James & Margaret Davidson - Motherwell to South Africa

[MonicaL]

James Russell Davidson b. 1890, I think his mother was Agnes Russell who died in Hamilton in 1991 aged 33

A William Davidson married an Agnes Russell in 1880 in Hamilton.

This looks like the family in 1891:

William Davidson 32 carpenter b. Fosterseat, Fifeshire
Robert Davidson 7 b. Hamilton
Margaret Davidson 4 b. Hamilton
James Davidson 9 months b. Hamilton
Christina Davidson 19 sister b. Monzievaird, Perthshire

Address 25 Baillies Causeway, Hamilton

A William Davidson married a Mary Hutton in Hamilton in 1895. There is a possible death in Hamilton in 1935 for a Mary Hutton/Davidson, aged 71 which fits well with her age in the 1901 census.

Monica

[MonicaL]

I note the marriage & children you mention.

DAVIDSON WILLIAM - WILLIAMS   MARGARET ANN   1914   Dalziel

Children Registered Dalziel.

Child 1: William 1915
Child 2: Mary (Helen) Ellen 1916
Child 3: Robert Edward 1918
Child 4: John 1925
Child 5: Susannah 1924

From the list posted by Colin with a clear order. I think the birth entry you posted for a Margaret Ann William in 1887 is very likely the correct one.

James/William and Margaret Ann look to have followed naming pattern in respect of the names connected with her. I think her father was a Robert Edward Williams and mother Mary Ellen Plunkett. Likely marriage for them in Wrexham, England in the last qrt of 1878 (vol 11b/ p 482).

This looks to be the Williams in 1891

Robert Williams 34 coal miner b. Wales
Mary E Williams 28 b. England
Susannah Williams 11 b. Wales
Herbert Williams 10 b. Wales
Margt Ann Williams 3 b. Burntisland, Fifeshire
James Williams 1 b. Cowdenbeath, Fifeshire
Joseph Williams 1 Month b. Bellshill, Lanarkshire

Address: Main St, Bothwell, Lanarkshire

From Family Search, the 1881 census gives you the specific birth places in England and Wales https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2WS-CDCD (you need to be signed in to view now).

An old post here on RC regarding Mary Ellen Plunkett www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=555287.0

Monica

[MonicaL]

Margaret Ann Williams and her parents and siblings (9 children by 1901) are living in Motherwell by 1901:

Robert Williams 43
Mary E Williams 37
Hobert Williams 20
Jane Williams 17
Margareta Williams 13
Jannes Williams 11
Joseph Williams 10
Alexander Williams 8
Mary E Williams 6
Fellias Williams 2
Robert Williams 1

Address: 23 Old Camp, Motherwell

There is also a further long post here www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=555265.0 on Mary Ellen Plunkett, mother and family.

Monica

[MonicaL]

Must stop, too many in a row from me and I am now obsessing!

Had to look at the marriage from 1914. Everything fits for the Margaret Ann that you found Colin and we have above, William Davidson is completely different:

[MonicaL]

From the marriage cert, this is I think the Davidson family in 1881. Eliza Crombie died in 1885 in Uphall at the age of 34.

William Davidson 28 joiner b. Glasgow
Eliza Davidson 50 (mistranscribed, likely 30) b. Inveraray, Argyleshire
Eliza Crombie Davidson 5
William Davidson 4 b. Glasgow
Jeanie A Davidson 2
Eliza Crombie 62 mother in law annuitant b. England

Address: Station Row (49), Uphall West Lothian (is this where the ref to West Lothian comes from I wonder?).

Monica

[MonicaL]

This looks to be the family in 1891 with William Snr remarried it seems. The Peter below the same as the Peter who was witness at the 1914 marriage?

William Davidson 38 joiner b. Glasgow
Mary Davidson 34 b. Tallyallay, Perthshire...possibly Mary Allan
William Davidson 14 App joiner b. Glasgow
Jeanie Davidson 12
Lucy Davidson 9
David Davidson 8
Peter Davidson 2
John Davidson 1

Address: Beachmont Villa, Queensferry West Lothian

[MonicaL]

James Russell Davidson b. 1890 in Hamilton married Barrhead in 1914 to a Marion Stevenson. As we thought and discussed above, his mother was Agnes Russell. His father showing as James rather than William! A carpenter by trade. Likely he died in Bothwell at the age of 76 in 1966.

He is not therefore the correct Davidson 

The William v James issue is certainly a puzzle...but does look like it was William as you have on the children's birth certs.

Monica

[KennethDavidson]

Hi Monica,

Many thanks for all your hard work. It will take me some time to sort out all your information! However, here are some first thoughts/comments:

The FamilySearch hyperlink for Jim & Maggie death dates was my original breakthrough discovery.

The Birth Certificates (from SP) for William, Mary Helen Davidson and Robert Edward all show Motherwell addresses. I don’t have any of the younger siblings certificates yet.

James’ father William was born in Anderston, Glasgow. He lived in Uphall, Broxburn and then Queensferry (working on the Forth Railway Bridge?) for about 12 years, and had 7 children born during that time. There is no record of anyone in that family living in Hamilton.

William (b 1853) had two wives; Elizabeth Crombie (1851-1885, from Inverary) and Mary Morris (1854-1925, from Tulliallan), and had 13 children in all!

William Davidson and Elizabeth Crombie had a son called William (b 1877). I have very little on him at present. In the 1891 census, he was an apprentice joiner who lived in Beechmont Villa, Queensferry. He would have been a half brother to James (b 1891) and Peter (b 1888).

Thanks for finding what looks like a plausible history for Margaret Ann Davidson. I hope that side of that family is well understood now. I still don’t understand James vs William. Is there any official way to change names?

Thanks,

Kenneth.

[MonicaL]

William Davidson and Elizabeth Crombie had a son called William (b 1877). I have very little on him at present. In the 1891 census, he was an apprentice joiner who lived in Beechmont Villa, Queensferry. He would have been a half brother to James (b 1891) and Peter (b 1888).

From what we have to date on Scottish records, this William b 1878, son William Snr and Elizabeth Crombie is who married Margaret Ann Williams.

From the 1914 marriage, with the clip previously, William showed as aged 36 which fits well with a birth c. 1878. Peter, his brother showing as witness we think.

What addresses do you have for the birth certs you have got for the Davidson children?

Monica