Researching Smail

[Diane Smail]

Hi,
I am looking to find my dad's side of the family. We do not know who his father is unfortunately his mum, my gran passed away before I was old enough to question it. My dad was given my grans surname being Smail. I know she (Martha) was born in Cockburns Path, Dunbar, Berwickshire. She was born to James and Alison(Nee Young) Smail in Feb 1924. Both of my great grandparents parents were also born in Cockburns Path, Dunbar, Berwickshire. She also had 2 brothers James and Robert and a sister Isabella. I have a Ancestry account but I'm stumped as we are unsure of who her (Martha) her fathers father is so makes research a little difficult. I also know that her mother divorced and remarried in Aberdeen. Any information would be fantastic and appreciated . I will add more info if I come across anything. I also did a DNA test by Ancestry, it shows that I'm 67% Irish, 26% European West and 7% other regions. I look forward to hearing of any news. Thank you.

[ev]

Hi . welcome to RootsChat 

Scotlandspeople website has a marriage for a James Smail / Alice Young 1923 Cockburnspath Berwick.



ev

[chempat]

If you want to find scottish births etc you need

https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/

not Ancestry. 

[Anne Lothian]

Hi Diane,

Welcome to Roots-chat!

Please buy yourself some Scotlandspeople credits, as suggested by chempat.

I've looked on ScoPeo for some family members you mentioned and there they are, in the index.

If I remember correctly you can register and search the indexes free, yes, FREE ! If you find a certificate you need you can view it online, or if it's fairly recent ( 100 years or less for births) you would have to buy the certificate. Not sure how much they are to buy- so far I've been able to view mine online using credits and saving them in a ScotlandsPeople 'timeline'. I'm back to the late 1700 for some lines.  (You can tell I'm a fan!)

I've found it a very simple system to use. Give it a try!

Anyhow, on ScotlandsPeople, under 'Search for People' under births I put in Smail, without any Christian name attached. Under Gender I selected both, year range 1918 to 1935, county Berwick, and didn't select a district. Press search and up popped 16 births for Smail, in Berwickshire.

There's Martha, born 1924, James born 1926, Robert Young born 1929 and Elizabeth Young (probably given the pet name, Isabella) born 1934, all a Cockburnspath. Because these dates are all within 100 years they cannot be viewed online. Only way to get the info they contain would be to buy the certificates.    But maybe you wouldn't need to buy the certificates. You might have the info already.

It's a start!

Just thinking, there's a fair chance that some of these people are still alive - you might know if that's correct. In that case the moderator might come along and delete sections of what I've written.

Hope this is of some help.

Post again if you need any clarification.

Good luck with it!

Anne

[Anne Lothian]

James Smail, who married Alison Young in 1924 - might he have been born in Dunbar, in 1901?

Alison Young - might she have been born in Dunbar, too, in 1906?

Both these certificates are available to view online, for 6 credits each.

You would almost cartainly be able to find them as children, on the 1911 census, also viewable online.

Good luck with it.

Anne of