ROSS, Lewis - born Birse 1864

[Seaton Smithy]

Hi everyone.

At both Ancestry and Familysearch I have found an index record for the birth of Lewis Ross on 25 July 1864 in Birse, mother Louisa Ross.  I suspect that the mother is my great-great-grandmother Louisa Ross, although my Louisa would have only been 15 at the time.

I have not been able to find Lewis' birth at Scotlandspeople - any assistance gratefully received.

[GordonFindlay]

The nearest I can see on SP is Lewis John Walt(?er) Ross, 1863, registered in Kincardine O'Neil (Aberdeen).

Birse is often lumped in with the Kincardine O'Neil area.

Slainte
Gordon

[Dundee]

Looking at the registration numbers and dates of birth, this is the corresponding entry on SP:

ROSS, ALEXANDER
   
M
   
1864
   
175/ 25
   
Birse

Obviously one of them, FS or SP, is incorrect with the forename.

Debra 

[Seaton Smithy]

Obviously one of them, FS or SP, is incorrect with the forename.

Thanks, Debra.

Interestingly it's not just Ancestry & Familysearch that show Lewis, FindMyPast and oldscottish.com show that name as well, so the odds seem to be stacked against SP.

After enduring the overly prescriptive security of my credit provider I have purchased the record of Alexander Ross and the record gives his name as Lewis Ross, mother Louisa Ross, no father recorded.

There are also two corrections changing his name from Lewis to Alexander.

The first one is dated 1 October 1864 states that the schedule was signed by the mother but was cancelled on 6 October 1865.

The second is also dated 1 October 1864 and states the schedule was in the hand of Rev Charles Dunn with a date in the bottom corner of 7 June 1866.

I wonder if this cancellation of the first correction is indicative that the mother was under age and the schedule required the signature of an adult?

[Seaton Smithy]

And the light goes on ...

In 1871, Louisa is living at Bankhead farm Midmar with her father James and older brothers James and Alexander.  Living there as well is an Alexander Ross age 6 listed as the grandson of James Snr.  I think I had previously assumed this child to be the son of one of the brothers, possibly Alexander.

In 1881, James Jnr is now the Head at Bankhead and living with his family is an Alexander Ross age 16 born Birse relationship listed as Servant.

[Forfarian]

Interestingly it's not just Ancestry & Familysearch that show Lewis, FindMyPast and oldscottish.com show that name as well, so the odds seem to be stacked against SP.

What a classic case of Scotland's People 1, the rest 0. And why it is necessary to check the original record on SP.

See https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=714261.0

Just because there are four mirror sites with only partial information doesn't mean that they are right and the one is wrong.

See the story of Mary Simpson for another example where one source (SP) is correct and about 20 online trees are incorrect https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=619657.0

[Shazzersj]

I have a copy of original certificate for Lewis Ross.  What is said above is right.  There is a Corrected Entry attached to his birth certificate stating his name was changed to Alexander. 

It states he was registered as Lewis Ross born 25 July 1864 at Birkenhill Parish of Birse.  Mother given as Louisa Ross Domestic servant.  She signed as informant.  A Corrected Entry dated 1st October 1865 changed his name to Alexander. 

[Seaton Smithy]

Do you have a family connection, Sharon?

[Shazzersj]

Not directly but have always had an interest in the families of Birse.  My mother was born at Finzean so I started with my own lines and then kept adding other branches.

My family names are Emslie, Glass, Gordon and Coutts.

Sharon