McLelland/Tait of Girvan and Maybole

[rewphoor]

Can anybody help please with this dead end I seem to have reached. The 1841 census shows Susan McClelland (20) and Mary Tait (3) in Dalrymple Street Girvan. In 1851 both are now lodgers in Greenside with Susan (32) and Mary (12). Later censuses show that Susan and Mary were mother and daughter, but I can find no record of Mary's birth.
The next time I can find them is the 1881 census with Mary married to Alexander Wilson and Susan listed as her mother. Can anyone help to locate then in 1861 and 1871?

Mary gave birth to Susan McClelland Tait in 1862 and Agnes in 1866. Susan died aged 6 in Cairnhouse.
Any further info on my Great Grandmother Mary would be welcomed. She ended up living in Gavieside, West Lothian.
If this rings any bells with anyone, I'll be happy to fill in later details of the family.

[MonicaL]

Hi and welcome to RootsChat 

I cannot see a birth for Mary unfortunately. With her birth being before the start of statutory registration, at best you may find an entry in the Old Parish Registers for her birth and/or christening. Can't see one though  Mother Susan may have simply not registered her birth or arranged for a christening (only about a third of BMD events were registered pre 1855). Lots of other reasons too why you may not be finding her entry.

Did Susan show as unmarried in 1851? Mary Tait and a William Thomson, aged 4, are showing as boarders with Susan in 1851. Was William a brother to Mary?

Possible separate entries for Mary and Susan in 1861:

Mary Tait, 21, domestic servant b. Girvan at the Balig Farm House in Ballantrae.

Susan McClellan, servant, b. Girvan at Jellestone, Coylton.

Monica

[CaroleW]

Did Mary marry Alexander Wilson after 1855?  Does she show a fathers name on the marriage cert or is there one on her death cert?

[MonicaL]

Have you found and viewed Susan McClellan's death to confirm her parents? Possible death for her in 1899 in West Calder.

Can't easily see Mary in 1871, but wonder if this is a mish mash for 1871 for Susan and grandchild Agnes, Mary's daughter:

Susan McClyland 56 b. Ayrshire, maybole
Agnes McCrendle 5 grandchild b. Ayrshire, maybole

Address: Ballonie, Maybole

Would be worth you checking the original image on Scotlands People.

Monica

[Pennines]

Just looked at marriage - she showed Robert Tait as her father and Susan Tait maiden surname Mclelland as her mother (which is odd as Susan is then using her maiden name presumably - unless the father was made up).

[Forfarian]

Just looked at marriage - she showed Robert Tait as her father and Susan Tait maiden surname Mclelland as her mother (which is odd as Susan is then using her maiden name presumably - unless the father was made up).

I doubt if he was made up as Mary is listed as Mary Tait in 1841, but he very probably neglected to marry Susan. Mary may not have known that her parents were not actually married, or she may have lied to conceal her illegitimacy.

If she was indeed illegitimate there might be something in the Kirk Session records. See https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=825881.0

[Pennines]

Yes I agree Mary may not have known -- but it's just odd that Susan reverted to her 'maiden' surname afterwards on census records. Unless the couple split up acrimoniously maybe (but I'm making things up now and letting my imagination take over!!)

[MonicaL]

The censuses and her death cert should help in confirming her marital status.

Pennines, in Scotland, women never lost the legal use of their maiden names after they married. This is the reason women's maiden names feature so heavily in legal documents. Helpful when trying to search for a married woman's death in that you can also search including their maiden name.

I get the feeling that in Susan's case, likely she was unmarried when she had Mary and also the possible son William Thomson born c. 1847 in Girvan. As we know, illegitimate children did go by the surname of their reputed father if they wished to or swapped about with the surnames of mother and father (which doesn't help much when searching sometimes  ).

Monica

[Forfarian]

Yes I agree Mary may not have known -- but it's just odd that Susan reverted to her 'maiden' surname afterwards on census records. Unless the couple split up acrimoniously maybe (but I'm making things up now and letting my imagination take over!!)

Not at all. It's quite common for married or widowed women to be listed in the earlier census by their own surnames rather than their husbands' surnames, so no one would have given it a thought.