1911 Scottish Census - look-up? please for Haddington

[tidybooks]

Hi All,

Joined the party late, have been going over old posts.

« Reply #9 on: Sunday 28 September 14 18:33 BST (UK) »

I opened the PDF link, and having trouble with the "Miss Gallagher", it is so formal, why would he not use her first name. Is it "Miss", can it be something like "Aliss". Need the handwriting experts view on this.

Tom

[c145hoo]

Hi tidybooks, there is a duplicate copy of Peter Cairnie military service records and one copy is a bit clearer, which identifies her a Miss

[loobylooayr]

Hi Tom,
To my inexpert eye it looks like Miss. But like you say maybe the handwriting experts will see it different.
Although very formal, it didn't occur to me that using Miss was odd. Just thought it usual that women from this era (even working class women) would not always be referred to by their first names, especially when in conversation with strangers/people in authority.  That Peter replied Miss Gallagher in answer to the question Who is your next of kin?  did not strike me as unusual.
Looby

[loobylooayr]

That second copy does seem clear as Miss.
But what is written just after Friend ?
And the date 11/1/17?  Would that be when Miss Gallagher was informed of Peter's death, do you think?

Looby

[tidybooks]

Hi c145hoo,

That does make it clear, no ambiguity there. I still find it funny that he would use "Miss" in a next of kin record, and describes her as a friend not a next of kin.

Tom

[c145hoo]

Having re-read the Service Record, it is interesting to see the comment after Miss Gallagher, Relationship 'Friend' which could be infd (informed?) particularly as there is a 11.1.17 (11 Jan 1917?) potential date.  The handwriting of the next of kin is different to that of the rest of the Service Record, so could have been added on 11.1.17, at the same time as the comment/date.  The question then is where did this contact information come from, there is nothing in the Court Martial records about next of kin. Unfortunately as the Service Record was damaged during WW2 bombing, we may never know.  Food for thought though!  

[tidybooks]

Hi,

I know Looby thought it was normal, to use Miss for a young woman at that time, but I think you would need christian name to differentiate if there were two or more ladies in the family. Looks like "inf/d" for informed, but it is funny if added later. It is even more strange if "next of kin" was empty on enlisting, even if he was an orphan.

Tom

[loobylooayr]

Obviously, we will never know but it is possible that Miss Gallagher was just a friend. Not a girlfriend or a fiancee. She could have been someone he knew through his work or a neighbour who agreed to be his next of kin contact. People were more formal then - he may only have known her as Miss Gallagher.
Peter's details are a bit sketchy - no exact age , no relative, a lodging house address -but I don't think that would be too unusual either. The next of kin would have be given by the recruit if not when signing up then before he went overseas.  Either Peter had no family, or he didn't want to name his family.

[loobylooayr]

 c145hoo,
I was browsing the Scottish War Memorial site and spotted this thread - 
http://warmemscot.s4.bizhat.com/warmemscot-ftopic8817.html

The contributor has listed Peter Cairnie with a snippet of information. There is mention of -
b.1890-1891, Ayr/Kilmarnock - but unfortunately no source provided.
You may have already seen this but I thought I'd bring it to your attention anyway

Looby