1851 - Muiravonside - Robertson - Frustrated!

[AlexNoodle]

Hi All

I have been tearing my hair out trying to find the 1851 census image on ScotlandsPeople for the following family:

David Robertson aged 59 Farming 153 Acres b. Ecclesmachen, Linlithgow
Jean Robertson aged 61 Farmer's Wife b. Muiravonside, Stirlingshire
Alexander Robertson aged 33 Farmer's Son b. Carriden, Linlithgow
Margaret Robertson aged 25 Farmer's Daughter b. Muiravonside, Stirlingshire
David Robertson aged 20 Farmer's Son b. Muiravonside, Stirlingshire
John Robertson aged 17 Farmer's Son b. Muiravonside, Stirlingshire
Jean Gibb aged 16 House Servant b. Carriden, Linlithgow

Living at Knowhead Farm, Muiravonside.

I have got the transcription from Findmypast, Ancestry and FreeCEN and they are all the same (bar a couple of spelling mistakes) but try as I might using all manner of broad and simple combinations I cannot find them at all on ScotlandsPeople to get the census image. I've exhausted all my credits and this is the last image I need to complete the direct line census / BMD images for the Scottish branch of my husband's tree.

The census references from the three sites have no bearing whatsoever on the Scottish GRO reference numbers SP uses so I cant use them to locate the entry.

SP are being no help whatsoever. FindMyPast has it under the registration district of Eastern, Parish Muiravonside - but Eastern doesn't come up as a district on SP.

I've tried searching Muiravonside, all of Stirlingshire, all of Scotland. Tried searching with surname, without surname, with forename, without forename, name variants, just ages, tried looking for various members of the household including Jean Gibb - and not a sausage is coming up that is the right entry!

Any help would be very much appreciated!

Many thanks

Alex

[Forfarian]

According to FreeCen it's ED4, page 1.

I looked in the SP index for some of the names in the other households on page 1 and on page 2, and none of them came up either. So it looks as if at least part of this ED has not been indexed.

Have you actually contacted SP staff and told them that you have found three independent transcriptions? What was their reaction?

You may need to look at the microfilm of the relevant ED. This is widely available in libraries in Scotland, and via LDS Family History Centres elsewhere in the world.

[AlexNoodle]

Thanks Forfarian

Yes I told the staff there that I had the same info from three independant sites and that having searched under every possibility known to man that I wanted to know if it was something they actually didn't have as I didn't want to waste my credits searching for something that wasn't there. I just keep getting the stock response that they cannot look things up for people and pointing me in the direction of their 'why aren't I finding what I am looking for' help page - which isn't helpful at all!

I will go back to them about the Enumeration district not being listed and see if they are willing to look into it to rectify it and maybe perhaps send me the image on for free once it has been sorted out! Seeing as I have spent way more than the 6 credits it should have cost me to search for and download the image.

I will have to sort out a trip to an LDS centre at some point in the future as it's unlikely I will get to Scotland anytime soon to look it up! Unless of course SP sort themselves out!

Thanks again!

Regards

Alex

[apanderson]

I have a suggestion .....

Falkirk Archives, Stirling Archives & the Mitchell Library will have the 1851 Census covering Muiravonside on microfilm and might (if you ask nicely), do a wee search for you?

Falkirk & Stirling Reference Libraries probably have copies too.

Worth a wee e-mail?

Falkirk Archives: http://www.falkirkcommunitytrust.org/heritage/archives/

Stirling Archives: http://www.stirling.gov.uk/services/education-and-learning/local-history-and-heritage/archives-general-information

Mitchell Library: http://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/libraries/the-mitchell-library/family-history/Pages/home.aspx

Anne

[AlexNoodle]

Thanks Anne

Will give them a go if I get no joy from SP. Turns out they do not have that enumeration district indexed - so will see if they admit they have missed it by mistake and will add it and send me the image or not! (Doubtful!)

[AlexNoodle]

Well after badgering Scotlands People they then gave me the email address of their GROS counterpart to contact about the missing ED (why they couldn't do that in the first place I don't know!) and they responded really quickly to my email and sent me the image and said they would look into why that district wasn't showing on the site as they most certainly had the images both original and in digital form.

Perseverance paid off - and it seems I may get a refund on some credits after using so many to find something that should have been there but wasn't!

Thanks again!

Alex

[apanderson]

Great news Alex!

Anne