Helen Thomson, Falkirk

[LindeL]

I am unfamiliar with Scottish records, but I've been asked to help find out about a Helen Thomson, who was living in 25 Grange Drive, Falkirk, possibly in 1933. She seems to have been a nurse; looking in the British Newspapers Archive  I found a possible candidate, of that name, who spoke at a Medical Missionaries meeting in the town in the 1940s. Maybe a relationship to a Baird family who lived at that address afterwards??

[Forfarian]

I am unfamiliar with Scottish records, but I've been asked to help find out about a Helen Thomson, who was living in 25 Grange Drive, Falkirk, possibly in 1933. She seems to have been a nurse; looking in the British Newspapers Archive  I found a possible candidate, of that name, who spoke at a Medical Missionaries meeting in the town in the 1940s. Maybe a relationship to a Baird family who lived at that address afterwards??

The period you are looking at is after the cut-off dates for viewing most Scottish records online, so while it should be reasonably straightforward it could require visits to more than one archive or repository.

It's possible that some apparently insignificant detail might unlock the search. Do you know anything else at all about her? Why are you looking for her? Do you have names and/or ages for the Baird family?

[DonM]

From the valuations: Robert Baird was the tenant in 1930 and Jean Baird in 1935

Unfortunately, the valuations don't list occupants.

Don
 

[Forfarian]

No. You'd need to look at the Registers of Electors, which are not available online.

There are three deaths of Robert Bairds in Falkirk between 1929 (when the 1930 VR was compiled) and 1935. Two in 1932, aged 62 and 65 respectively, and one aged 28 in 1933. The ones aged 62 and 28 are both named Robert Tasker Baird. There are five births of Robert Tasker Bairds, and three marriages, none to a Jane or Jean before 1935.

So if you think that the Bairds were related to Helen Thomson it just might be worth taking a look at the plain Robert Baird who died in Falkirk in 1932 to see who his parents were and who his wife was.

[ev]

Going by Newspapers , possibly Robert Baird(died 1932) and his wife Jessie Black Merrilees(died 1926) connected to 25 Grange Drive.
Have a look at a death for a Robert Baird 1942 age 16(Also 25 Grange Drive) , rememberance notices seem to mention Aunt Nell and Mrs Thomson(Falkirk Herald).


ev

[LindeL]

Thank you to everyone who had taken an interest in this. My daughter in London bought a book in a charity shop, with Nurse Helen Thomson, 25 Grange Drive Falkirk written on the flyleaf. The interesting thing is that the book is a Muslim text or possibly a poem, and that seems a bit of an unlikely book for a Falkirk nurse to own. My daughter says the date was about 1933 but I'm not clear where that date came from. Maybe a publication date I'm not sure.
Anyway I do a lot of Irish genealogy but have never tackled Scotland so I was intrigued to try some of my usual tricks to find her. But the name is too common and too recent. The British Newspaper archive threw up the address with a death notice for the young man Baird and a mention of the name Thomson, so it seemed a likely enough link. Maybe a sister of Helen Thomson married Baird, and maybe she stayed with that family when she was training or maybe home on furlough. If she was a medical missionary, which might explain the Muslim text, if she was a missionary in India. All speculation! Help still needed!
Btw i hadn't found the notice which mentions Aunt Nell, that could very likely be Helen Thomson??

[Forfarian]

Help still needed!

Maybe you need to look at the death certificate of young Robert Baird.

To do so, go to www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk, register, and buy 30 credits for £7.50. Use 6 of these to download the death certificate. It will tell you the full names of both of his parents including his mother's maiden surname. (Scottish records are much more informative than English ones.) See where that takes you.

[LindeL]

Yes you're right, that might sort out the fact from the speculation, might do that  later in the week. This warm weather is very distracting!