrs Carson who showed as next of kin for Alexander prior to his marriage?

Next of kin as 'Mrs Carson, 3 Albany Terrace, Edinburgh' until he marries.

Was the address Albany Terrace or could it be Street? Struggling to see an Albany Terrace on the transcript census addresses so far. Also checked on the Edinburgh Post Office Directories here in case I couldn't see it from the way it was transcribed, see www.nls.uk/family-history/directories/post-office/index.cfm?place=Edinburgh - about half way through it does a street listing rather than by surname.

I did see a marriage between a William Carson and a Jessie Wood on Scotlands People in 1881/Leith. I think this might be them on the 1881 census:

William Carson 26 labourer b. Leith
Jessie Carson 19 b. Edinburgh

Address: 30 Hillhousefield (Jack'S Land), Leith

Just possibilities at this stage Gary, with the lack of hard fact for now!

Monica

[MonicaL]

  From 1891:

William Carson 36, labourer
Jessie Carson 28
William Carson 9
David Carson 7
Alexander Carson 5
George Carson 1

Address: 7 Albany St, Leith

And, from 1901:

William Carson 47
Jessie Carson 37
Alexander Carson 16
George Carson 13
Jenet Carson 10
Jane Carson 6
James Carson 3
Grace Carson 7 Weeks

Address: 8 E Cromwell St, Leith

Not mother, so who is this Jessie Wood?!  The 1881 marriage cert for Jessie Wood to William Carson might provide you with some clues hopefully.

Monica

[Thistle76]

Monica,

You are right once again, it is Albany Street, another silly mistake on my part.
It looks like you may have found his sister, it could explain his move to Edinburgh when he demobbed if she was his only family.

I am very impressed with your tenaciousness, I hope you aren't spending any money on this???

Gary

[MonicaL]

Nope, haven't used any units. Years of searching SP let me work around their search screens!

I have been trying to find Jessie Wood on the 1871 census, you won't be surprised that like young Alexander, she is proving hard to find!

A couple of possibilities for births for Jessie/Janet Wood born c. 1862ish showing on IGI - www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp?PAGE=igi/search_IGI.asp&clear_form=true - so hard to say at this stage who her parent(s) may be.

Whatever the relationship though to your Alexander, there is at least a strong connection of some sort if Jessie was given as n/o/k by Alexander on his papers. Maybe a check on her marriage entry might give you more to work with?

Monica

[Thistle76]

From Marriage Certificate -

31 Dec 1880
Cannongate, Parish Church, Edinburgh
William Carson, 24, Rivetter, 113 Bonnington Rd, Edinburgh
Jessie Wood, 19, Laundress, 17 Chalmers Buildings, Edinburgh
Father - James Wood, Blacksmith (Deceased)
Mother - Janet Wood, MS Legg
2 unrelated witnesses