Mary McQuilter

[carolineasb]

Can I ask how you have come to the decision that Neil Thomson is Elizabeth's father? He did not attend the registration of Elizabeth's birth and, having checked the Scottish Indexes site, there appears to have been no Court case even started and, indeed, as no Court case there is no RCE on the above birth entry stating that he is the father. In those times, people often took in other people's children but that does not necessarily mean that they are even related!

[donStanleyNZ]

It seems many researchers came to this conclusion. Perhaps some had family knowledge. I have seen no clear evidence attributable to Neil Thomson. The fact that he arrived by ship in NZ and was with Elizabeth could have many reasons.

However, there is no reason to believe that Neil Thomsons wife Sarah Hemphill would lie. She stated in court in 1890 that he had fathered a child by another woman in Scotland and that she helped bring that child up in Scotland and New Zealand. Also in court in 1890 she stated under oath that Thomson had fathered his own daughters child (Elizabeth Thomson had a child when around 14-15 years old). This was just before Thomson went back to Scotland where he died a few months later.

There are many researchers closer in terms of family ties then myself, it would be interesting to find out if anyone has definitive evidence. I have tried to contact a number of researchers but have no success contacting them and many last had Rootsweb or other activity a long time ago. Many of these researchers have published work stating he is Elizabeths father.

So there is evidence pointing to him as father. I see the Sarah Hemphill statements as fairly compelling evidence. There is a Scottish site that searches for fathers of illegitimate children. They correctly identified the father one of Mary McQuilters other children Martha, but then that father is easily found in newspaper articles of the time where Mary names him. its possible the same exists for Thomson, but I haven't found it. I'm going to get that site to do some searches shoon.

[carolineasb]

Sadly, speaking as a Clerk of Court for over 20 years, what is said in Court under Oath is not necessarily true Have you tried DNA? The fact that he had a child with Elizabeth even makes me feel it is more likely that she wasn't his child (and yes, I know that incest could have taken place as it still happens today sadly )

[Forfarian]

However, there is no reason to believe that Neil Thomsons wife Sarah Hemphill would lie.

Why not? Was she suing for divorce, or for some other reason that would give her an incentive to paint him as black as possible?

[_craigM_]

Hi Don,
Are you still around?
Any new info on Mary McQuilter?
With winter coming, I'll have some time to research some more.....

Regards
Craig

[Rosinish]

The fact that he arrived by ship in NZ and was with Elizabeth could have many reasons.

However, there is no reason to believe that Neil Thomsons wife Sarah Hemphill would lie. She stated in court in 1890 that he had fathered a child by another woman in Scotland and that she helped bring that child up in Scotland and New Zealand. Also in court in 1890 she stated under oath that Thomson had fathered his own daughters child (Elizabeth Thomson had a child when around 14-15 years old). This was just before Thomson went back to Scotland where he died a few months later.

There are many researchers closer in terms of family ties then myself, it would be interesting to find out if anyone has definitive evidence. I have tried to contact a number of researchers but have no success contacting them and many last had Rootsweb or other activity a long time ago. Many of these researchers have published work stating he is Elizabeths father.

So there is evidence pointing to him as father.

I may have missed this but do you have a passenger list with Elizabeth recorded as daughter of Neil & who does Elizabeth name as her father on her marriage (if she married)?

Annie

[donStanleyNZ]

Hi, Elizabeth and Neil arrived on the Strathallan into Napier on 2nd Dec 1866. The newspaper passenger list incorrectly also includes his wife Sarah Hemphill and son Neil. She stayed back in Scotland with their baby son Neil who dies there, and she is pregnant with their daughter who is born in the poor house (birth and death certificates show this is Neils wife and children). Sarah and the daughter Anne appear to arrive on the ship Wild Duck in dec 1867 to Wellington, and then to Napier aboard the Egmont. This is described in Sarahs obituary in 1924 (it states she arrived here after Neil, but the ship name is incorrectly listed as Shy Duck, Sarah and Anne Thompson do arrive on Wild Duck according to newspaper passengers list). The newspaper listing of passengers shows it is likely that daughter Mary was also on the Strathallan -- its lists Neil, Elizabeth, Sarah, Mary, Neil in that order.

I havent found the original passenger list, just the newspaper one.

Somewhere here I have the cert, will update this when I find it.

[donStanleyNZ]

Attached is marriage cert of elizabeth thompson and thomas goodgame.

No attempt is made to suggest Neil Thomson is not her father. Her mother is named as Mary McWater, which is one of the variations I noted for McQuilter when researching Scottish records.

I havent yet found a reason to think that Neil Thomson and Mary McQuilter are not Elizabeths parents.

Note also that her birthdate is the only one on ScotlandsPeople with a birth date of Elizabeth's birth, illegitimate, and in Houston where the marriage cert says she is from.