Author Topic: Christina Robertson Malcolm: Birth/death?  (Read 1554 times)

Offline Mcolleran

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Christina Robertson Malcolm: Birth/death?
« on: Sunday 08 October 17 04:46 BST (UK) »
I'm hoping to find more information about my great grandmother. She was born in Edinburgh sometime around 1894 to John and Bridget Robertson.

The first entry I can find is a record from her marriage to John Malcolm on May 24th or 29th, 1918. She was listed as 24 years old and living at 86 Victoria Street in Edinburgh. But I haven't been able to find any information about her birth or death, both of which were in Edinburgh. I believe she passed away in 1950. 

Any tips on finding more details about her life?

Offline Mcolleran

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Great Grandmother Mystery
« Reply #1 on: Sunday 08 October 17 08:41 BST (UK) »
I'm hoping to find more information about my great grandmother, Christina Robertson. She was born in Edinburgh sometime around 1894 to John and Bridget Robertson.

The first entry I can find is a record from her marriage to John Malcolm on May 24th or 29th, 1918. She was listed as 24 years old and living at 86 Victoria Street in Edinburgh. But I haven't been able to find any information about her birth or death, both of which were in Edinburgh. I believe she passed away in 1950. 

Any tips on finding more details about her life?

Offline PaulineJ

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Re: Great Grandmother Mystery
« Reply #2 on: Sunday 08 October 17 08:45 BST (UK) »
Scotlands people would be the obvious resource to consult.

Whats available on the 1939 register for Scotland  (not on FindMyPast)?
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Offline rosie99

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Re: Christina Robertson Malcolm: Birth/death?
« Reply #3 on: Sunday 08 October 17 08:48 BST (UK) »
Link to duplicate post

Merged , moved to Midlothian.
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Offline Wendy2305

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Re: Christina Robertson Malcolm: Birth/death?
« Reply #4 on: Sunday 08 October 17 10:49 BST (UK) »
There is a death of a Christina Robertson other surname Malcolm in 1948 in St George District of Midlothian age 58 so born 1890 could be her so far not found a marriage for her parents was she the oldest or did she have older siblings

Offline Forfarian

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Re: Christina Robertson or Malcolm: Birth/death?
« Reply #5 on: Sunday 08 October 17 10:59 BST (UK) »
Do you have her actual marriage certificate? If not, that is your first step. It will tell you the exact date and place of the marriage, and the maiden surname of her mother.

There is a death of Christina Robertson or Malcolm, aged 58, in Edinburgh in 1948. Her death certificate should also confirm the maiden surname of her mother.

If she was 58 when she died in 1948, she would have been born in 1889 or 1890, not 1894. So it looks as if one of the ages listed is inaccurate.

There are 14 births of Christi* Robertsons in the City of Edinburgh between 1889 and 1894.

Unfortunately the only marriage of a John Robertson before 1889 seems to be in 1856, which is surely too early to be the correct couple.

So it is possible that John and Bridget were married outside Scotland, perhaps in Ireland, or that they were not married at all.

There isn't a Christi* Robertson listed with a Bridget on the same census page in 1891, 1901 or 1911 anywhere in Scotland, though it's possible that they could be on different pages

To get those certificates go to www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk, invest in a few credits at modest cost, and you will be able to download them for less than the cost of a cup of coffee each. See what they tell you, and then get back to us with that information.
Never trust anything you find online (especially submitted trees and transcriptions on Ancestry, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and other commercial web sites) unless it's an image of an original document - and even then be wary because errors can and do occur.

Offline Mcolleran

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Re: Christina Robertson Malcolm: Birth/death?
« Reply #6 on: Tuesday 10 October 17 03:42 BST (UK) »
Thanks very much for your input! I haven't ordered her marriage certificate, but I did find the record. It lists her age in 1918 as 24, and her parents as John and Bridget Robertson. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to make out Bridget's last name.

My dad recalls that she was born in Ireland but came to Edinburgh to work as a domestic servant.  Unfortunately, my grandmother died 30 years ago so it's difficult to get specifics.

Offline Forfarian

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Re: Christina Robertson or Malcolm: Birth/death?
« Reply #7 on: Tuesday 10 October 17 10:15 BST (UK) »
I don't know what you mean by 'record' but if it is an image of a handwritten document you don't need to 'order' it. Even if it is anything other than an image of the handwritten document you still don't need to 'order' it - you can view it online instantly.

Why not post an extract from it here and let us see it? One of us may be able to read Bridget's surname.

Or go to www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk and view her death certificate. That too should tell you the maiden surname of her mother.

Otherwise you will only have to wait about 4 years until the 1921 census is made available, and you will be able to see how old she said she was in 1921 and where she said she was born.

However I have looked at https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/en/ and there are no births of Christina/Christine Robertsons there between 1880 and 1910 with father John and mother Bridget.
Never trust anything you find online (especially submitted trees and transcriptions on Ancestry, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and other commercial web sites) unless it's an image of an original document - and even then be wary because errors can and do occur.

Offline Mcolleran

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Re: Christina Robertson Malcolm: Birth/death?
« Reply #8 on: Tuesday 10 October 17 14:23 BST (UK) »
So! With the help of your tips about the dates for Christina's birth, I was able to find her in the civil registries (I have been buying lots of Scotland's People credits, but apparently not searching well).  It turns out that her mother's name was Annie McCoy and her father was David. I do believe that these are correct and not a different family, as Annie's birth place was down as Ireland, and the names of siblings and known street addresses reappear in subsequent census and birth/death listings.
After this discovery, the floodgates opened and I was able to find a treasure trove of information.
Thank you again!