Lachlan(x2) Bell

[Forfarian]

"ARCHIBALD BELL & MARY (NANNY) MCTAVISH
Some childrens records at Glassary, Argyll for the above 1820 – 1828 but none later"
Where do I find them? Still learning...

www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

Forfarian: "wife May, born Garve". May was born Fraser, says so on the tombstone, so I'll go with that. Where did you see 'Garve'?

Born in the parish of Garve, county of Ross and Cromarty, according to the 1851 census. You can see the original of the census at Scotland's People as above, or you can look at a full transcription at https://freecen1.freecen.org.uk/cgi/search.pl

[MonicaL]

From Scotlands People also, a possible death for Mary McTavish?:

Mary Bell/MacTavish aged 82 died in 1877 in Kilmichael-Glassary
Ref 511/ 15

If correct, this could help in confirming her parents' details (if known to the informant to her death).

Monica
   

[MonicaL]

Husband Archibald's death?:

Archibald Bell, aged 84 died 1879 in Kilmichael-Glassary
Ref 511/ 18
   
Hopefully parents' details also included.

Monica

[IainBell]

 
Monica, many thanks, that was the right Mary McTavish. Arch. Bell I had already, I'd just got confused! I don't have a chess-players brain, seems you need one for this!

Forfariain: I've had a good look at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk , but I don't see an obvious link to search for early records, pre-1841. Probably just me being stupid...

Can't even find 'Garve' in freecen...have put in fairly broad searches for both May Fraser, and
 (blank)Fraser, Ross and Cromarty, have hunted the 1851 census. I don't get 'Garve' as an option for Ross and Cromarty?
Freecen search: May Fraser, born 1830-1850, census 1851. All counties. One result for Ross and Cromarty, Contin, puts her at 17. Daughter of Alexander and Ann.
S.P. Search: May Fraser, age 15-19, all counties in 1851 Census  gives 3 options, the one in Ross and Cromarty doesn't match freecen. ??
I've poked around with SP and Freecen, I find people on one that aren't on the other...
For example, May Fraser aged 16, daughter of John and Mary. Urquhart and Logie Wester, on SP 1851 census doesn't appear on freecen 1851. Weird. I suspect freecen...
Stuck...
Iain

[IainBell]

Further to my last, got May Fraser sorted out...I think. Still no Garve, but Forres fitted.
Now I'm off to hunt for McRaes...
Iain

[Forfarian]

Forfariain: I've had a good look at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk , but I don't see an obvious link to search for early records, pre-1841.

The available pre-1855 baptism and marriage records are under 'Church registers'. There are almost no useful census records before 1841 because 1841 was the first year when they collected names rather than just numbers of people.

Can't even find 'Garve' in freecen...have put in fairly broad searches for both May Fraser, and
 (blank)Fraser, Ross and Cromarty, have hunted the 1851 census. I don't get 'Garve' as an option for Ross and Cromarty?

My apologies, I see that I misled you. I typed that Garve is a parish when I should have typed that it is a village, and I typed 1851 when I intended to type 1881. Garve is a village in the parish of Contin.

I have downloaded the 1872 marriage certificate. It confirms that Lachlan's parents were Archibald Bell and Mary McTavish, and May's parents were William Fraser and Janet Fraser, maiden surname Ross. If you want a copy of it, send me a PM with your e-mail address.

William Fraser and Janet Ross had six recorded children
Christian, born 1829, Loth; Ann, born 1831, Forres; Elspet, born 1833, Forres; Georgina, born 1836, Forres; May, born 1838, Forres; David, born 1841, Tarbat.

There is a Fraser family in the 1841 census at Meikle Tarrel, Tarbat: William, 40, farmer; Jannet, 30; John, 13; Christian, 10; Eppy, 8; Georgenia, 5; May, 2. Janet was born in Ross and Cromarty but the birthplace of the others is 'unknown'. (There is a baptism of a John Fraser, father's name William, no mother's name stated, in Loth in 1828.) So I am reasonably confident that this is your May. However I have no idea why she said in 1881 that she was born in Garve. Or why she said she was 35 when she was only 32.

I've poked around with SP and Freecen, I find people on one that aren't on the other... For example, May Fraser aged 16, daughter of John and Mary. Urquhart and Logie Wester, on SP 1851 census doesn't appear on freecen 1851. Weird. I suspect freecen...

Go to the FreeCEN home page https://freecen1.freecen.org.uk/ and click on 'Database coverage'. Click on 1851 and scroll down and you will see that only 13.5% of Ross and Cromarty has been transcribed so far by FreeCEN. Click on 'Details' and you will see that Urquhart and Logie Wester has not yet been transcribed, so that is why she is not listed on FreeCEN.

[IainBell]

Hi Ian,
No apologies needed, you've been more help than hindrance!
Church registers, okay, I'll have a root around...
The 1872 marriage certificate would be brilliant, I have the entry, but there may be more on the cert. I'll PM...
William and Janet look right, they match with other records on Heritage dot com, so I'll add them. You've found more children, though! Nice! I've only got three, Ann, May, and Georgina. I'll update.
I'll have a look at the records you've suggested, thank you.
May Fraser having a 'variable' age, the SP census does warn that ages can...shift!
As for database coverage, aye. Argyll, the base of the Bell mob, is only 34% for 1851...explains a bit! Slows me up a bit, as well
Many thanks for all your assistance! I'm still making stupid errors, and therefore not getting results, but I'll sharpen up...
I've had a root, updated Heritage, smart matches coming in confirming. Excellent! You rock!
Iain

[Forfarian]

New thread on the same family https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=808118.0

[MonicaL]

Sorry...meant to post on the other thread