Scotland's People Centre .. Lookup please?

[New Zealander]

I reside in New Zealand and was hoping there would be someone out there who could do a look up at a Scotland's People Centre on my behalf please?

I am seeking a Death record for the following two persons, my great grand parents x 4.

Alexander Miller was born in Alva, Stirling on 01.04.1829.  He married Margaret Miller (born c. 1830) in Dollar Clackmannshire on 04.09.1847.  They can both be traced through the census records until 1881 where they are residing in Uphall, West Lothian.

In the 1891 Scotland Census there is no record of Margaret Miller suggesting she has died somewhere between 1881 and 1891.  In 1891 Alexander Miller is recorded as a labourer in Kirknewton and East Calder.  He is living in a Lodging House.

The 1901 Scotland Census records Alexander Miller formerly a general labourer living in a New Monkland Poorhouse.

Any help or assistance to locate a death record for Alexander Miller and his wife Margaret would be most appreciated should a kind person be visiting Scotland's People.

In anticipation thank you

Alex G
New Zealand

[buckhyne]

Hi Alex,
Where did you get the info that Alexander Miller was born in Alva, Stirling in 1829?
I’m sure Alva is in Clackmannanshire.
Those census returns that you give clearly show that Alex Miller was born in Crieff, Perthshire.

1881 census
Alexander Millar, married
Age: 53
Occupation: General Labourer
Born: 1828, Crieff, Perthshire
Spouse: Margaret Millar
Born: 1830, Dollar
Census place: Uphall, West Lothian

1891 census
Alexander Millar, widower & lodger
Age: 65
Occupation: Labourer
Born: 1826, Perthshire
Census place: Kirknewton & East Calder, Midlothian

1901 census
Alexander Miller, widower & inmate
Age: 76
Occupation: Formerly General Labourer
Birth: 1825, Crieff, Perthshire
Census place: New Monklands, Lanarkshire

I cannot find him in any of the earlier censuses.

I found the death certificate of Margaret Miller.
She died 8th June, 1881, Uphall, Linlithgow
Age: 52 years
Cause: Cancer of Uterus
Informant: A. Miller, husband
Father: William Miller, labourer, deceased
Mother: Janet White, deceased

[New Zealander]

Buckhind

Good evening.  Thank you for your interest.

I have the 1851 Census and 1861 Census in front of me now.  These show Alexander's place of birth as Aloa,  Stirlingshire in 1851 and Aloa or Alva, Stirling in 1861.

I also noted differences with Alexander's age as well in the 1891 Census and 1901 Census which don't quite fit the place and date of birth of 1829 in the earlier census's.

Unless we are dealing with two different people I cannot explain why there is a difference of detail on each of the census records with regard age and places of birth.

Alex G

[buckhyne]

Hi Alex,
I wouldn’t worry too much about the discrepancies in Alex’s birth dates.
We can all be coy about our age.
I have no idea why in the censuses he says he was born in Perthshire

I found this death certificate
Alexander Miller, labourer & widower of Margaret White
Died: 11th July, 1901, Broxburn, Uphall, Linlithgow
Age: 75 years
Cause: Natural causes
Informant: John Miller, son
Father: John Millar
Mother: Janet Drummond

Familysearch has this
Name:   John Millar
Spouse:   Janet Drummond
Marriage:   11th August, 1826, Alloa, Clackmannan
   
This ties in nicely with the dates and location of his possible birth and those of his wife’s birth.

In Margaret Miller’s death certificate her mother is given as Janet White.
Perhaps Margaret was illegitimate.

[Forfarian]

The following might perhaps have a bearing on this question

"Alva: anciently Alvath or Alveth, a parish and barony politically in the county of Stirling, although disjoined from it; being surrounded by the shire of Clackmannan on the east, south and west, while on the north, it is bounded by Blackford parish in the county of Perth."

From The Topographical, Statistical and Historical Gazetteer of Scotland, Volume First, Glasgow, A Fullarton and Co, 1842.

This is the sort of anomaly that was tidied up in a review of parish and county boundaries in 1890-ish, so I would think that after that, Alva was indeed in the county of Clackmannan.

Alloa is a separate parish in the county of Clackmannan.

Alva is not to be confused with Alvah, which is a parish in the county of Banff, or Alves, a parish in the county of Moray.

[New Zealander]

Buckhind and Forfarian

Good morning from New Zealand.

Much appreciate your input and locating this information for me. I shall have a bit of work to update the family record.

It is my intention to visit the UK in 2015 and my ancestral territory in Scotland so the trick now will to locate a place of burial.  This work never seems to finish.


Many thanks

Alex G

[New Zealander]

Completed thank you.

Alex G

[buckhyne]

Hi Alex,
If you pm me your email address I'll send you the death certificates of Alexander and Margaret.

[New Zealander]

Hello Buckhind

Received the Certificates,  thank you very much.

Alex G