South Lodge Kirknewton

[Clareuhi]

Hi I am trying to find information about the parent/parents of my grandmother, Margaret Douglas Wick Anderson. Her birth certificate was registered in Edinburgh DOB 1 June 1929. According to her birth certificate mother was Agnes Anderson “daughter of oresman”. Domicile: South Lodge Kirknewton.
No father information.
My grandmother may have been an orphan, but how to find records, would her mother have been listed if she was an orphan immediately?
I would love any information on what is an oresman- a miner? I’ve been reading shale mining was common in Kirknewton in this time frame? Any information on South Lodge? Where to even begin finding orphan records for this time and region? Thanks in advance

[ev]

Hi Clareuhi , welcome to RC 

Looking at the Valuation Rolls on Scotlandspeople there is a James Anderson at South Lodge Kirknewton Oakbank in 1930.
Agnes Anderson's father ?


ev

[ev]

Did your grandmother keep the Anderson surname ?
Perhaps she was brought up within the family.
Looking at births , the 1929 birth may have been registered in Kirknewton as well.
You could check the birth to see if there is an RCE attached , might be difficult just now as it's less than 100 years ago ?
https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/guides/registering-illegitimate-births


ev

Added -
Is there any further information on you grandmother's marriage certificate(Paterson ?) ?

[dowdstree]

Hi Clareuhi and a warm welcome to RC from me too.

There is an interesting site on Shale mining which might interest you. Just go to  http://www.scottishshale.co.uk/GazMines/AAMinesIntro.html scroll down the list on the left hand side to Oakbank No 1 & 2 Pits and there is a map of the area and also photos of the mine.

Dorrie

[dowdstree]

As ev has posted there may be an RCE attached to your grandmother's birth certificate. This happens when a mother takes a father to the court in a paternity claim. Unfortunately as the birth was less than 100 years ago it will not be available online nor will it be included if you order a birth certificate. You can only see it if you go in person to a scotlandspeople Centre. I have one such birth in my family for 1934.

Can I ask a couple of questions here please - Who registered her birth and why do you think she was an orphan?

Dorrie

[Forfarian]

How sure are you about 'oresman'? It's not in the online Oxford English Dictionary. Could it be 'orraman'? Can you post the extract so that we can see it?

In the 1930 VR James Anderson is described as 'inhabitant occupier' not 'tenant'. This suggests that he had the use of the house as part of his job. The proprietor was John Alan Maconochie Wellwood. So perhaps he was a worker on the estate of J A Maconochie Wellwood?

BTW What is now Kirknewton House was originally called Meadowbank House, and J A M W must be a descendant of Lord Meadowbank (1777-1861).

[ev]

There is a tree on Ancestry(yours ?) which might give you further information , I'm not a member so I can't see all the details 
Looks like the Anderson surname was kept.


ev

[dowdstree]

See reply #5 by Forfarian.

It would seem that James Anderson had a position of responsibility in the Shale Mine. Could his occupation have been Oversman (bad handwriting on the birth certificate) which was a manager?

Dorrie

[Clareuhi]

Wow, thank you all so much for the replies what an amazing resource. I requested pictures of the birth certificates from a relative, and to me it looks like “daughter of byreman” not oresman as they interpreted. Please see picture attached. So perhaps Agnes’s father was a farmer at South Lodge?
I actually have images of two birth certificates as it appears my grandmothers birth was registered in the District of George Square city of Edinburgh on June 25th (as she was born at the Royal Maternity hospital,Edinburgh) , and then registered again in the Parish of Kirknewton transcribed on June 28th. It appears the birth was registered by Agnes Anderson but no other information about her.
My grandmother did keep the name Anderson, and in the marriage certificate to my grandfather Albert Paterson in 1960 there is no other information about Agnes other than her name.
The family has always said she was an orphan and my father and his brothers were under this impression, although there is a possibility this is untrue...
I live in America now so I don’t have access to a Scotland’s people centre unfortunately.
Any further advice you can offer is much appreciated.