Author Topic: William Martin / Lynn / Linn  (Read 1471 times)

Offline StephenA6

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William Martin / Lynn / Linn
« on: Sunday 05 July 20 22:54 BST (UK) »
I've hit a block on one branch of my family tree and hoping someone might have some ideas.

My 2nd great grandfather, William Lynn (c1829-1872) lived in Old Monkland from at least the late 1840s until his death in 1872. According to the 1861 and 1871 censuses he was originally from Whittlet in St Quivox, Ayrshire.

Now here's the mystery .... although his records from 1850ish onwards record his name as Lynn (or Linn), I can see from his marriage certificate in 1849 (to Elizabeth McMillan) that we was originally known as William MARTIN. He seems to have changed the family name around 1857.

I have a copy of his death certificate which I though might hold some clues but the "parents" section is blank.

I've tried the online index of births and baptisms for St Quivox and the nearby areas using Family Search but I can only find one William Martin who I've traced through and can see isn't the same person.

Really struggling where to go next. Anyone have any ideas how I might unblock.

Equally any ideas on why the change of name (not sure if this was common around that time period)

Thanks in advance
Diamond, Drumnavaddy and Banbridge (- 1890)

Offline ev

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Re: William Martin / Lynn / Linn
« Reply #1 on: Monday 06 July 20 08:39 BST (UK) »
Hi , welcome to RC  :)

Did William's death certificate name his wife ?
What were the names of the children and their years of birth ?

I would suspect missing records rather than a change of name , but you never know.


ev
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Offline ev

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Re: William Martin / Lynn / Linn
« Reply #2 on: Monday 06 July 20 08:59 BST (UK) »
Is this the family in 1881 ?
203 Rosehall , Old Monkland , Lanark.
Elizabeth Lynn 55 widow born Ireland
William Lynn 30 son coal miner(all children born Old Monkland)
John Lynn 21 son coal miner
George Lynn 19 son coal miner
Alexander Lynn 17 son coal miner
James Lynn 15 son coal miner
David Lynn 12 son coal miner
Henry lynn 10 son


ev
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Offline Forfarian

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Re: William Martin / Lynn / Linn
« Reply #3 on: Monday 06 July 20 09:43 BST (UK) »
Never trust anything you find online (especially submitted trees and transcriptions on Ancestry, MyHeritage, FindMyPast and other commercial web sites) unless it's an image of an original document - and even then be wary because errors can and do occur.


Offline StephenA6

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Re: William Martin / Lynn / Linn
« Reply #4 on: Monday 06 July 20 10:21 BST (UK) »
Thanks for responses. Sorry for the duplicate post ... William moved from Ayrshire to Old Monkland (Lanarkshire) so I posted on both boards.

ev ... yes thats the correct family.

Trail thus far is

Born c1829 in Whittlet , St Quivox (according to 1861 and 1871 census)
1841 - census - no record
1849 - William Martin marries Elizabeth McMillan at Old Monkland parish church on 21-Dec
1851 - Eldest son born also named William Martin
1851 - Census shows William , Elizabeth and their son William Martin living in Rosehall
1853 - Eldest daughter Rebecca Martin born
1855 - Daughter Elizabeth Martin born. Died 6 months later
1856 - Son John Martin born
1856-8 - Family name changed from MARTIN to LINN
1858 - Daughter Elizabeth Linn born
1861 - Census shows family living in Rosehall under the name Linn
1861 - 1871 - 5 more children born under the name Linn
1871 - Census shows family living in Rosehall under the name Lynne
1872 - Dies in Old Monkland under the name Lynn. No parents listed on death certificate


I have traced all [five] William Martins born in Ayrshire between 1820 and 1830. All are accounted for in later censuses.

Given the absence of parents on the death certificate, I wonder whether this means he was orphaned or abandoned and didn't know who they were. Equally I'm starting to question whether Martin was the name he was born under.


Really struggling to find a way forward so any help gratefully received.


Diamond, Drumnavaddy and Banbridge (- 1890)

Offline aghadowey

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Re: William Martin / Lynn / Linn
« Reply #5 on: Monday 06 July 20 10:35 BST (UK) »
Quote
Given the absence of parents on the death certificate, I wonder whether this means he was orphaned or abandoned and didn't know who they were.
Probably just means the informant didn't know who parents were. Who was the informant?

Have you tried tracing William's mother and siblings? other branches might yield further clues.

Would be interested in anything with Irish connection turns up as I 'collect' Lynns  ;D
Away sorting out DNA matches... I may be gone for some time many years!

Offline StephenA6

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Re: William Martin / Lynn / Linn
« Reply #6 on: Monday 06 July 20 10:44 BST (UK) »
Thanks aghadowey

The informant was his son John.

I have no records before William's marriage to Elizabeth so no mother or siblings to trace back from.

Complete dead end.
Diamond, Drumnavaddy and Banbridge (- 1890)

Offline StephenA6

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Re: William Martin / Lynn / Linn
« Reply #7 on: Wednesday 08 July 20 11:34 BST (UK) »
Not sure if this is relevant but I've just found a record in Scottish Indexes for a William Martin who was convicted of rape in Whitletts, St Quivox in May 1849

https://www.scottishindexes.com/jcdetail.aspx?jcid=1849421&pid=184942101

Its the right name, right location and the birth date is close ..only out by about 2-3 years.

Only thing is that William Martin was sentenced to transportation, which given my William Martin married in Old Monkland in December 1849 would rule him out ... unless the conviction was pardoned or quashed.

So a few questions to help me qualify in / out :

1. IF the sentence was pardoned/quashed ... where would I find that ?
2. Is there a record of those transported and if so where would I find that ?

Thanks

Diamond, Drumnavaddy and Banbridge (- 1890)

Offline ev

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Re: William Martin / Lynn / Linn
« Reply #8 on: Wednesday 08 July 20 13:10 BST (UK) »
From the National Records of Scotland -
William Martin , not married , Age 23 , collier, Address Whitletts Toll, St Quivox, Ayr
Victim Mary Bryce or Bryson , wife of Thomas Byrce or Bryson, No fixed residence but temporarily living with in Alloway Street, Ayr.

There is another record for the trial - AD14/49/110
Accused- William Martin, not married , not called.

If he was not convicted perhaps that could be a reason for changing his surname  :-\

Maybe not ?
JC26/1849/421 William Martin, not married, Verdict guilty, sentence: transportation - life


ev
Census information Crown copyright , All Census information from transcriptions - check original records , Familysearch/IGI is a finding tool only - check original records