Martin/Matheson in Golspie

[Top-of-the-hill]

    I am going round in circles, as I am not very practiced with Scottish records. I am trying to sort out a family in the 1851 and 61 censuses, headed by James Matheson age 55 Woodranger, living Dunrobin, Golspie. He has his mother, Elspet Martin, and two cousins living with him, and also (my main problem) Helen Burnett, grand daughter. She is the daughter of John Burnett and Elspeth Matheson, but whose gr daughter she is I can't quite see?
   I have been looking on Scotland's people, but cannot find some of the births and marriages - I gather from their website that this is common?
    In 1871 two of the Burnett children are living with Elspeth Matheson, widow, who looks to me like the cousin from 1851/61 - did she marry cousin James?

[djct59]

Can you provide a bit more information?

Presumably you have Helen's birth record - when was she born? When were her parents married?

There's an Elspie Matheson, daughter of James Matheson and Mary Murray, born in Dornoch in 1818. She has sisters called Janet, Mary and Catherine.

It's not clear exactly what you're looking for

[Forfarian]

Elspet Burnett, other name Mathieson, died in Golspie in 1902 aged 81.

Go to www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk, register and invest in a few credits. Use 6 of them to download the image of her death certificate. It will tell you the name of her husband (so you know you have the right one) and the full names of both her parents including her mother's maiden surname.

John Burnett, aged 38, died in Golspie in 1862. Again, his death certificate will tell you the full names of both his parents. His mother's maiden surname was Hay.

Then you will know who all of Helen's grandparents were.

The index to the 1861 census lists in Golspie
Elspet, 39
John, 37
James, 13
Thomas, 12
Elspet, 10
Elizabeth, 10
Mary, 7
John, 3
Ann, 1
all in ED3, page 8 so this is all one family.

Bear in mind that in Scotland a married woman does not lose her maiden surname on marriage, and it's not unusual for a widow to be recorded in the census by her maiden surname. I think Elspet Matheson is almost certainly John Burnett's widow.

James Matheson, aged 68, died in Golspie in 1865. His death certificate will tell you the name of Elspet Martin's husband.

[Top-of-the-hill]

  Thanks, I will have a go on Scotland's  People tomorrow. That is helpful to know I can find Elspet's parents from it. That is the right family, Helen was, I think, the eldest.

[Forfarian]

FWIW I reckon that Helen is Elspet Martin's granddaughter. I can just imagine the enumerator arriving when James was out superintending trees and Elspet forgetting that she was supposed to be telling the enumerator Helen's relationship to James rather than to herself. But that is speculation - the death certificates should sort it out.

[Top-of-the-hill]

   Unfortunately the informant did not know his grandmother's (?) name. I am sure you are right about it being Elspet Martin. I may do some more checking, but it is very peripheral to the family. I just wanted to get to the bottom of it.