Gourlays from Ceres Fife

[humanracer]

One branch of my tree is the Gourlay family who all mostly seem to originate from the Ceres area of Fife (never heard of the place before now, despite being a Fifer myself). My Great Great Grandfather William Gourlay was born born 1841  in Ceres and married Helen McIntosh in 1868. I can track him from the 1851 census where his listed as 10 years old and his birthplace is listed as Ceres. His father is Robert Gourlay who is listed as 39 years old. I cannot find a birth record for him though using the OPR. I know that the Ceres information is missing in the 1841 census but are there also parish records missing too from that period?

Also trying to find his grandfather. I know from the 1851 census that his father was called Robert and he was born in 1811. There is a Robert Gourlay born in 1811 to William Gourlay and Isabel Duncan (old parish records).  In order to find the parents of this William Gourlay I searched the 1851 census and found a William Gourlay aged 82, living in Ceres with grandchildren. He died in 1859 aged 90 in Ceres. Is there anyway for me to check if this is the same William who married Isabel Duncan and is the grandfather of the younger William?. If he was born in 1769 that would make him quite old when he had Robert Gourlay (1811) but then the trend with this family seems to be having children later in life and not many of them.


Any thoughts?

[sancti]

Does his death record not give his wife and parents names?

[humanracer]

It gives his parents names but not his wife or family.

[tidybooks]

Hi,

On FreeReg, I have found a William Gourlay b 22 Jan 1769 in Ceres to David Gourlay (weaver) and Margaret Ramsay. Not sure if this is your William.

On IGI, William Gourlay and Isabel Duncan had the following family, Katharine b 1805, Helen b 1808, Robert b 1811, James b 1815 and Helen b 1818. None of these names tie in with a David and Margaret.
Scottish naming convention, William's parents should be Robert and Helen, and Isabel's should be James and Katherine.

I have found a 1785 birth on IGI for William Gourlay to parents Robert Gourlay and Catherine Swan, this would be a better fit agewise and uses 2 of the parents names, although in a different order. William and Isobel married 28 JUL 1804 Cameron, Fife, Scotland so he would have been 19 yo on marriage.

Tom

[humanracer]

Hi,

On FreeReg, I have found a William Gourlay b 22 Jan 1769 in Ceres to David Gourlay (weaver) and Margaret Ramsay. Not sure if this is your William.

On IGI, William Gourlay and Isabel Duncan had the following family, Katharine b 1805, Helen b 1808, Robert b 1811, James b 1815 and Helen b 1818. None of these names tie in with a David and Margaret.
Scottish naming convention, William's parents should be Robert and Helen, and Isabel's should be James and Katherine.

I have found a 1785 birth on IGI for William Gourlay to parents Robert Gourlay and Catherine Swan, this would be a better fit agewise and uses 2 of the parents names, although in a different order. William and Isobel married 28 JUL 1804 Cameron, Fife, Scotland so he would have been 19 yo on marriage.

Tom

Hi Tom
Sorry just belatedly following this up. You are right, Isobell's parents were James Duncan and "Catharine" Greig.  any updates on William?