James Bolton

[Forfarian]

Thank you for your help it is very kind of you.  I will look for the other certificate today.  I don't think she married William Davidson as she was buried as Bolton.

On the face of it, it all fits together if Helen Bolton and William Davidson were half-siblings, but it still leaves several loose ends flapping about.

[eileendavid]

I haven't found the death cert yet of the other William Davidson but I have found a 1861 census for William on Scotlandspeople that he is 52 (1809) a nailor born in Edinburgh/Dalkeith in lodgings.

Eileen

[Forfarian]

I think that in that census 52 is a misreading of 22, and that he is the son of William Davidson and Elizabeth Limeburner, who was in the 1841 and 1851 censuses with his parents.

[eileendavid]

Well I got the 1851 census which just my luck was on two pages and it records a William as 12 so born 1839, Alexander 1841, Daniel/David 1848.  If this is the correct one they had William prior to their marriage in 1840 in Dalkeith.  Still not sure about this William Snr who was born in Falkirk as I haven't any evidence that Elizabeth Storrie ever moved from the Dalkeith as her parents and her daughter Helen Bolton lived there.  William from Falkirk born 1806 parents were Alexander Davidson and Janet Storrie. 

On the 1861 census for William Davidson a Alex Hutchison further down on the census seems to be the same squiggle and his wife underneath is 59 so if it was a 22 her husband is 37 years her junior.  The scribes 2 seems quite distinctive as does his 3 but his 5's vary.  So not sure what to think.

Do we agree that there are two William's born 1806 one in Falkirk with parents Alexander and Janet nee Storrie.  A William 1804 according to his death certificate parents William and Elizabeth nee Storrie

That's all I have found

Eileen







 

[Forfarian]

Well I got the 1851 census which just my luck was on two pages and it records a William as 12 so born 1839, Alexander 1841, Daniel/David 1848.

The original census never gives a date of birth. It tells you the age the person said they were on the day of the census. The 1851 census was taken on 30 March 1851. This means that anyone whose birthday fell between 31 March and 31 December would be a year older by the end of the year. Or, to put it another way, someon who was 12 years old would (if the age is accurate) have been born between 31 March 1838 and 30 March 1839. So it is three times more likely that William was born in 1838 that in 1839. Web sites that 'calculate' the year of birth by subtracting the age from the census year therefore get it wrong three times out of four.

Do we agree that there are two Williams born 1806 one in Falkirk with parents Alexander and Janet nee Storrie.  A William 1804 according to his death certificate parents William and Elizabeth nee Storrie.

It looks like that, improbable though it sounds.

[colinmcl]

Elizabeth Storrie was given on the 1867 Death certificate of John McLeod as his mother. He died in Prestonpans however they probably lived in Inveresk and cockenzie. He is buried in Tranent graveyard.
His age at death was 75 making his birth 1792.
We could not find a marriage certificate, nor did they appear as a couple on any census. We could not find siblings. Unless they were married elsewhere it seems they were not a couple.

A christening at the same time and place showed a John McLeod jnr born to John McLeod snr and Mary Fraser, they were married and went on to have more children.

[eileendavid]

colinmcl

This gets better and better if this is also my Elizabeth Storrie she would only be 12 when she had John McLeod according to her age on death certificate 1860 and census of 1841, 1851.  She had Helen Bolton in 1802 Dalkeith supposedly married to James Bolton and a son William Davidson born in Falkirk 1804/1806 father William Davidson. When she was buried she was buried as Elizabeth Bolton although she was on census as Elizabeth Storrie. 

The only William Davidson found was baptised 1806 in Falkirk son of Alexander Davidson and Janet Storey all other details census and death certificate etc match for William with parents of William Davidson and Elizabeth Storrie.