Alexander Ross, born c1782

[BassinghamTerrier]

Re Jane Ross death in Old Machar 24 March 1854 suggest you search for  Ross in Aberdeen City in 1854.  There are actually two results of interest for that date.  One has a parent named as Jane Ross and the other,unfortunately, has no age in the index. The two may be connected and so it is impossible to tell from the index whether it is your Jane.

William

I've now seen the one with no age; unfortunately it just says "24 March Jane Ross Daughter, from poorhouse" so looks unlikely to be my girl.

MT

[BassinghamTerrier]

... the 1861 census shows Alexander Ross, 77, as a widower at Broomstrath, Banff.

I am using Ancestry and I have only a textual transcript, but it doesn't mention anywhere that he is a widower.
I presume that you have access to the full image in SP?

MT

[Millmoor]

The 1861 census for Banffshire has been transcribed on freecen. He  is showing as a widower but, highlighting an issue with  transcriptions, they have transcribed his occupation as distilleryman  pensioner.The only other person in the household is Margaret Skinner - it is possible she is his daughter in law but notes suggest this may have been crossed out. The only way to be sure of what it says is from the original.

William

[Forfarian]

... the 1861 census shows Alexander Ross, 77, as a widower at Broomstrath, Banff.

I am using Ancestry and I have only a textual transcript, but it doesn't mention anywhere that he is a widower.
I presume that you have access to the full image in SP?

I have the same access as you to the image at SP. I am looking at the transcription at http://www.freecen.org.uk/cgi/search.pl which is infinitely superior to the one on Ancestry, because it includes everything that is in the original (such as marital status) and it does not invent information that is not in the original (such as the supposed year of birth). It also eschews the notoriously creative spellings dreamed up by Ancestry (my favourite being 'Lazzoryve' for 'Ballantyne').

[BassinghamTerrier]

Thinking back to Alexander's marriage to Jane Swanson at 293 Canongate, Edinburgh in 1812, will there be any documentation other than the brief entry in what looks like the register?

The obvious disappointing feature of this is that Jane's father is named, but none of Alexander's is.

If there were to be more fulsome documents to be had, they would be key.

MT

[Forfarian]

Thinking back to Alexander's marriage to Jane Swanson at 293 Canongate, Edinburgh in 1812, will there be any documentation other than the brief entry in what looks like the register?

No, unfortunately, that's it. It's very unusual to get the name of the groom's father before 1855 - usually only if he was a man of some prominence. Not for an ordinary soldier, I'm afraid.

[BassinghamTerrier]

Well, I think that I'm stuffed then; I really don't know which way to turn now.

• I can't find a death for a Jane/Jean Ross 1851-1861 to confirm that the Artilleryman Pensioner in 1861 is my Alexander Ross
• I can't find a baptism for an Alexander Ross born to Daniel/Donald Ross and Isabella Ragg 1782-1785
• I can't find a death for an Alexander Ross of parents William Ross and Isabel Garden/Gairdn/Gardener

Looks like the end of the line.

MT

[Forfarian]

Yes, it does a bit.

I think I have already said that you can almost certainly discount the one born in Banff, so you are left with a rather defective record. I think it's a better than even chance that he is the Daniel/Donald Ross and Isabella Ragg one, but I cannot think of any other way to try to prove it.

Very frustrating, isn't it?

If it is the same man, I wonder when exactly he moved from Old Machar to Banff? And why? Did one of his children live in Banff? Could Jane Swanson have died in Banff? You did check for a burial under her own surname, Swanson, didn't you? Did you get anywhere with Margaret Skinner?

[BassinghamTerrier]

Not checked for a burial under Jane/Jean Swanson; didn't see a reason why simply because she was a Ross - but I will.
Discounted Margaret Skinner because I really don't think she is related.

MT