Pumpherston

[Donches]

I've been trying to find Pumpherston, Linlithgowshire (West Lothian), Scotland, in the 1891 census, without success. Does anyone know the registration district for a start?

Don

[Jamjar]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumpherston

Jamjar

[dowdstree]

It comes under West Lothian. Was and still is a tiny wee place.

Where are you searching? If it is on scotlandspeople just click on West Lothian and then all.

Hope this helps.

Dorrie

[Donches]

Many thanks for the replies.

I'm actually searching for my great grand father, William Davies, who disappeared after 1871 when his wife left him for the bible salesman. An old aunt told me he said he was "Going to look for gold". I thought for years he had gone to America, but I now think he probably went to Scotland. The only Scottish record for a possible William Davies is of one who was a tenant of Pumpherston oil works in 1888, 1889, and 1892. However I can't find this William in the FindMyPast 1891 census anywhere.

My William Davies was born in St. Martins, Shropshire, in 1881, and had been a coal miner, manager of a short lived oil works in Wales, and a publican. His son Fredrick went to Scotland from Nantwich, which would be explained if he was following his father

If I could find William it would answer a search of may years.

Don

[Milliepede]

When was he born please?  1881 doesn't compute if he disappeared before then!

[Donches]

Oh crikey.

He was born 1838, where did 1881 come from. Also it was many years not may years. My apologies.

Can I add I can't find him in 1881 or other censuses and wonder if he avoided them somehow, not wanting to be found. He might have married again - bigamously - although that didn't worry his son!

Don

[dowdstree]

I think that the William Davies who was a tenant of Pumpherson Oil Works in the 1880's/1890s was a different man ufortunately.

Census records from Ancestry show the following -

1881, 1891 & 1901 Census Records for William Davies show him as having been born in Airdrie, Lanarkshire around 1855. He was a shale miner living in Uphall which is only about 2 miles from Pumpherston.

Dorrie

[carlineric]

Although it is now in West Lothian it was originally in Edinburghshire / Mid Lothian and would come under Mid Calder. The border runs along the Caw Burn.

Eric

[Donches]

I'm very grateful for the replies again.

Dorrie - the William Davies, the shale miner whom you found in the 1881,1891 and 1901 censuses, born c1855 in Airdie, Lanarkshire seemed that he must be him. I have now been able to find him in FindMyPast in 1891 and 1901, but not in 1881 for some reason. However, there seems to be something odd. In the 1891 census William is a coal miner, still living in Airdrie - he seems to be the same one,  with his wife Agnes. The oil works records list a William Davies, a tenant in 1888, 1889 and 1892, in their housing, actually in Pumpherston, not Uphall. It would be odd for William to go home and become a coal miner for one year. Does the 1881 census record him in Uphall? If it does he must have done.

Don