Peter McCallum - Merchant in Greenock

[CelticMom]

okay going on a possibility that Peter may not of died (maybe just Harriet did). I have found a marriage in 1854 in St Cuthberts.

transcription:

Peter McCallum, boot closer residing at no 26 West Richmond Street and Elizabeth McDermaid also residing there of the same parish eldest daughter of the late John McDermaid - cabinet maker formerly in Canongate have been three times duly regularly proclaimed in the parish church of St Cuthberts in order ot marriage and no objections made. Married on the 4th september 1854 by the rev John Clark of Old Church Parish Edinburgh.

(doesn't name any witnesses) - may not be him but with the occupation and area it's standing out. I can't locate him in 1851 though.

EDIT: I am pretty sure this marriage is not my Peter, found him in 1861 census with wife and he is born about 1825 in Edinburgh, and from that I think I located that one in the 1841 census with mother Agnes.

[Forfarian]

Peter McCallum and Elizabeth McDiarmid had at least 4 children, including William born 4 June 1855 in Edinburgh. William's birth certificate will tell you, among other extra information, where Peter was born and how old he was.

[CelticMom]

Peter McCallum and Elizabeth McDiarmid had at least 4 children, including William born 4 June 1855 in Edinburgh. William's birth certificate will tell you, among other extra information, where Peter was born and how old he was.

Yeah the Peter who marrried Elizabeth McDiarmid is not mine, I’ve ruled him out as I found him in the 1841 census with his mother he was born 1825 in Edinburgh.

Mine was born 1817 and out of midlothian and is with wife and in-laws in 1841

[CelticMom]

He is definitely proving to be a hard ancestor to trace, Ive looked at all the possible Peters born at the right time and check my dna matches against mothers maiden name, but nothing definitely standing out and some of the maiden names are too common to be sure, then of course there is the possibility that his baptism is not even on there in which case it’s really going to be hard to crack.

I am hoping someone close might do a dna test at some point and I can break this brick wall. It looks from my dna matches that he descends from an Inveraray branch of McCallums, but I can’t fill in the blanks up to them.

[loobylooayr]

Hi CelticMom,

Thanks for transcribing the entries - I was hoping something might give a clue.
Citadel is the old area of Leith where Peter must have been staying prior to marriage . I looked at the Old Post Office Directories from this era and there was in fact a shoe maker's business at Citadel ....forgot to jot down the name....but it might have been where Peter worked.

I think the fact the couple married in Oct 1840 at Leith but had their baby in Falkirk 2 months later (then having him baptized there) could be a clue to Peter's origins.
They didn't stay in Falkirk for long as they are back in Leith for the Census in early April.

I wonder if the name Henry for the baby is Peter's father's name or if it is a nod to the child's mothers name. ( Harriet).

There was another boy called Henry McCallum born in 1841 in Edinburgh to a John McCallum. His mother was an Elizabeth Henry ( obviously where his forename came from!)   

Looby 

[CelticMom]

He used the name James twice too, with one of Henry’s middle names James and then the young James who died just 1 year old that I found yesterday. Possible a clue James is in his family as it doesn’t appear to be from Harriets side.

Interestingly there is a James MCallam in Falkirk in 1841 born about 1816 and born in Stirlingshire, could this be his brother? Actually there are a few McCallums (and variations) born around that time that I can’t locate baptism for, as well as a Margaret MCallam who is a widow born 1776, she is from out of Stirlingshire.

I can’t locate James after 1841, to see if there are any other clues.

Unfortunately there are lots of Gilchrist’s in Falkirk too, so it could have been from Harriets side why they were there.

Shame no address is given on Henry’s baptism that may have helped.

[loobylooayr]

Could be a birth and death of another son in 1843?
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VRSV-GC2

A male child born 11th April 1843 and died 14th Apr 1843 at Edinburgh - father Peter McCallum. The original should be available to view on Scotlands People.

Looby 

[loobylooayr]

Unfortunately there are lots of Gilchrist’s in Falkirk too, so it could have been from Harriets side why they were there.

Shame no address is given on Henry’s baptism that may have helped.

Ahh - you could be right about the Falkirk connection being to Harriet.

The 1841 Census has a Henry Gilchrist aged 25  - a cabinet maker journeyman born in  England living with the Boyne family at Vicar Lane in Falkirk.
I believe this young man is on the 1851 Census in the Outer High Parish in Glasgow.
He is lodging with an old sailor William Graham and his wife at 3 Tarbet Street.
Henry Gilchrist   aged 34  married     Cabinet Maker    born Devon, Stonehouse
Elizabeth Gilchrist  aged 38    wife                              born Leith

This man has to be Harriet's brother? Surely? A English born Gilchrist in Falkirk around the time Harriet gives birth there, with the same first name as the baby, who marries a woman from Leith.

There is a marriage in South Leith on 3rd July 1846 between Henry Gilchrist and Elisabeth Syme.

Looby

[CelticMom]

Unfortunately there are lots of Gilchrist’s in Falkirk too, so it could have been from Harriets side why they were there.

Shame no address is given on Henry’s baptism that may have helped.

Ahh - you could be right about the Falkirk connection being to Harriet.

The 1841 Census has a Henry Gilchrist aged 25  - a cabinet maker journeyman born in  England living with the Boyne family at Vicar Lane in Falkirk.
I believe this young man is on the 1851 Census in the Outer High Parish in Glasgow.
He is lodging with an old sailor William Graham and his wife at 3 Tarbet Street.
Henry Gilchrist   aged 34  married     Cabinet Maker    born Devon, Stonehouse
Elizabeth Gilchrist  aged 38    wife                              born Leith

This man has to be Harriet's brother? Surely? A English born Gilchrist in Falkirk around the time Harriet gives birth there, with the same first name as the baby, who marries a woman from Leith.

There is a marriage in South Leith on 3rd July 1846 between Henry Gilchrist and Elisabeth Syme.

Looby

Well done, that is Indeed her brother I think,  he was born in Plymouth when his father was there with the navy.  Their older siblings were born in Leith. Possibly why they were in Falkirk, Although I’d expect more than it being just her younger brother there, to actually baptise your son there, I’d expect her to take him back to Leith and baptise in Leith?