Jane Pittendreich & Alexander Barclay

[GR2]

But does it say "Barbara Davidson M. S. Tawse" or just "Barbara Tawse". The first entry means they were married, the second entry means they were not.

Graham.

[Rosehill132]

Ahhhhhh - thanks Graham.  It says Barbara Tawse, Domestic Servant, Deceased - explains the illegitimate note. 

[GR2]

Have you seen the actual entry for William's birth/baptism in the Monquhitter register? Assuming it is him, the LDS site does not mention a mother in the index, which is strange if it is an illegitimate birth. If it is him, one piece of good luck is that the missing Monquhitter kirk session minutes were rediscovered last year and are now in the National Archives. The will be available when they have been conserved and digitised. They should shed more light on William's birth.

Graham.

[Rosehill132]

Graham - I haven't actually got a copy of his birth entry.  It (along with a lot of my starting information) came from a Birthday's Book handed down through the generations from my GG Grandmother.

Forgive my relative ignorance, but LDS site???

[Rosehill132]

hmmmmmm ...... had a look on Scotland's people and the Monquhitter birth now doesn't look right - that Wm Davidson has the father listed as Alexander Davidson.  Back to the drawing board...

[GR2]

The LDS site is the Family Search site run by the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints (the Mormons). Researching their ancestors is something they have to do and they have quite an extensive index of people.

Another useful free site is the FreeCen one which gives earlier censuses for many areas. You will easily find them in a search engine. Have you found William Davidson in any census which gives his place of birth?

What was the name of William's father?

Graham.

[GR2]

Just looked at the FreeCEN site which gives the King Edward census for 1851. The Davidsons are at Sunnyside where William (38, native of Turriff), is farmer of 13 acres. Jane (26, a native of Forgue), his wife, Alexander, William, Isabella and Jane, his children. Also there is Barbara "Jaws" - obviously Tawse mistranscribed - William's mother (60, a native of Turriff). Barbara is described as a former housekeeper. With any luck Barbara will still be alive in 1855 and you'll find a death certificate with more detail.

According to James Godsman's book on King Edward:

"In 1850, William Davidson and Jane Barclay, daughter of Alexander Barclay, North Mains of Craigston, assumed the tenancy. They had sons John, George, Peter and James, and a daughter Jane. In 1860, George Gerrie leased the holding for 21 years."

Godsman does sometimes get things wrong, so don't accept everything in the above passage without checking for yourself.

Graham.

[Rosehill132]

hmmmm - I trying to go further back here to what I know for certain to get to the right answer.  Essentially what I seem to have is 2 William Davidson's who both maried Jane Barclay's in Aberdeenshire/Banffshire.

What I know for sure is:

My Great Grandfather Alexander Davidson b. 20.9.1875 Macduff, d. 15.2.1948.

His father was William Davidson who died at Alvah 19.12.1918 (I had him as being born at King Edward on 17.4.1847, but now I'm not so sure, as that leads me down to the family who lived at Mains of Craigston which doesn't seem right .....)

William married Eliza Chapman (b.18.7.1847 Gamrie, d. 3.1.1885 King Edward) on 29.2.1868 at Macduff.

Either way William's father was also called William, and his father was either George (if the 1891 death cert is the right one - refer discussion above), or Alexander if the 1812 birth in Monquihitter of the older William is correct.

Confused and will need to get my head arund this one???

[Rosehill132]

Graham - right I have had a look at the 1851 Sunnyside census entry - so this is clearly the William Davidson linked to Barbara Tawse from the 1891 death cert in Macduff.  This Wm has George Davidson as his father.  His son (also Wm) is the right age for the 1847 King Edward birth.
 
The 1812 Monquhitter birth entry Wm Davidson has Alexander as father and this Wm links to the family who lived at North Mains of Craigston, King Edward who I have found on the 1871, 1881 and 1891 census.

I just need to work out which one links to my Great Grandfather?