Charles Small born c1857. Angus - Rescobie or Coupar Angus.

[Liviani]

There is this one -

https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XYYX-XVF

Marriage ?
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XTVG-5NTev

Thank you for this.

This is quite interesting. There is a Charles Henderson (given it stated the father was Leonard Small or Henderson) born in 1859 in Rescobie. I looked at the birth cert and it states the following;

Henderson, Charles born 20/06/1859.
Father - Leonard Small, Ploughman
Mother - Ann Small m.s MacKay

Signature of informant - Leonard Small - not present?

There is also an RCE in connection with this entry. I don't actually know what it's trying to say though. I will include the image of the RCE, any help appreciated here.



There is also the following info in the 1851 census. This is interesting as you will notice the surname Johnstone mentioned again. In the 1871 census 11 year old Charles Small was living with Ann Small aged 41 and a Janet Johnstone (I think it's Janet) aged 49. With the information that Leonard and Ann married in 1853, the reason why she is named Small in 1851 is a bit confusing. Not sure where to go from here. This family seems so messy!



       

[Liviani]

"Given his age is stated as 23 in 1881 this means he must've been born in either 1857 or 1858. This is where the problems begin for me"

I've not looked at alternatives for you, but my immediate reaction is that your first sentence there is not helping you. 1857/58 is only a starting point - at the very least you need to be looking 5y either way - I normally use +/- 10y though for someone who's only 23, an error of 10y is rather unlikely.

The other aspect is - who filled the form in? I find that servants' details on censuses are prime candidates for errors - sometimes the person compiling it (the employer?) seems not to ask his servants but writes down what he thinks is the story, so age and place of birth are what he thinks his servant once said in conversation ages ago.

As I say, I'm in no position to offer alternatives but, especially if you can't find someone with those exact details, you need to widen your search criteria.

Yeah I agree and those are fair points. I'm still rather new to searching records and appear to not widen my years enough.

It appears he was actually born as 'Charles Henderson' for some reason, even although his parents were married.  Details above.

Thank you for the tips though, this is something to keep in mind when researching.

[Liviani]

A Charles Henderson Small died April 1932 aged 72. Married to Harriet Patullo. Died a Leys of Cossans, Glamis. Parents Leonard Small - Farm servant (deceased) and Anne Small m.s. MacKay (deceased).
Informant David Small - Son.

I believe Leonard Small to be my 3x great-grandfather. This info was found when searching valuation rolls in 1885.

SMALL
LEONARD
Tenant Occupier
HOUSE NO 25 GLAMIS ROAD

Charles also lived in Glamis Road, Forfar around this time according to the RCE in 1883 of my great-grandfather's birth.

[Forfarian]

Edit: I see that while I was typing this that you have come to the same conclusion as I have. But I'll let it stand anyway.

Dwelling: Little Kilmundy Bothy
Adam BALLENTINE
John TOSH
Charles SMALL
This is the only Charles Small in the 1881 census that matches with profession, age and location. So I believe this Charles Small above to be the correct one.

A reasonable assumption.

On searching all of Charles Smalls born in Scotland on SP in 1857 or 1858 I get nothing back at all.
This leads me to a few lines of thought - either he was born with a different name OR the age stated in the 1881 census is incorrect.

Also reasonable.

I look at who he's living with in 1881.

I doubt very much that this is likely to be useful. These three young men are living in a bothy. A bothy was provided by a farmer to accommodate his unmarried male workers, and sometimes married ones if their job was too far from their home to go home each night. So generally there is no reason to think that the occupants of a bothy are related to one another.

In 1883 a Charles Small marries a Harriet Patullo in Forfar. In 1881 Hariet was 18 years old and living in Forfar with her family.

I think your next step is to look at the marriage certificate of Charles and Harriet. This will tell you the names of their parents. Once you have this information you will be better placed to find him. 

In 1891 Charles Small, 30 and Harriet Small, 28 were living in Inverarity with four children. In 1901 Charles, 40 and Harriet, 39 are in Lintrathen with seven children. They are still in Lintrathen in 1911 with eight children, Charles aged 49 and Harriet 47. You might also like to look at one or more of these later censuses to see where Charles said he was born.

In the 1871 census there is a 14 year old Charles Small living in Coupar Angus. He is living with his father John Small aged 57 Gardiner and his mother Margaret Small (can't make our her age). There are no other children living here, it is just the three of them. In this census it states that Charles was born in Coupar Angus not Rescobie as it states on the 1881 census. But then again I don't know if this is the same Charles

Probably not. Charles Small, son of John Small and Margaret Grant, was born in Coupar Angus on 29 April 1856.

There is an 11 year old Charles Small living in Forfar in 1871.
The place of birth is correct, but the age doesn't match up with the 1881 census.

No, but it does more closely match his age in the later censuses.

He is probably the same Charles Small as the one-year-old in Forfar in 1861.

I note that SP lists the a birth of a Charles Henderson in Rescobie in 1859. Looking at the International Genealogical Index, there is a birth of Charles Small or Henderson in 1859, father Leonard Small or Henderson, mother Ann Mackay.

So if Charles' marriage certificate says his mother was Ann Mackay, it would be reasonable to suppose that this is your Charles Small. So go on, get that marriage certificate.

[Forfarian]

In the 1871 census 11 year old Charles Small was living with Ann Small aged 41 and a Janet Johnstone (I think it's Janet) aged 49.

No. Janet Johnstone is described as 'head' and against Ann Small it says 'ditto'. In other words, Ann Small was head of a separate household, not part of Janet Johnstone's household.

[Liviani]

Edit: I see that while I was typing this that you have come to the same conclusion as I have. But I'll let it stand anyway.

Dwelling: Little Kilmundy Bothy
Adam BALLENTINE
John TOSH
Charles SMALL
This is the only Charles Small in the 1881 census that matches with profession, age and location. So I believe this Charles Small above to be the correct one.

A reasonable assumption.

On searching all of Charles Smalls born in Scotland on SP in 1857 or 1858 I get nothing back at all.
This leads me to a few lines of thought - either he was born with a different name OR the age stated in the 1881 census is incorrect.

Also reasonable.

I look at who he's living with in 1881.

I doubt very much that this is likely to be useful. These three young men are living in a bothy. A bothy was provided by a farmer to accommodate his unmarried male workers, and sometimes married ones if their job was too far from their home to go home each night. So generally there is no reason to think that the occupants of a bothy are related to one another.

In 1883 a Charles Small marries a Harriet Patullo in Forfar. In 1881 Hariet was 18 years old and living in Forfar with her family.

I think your next step is to look at the marriage certificate of Charles and Harriet. This will tell you the names of their parents. Once you have this information you will be better placed to find him. 

In 1891 Charles Small, 30 and Harriet Small, 28 were living in Inverarity with four children. In 1901 Charles, 40 and Harriet, 39 are in Lintrathen with seven children. They are still in Lintrathen in 1911 with eight children, Charles aged 49 and Harriet 47. You might also like to look at one or more of these later censuses to see where Charles said he was born.

In the 1871 census there is a 14 year old Charles Small living in Coupar Angus. He is living with his father John Small aged 57 Gardiner and his mother Margaret Small (can't make our her age). There are no other children living here, it is just the three of them. In this census it states that Charles was born in Coupar Angus not Rescobie as it states on the 1881 census. But then again I don't know if this is the same Charles

Probably not. Charles Small, son of John Small and Margaret Grant, was born in Coupar Angus on 29 April 1856.

There is an 11 year old Charles Small living in Forfar in 1871.
The place of birth is correct, but the age doesn't match up with the 1881 census.

No, but it does more closely match his age in the later censuses.

He is probably the same Charles Small as the one-year-old in Forfar in 1861.

I note that SP lists the a birth of a Charles Henderson in Rescobie in 1859. Looking at the International Genealogical Index, there is a birth of Charles Small or Henderson in 1859, father Leonard Small or Henderson, mother Ann Mackay.

So if Charles' marriage certificate says his mother was Ann Mackay, it would be reasonable to suppose that this is your Charles Small. So go on, get that marriage certificate.

Done! This is definitely the same one. I will go along the lines of him being related. Thank you for your help.  Much appreciated. It can be quite daunting when things don't all fall in place easily but there are ways and means.

[Forfarian]

There is also an RCE in connection with this entry. I don't actually know what it's trying to say though. I will include the image of the RCE, any help appreciated here.

That is unusual.

The law assumes that a child born to a married woman is her husband's, unless she chooses to declare otherwise. Leonard Small and Ann Mackay were married on 5 June 1853 in Glenisla. So the law (and the Registrar) should have assumed that Charles was Leonard's son. Therefore I don't know why it was necessary for Leonard to go to the Sheriff to get an alteration made to the certificate.

[Forfarian]

For the avoidance of duplication see the previous thread on the same family

Threads merged.

[Liviani]

There is also an RCE in connection with this entry. I don't actually know what it's trying to say though. I will include the image of the RCE, any help appreciated here.

That is unusual.

The law assumes that a child born to a married woman is her husband's, unless she chooses to declare otherwise. Leonard Small and Ann Mackay were married on 5 June 1853 in Glenisla. So the law (and the Registrar) should have assumed that Charles was Leonard's son. Therefore I don't know why it was necessary for Leonard to go to the Sheriff to get an alteration made to the certificate.

I'm not entirely sure either. It could be something to do with Leonard Small's name since Charles was born as Charles Henderson not Charles Small. Leonard is down as Leonard Henderson OR Small on here https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XYYX-XVF

This has to be the most confusing part of the research I think. Having said that; he wasn't present on the birth certificate. Something very strange there, it wasn't signed by Anne either.