William Taylor MacGregor Cape Town 1930s

[Geordie daughter]

I'm hoping someone can help me to find out more about the William Taylor MacGregor who died in Cape Town in 1936. His Civil Deaths notice says he was born in Scotland circa 1871, married, and a proof reader for the Cape Times newspaper. He died at Monte Rosa in the Gardens. There are no probate documents available for him on FamilySearch, only a Maitland Cemetery burial record, which is frustrating as the former would give me the details I need to establish whether he's "one of mine." The parents of "my" fella were John MacGregor and Isabella Taylor, and William was born in Edinburgh in 1869.

[rosie17]

There are a few tree's on Ancestry for  William Taylor Macgregor born 11/3/1869 no parents mentioned ..A marriage to a Maria Ingram Stevenson 1893 Edinburgh might be worth checking on Scotland's People ..Going by the occupation of William on the 1891 Census ( clerk )

On the Electoral Records there is a William Taylor Macgregor 1914/ 1915 Dundas Street Edinburgh
Occupation Clerk

Tree also has a death 28/2/1936 Edinburgh

Rosie   

[Geordie daughter]

Rosie, the Ancestry tree birthdates are an exact match for my man, but unfortunately I have a sub for FindMyPast not Ancestry, so can't access them! Is there any way of me contacting the owner/s of the trees directly? I'd be over the moon if I can find living descendants, as William was my great-grandfather's brother. I have managed to trace all of the other siblings, barring William and his brother Rankine Forrest MacGregor, but so far haven't been able to dig up any living descendants of those of them who married.

Frustratingly, there was another William Taylor MacGregor living in Edinburgh around the same time as my man: he was born in 1874, Liverpool, and went on to become assistant governor then chaplain of Craiglockhart Poor House in Morningside. He has muddied the waters considerably as all the info I could find related to him.

[rosie17]

Hi Geordie daughter ...I think the best thing would be to check the marriage on
www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk to see if this is your relation ..The marriage should have  his  parents names ..If this is your relation you can send me a pm with your e-mail address and I can contact the tree member on your behalf

Rosie

[Geordie daughter]

Thanks, Rosie. Stupid question, I know, but I haven't used Scotland's People before: do the digital images of the registers contain the same information as that on the actual certificate, or is it just an index like the GRO?

I will pm you anyway with my details as my William's birthdate matches theirs.

[rosie17]

You will need to join Scotland's People which is free
You can buy 30  credits for £7.50 to view and download the marriage will use 6 credits ..
The marriage certificate will give you the ages and occupation of the couple also their address
Names of the witnesses and names of their parents

Rosie

[Geordie daughter]

That's brilliant. I could do with getting details on a couple of the other MacGregors, while I'm at it, so I'd better start making a list. I think you know what I'll be doing on Sunday 

[Geordie daughter]

Well, it has been an interesting morning! The marriage is for my man (parents, etc, all tally), but the death record is for a different William. I did a second search for deaths over a much wider period of time just in case, but no likely William Taylor MacGregors came up as far as I could tell, so the man who died in Cape Town may yet be mine.

[rosie17]

That's good news with the marriage details confirming the right parents ..I wonder if he died earlier or parted from his wife  as I don't see him on the electoral records with his wife and family ?....Might be worth checking out marriages for his family to see what it says

Rosie