James Kirkwood Biggan

[JosiahS]

Hello there

James Kirkwood Biggan was born in Edinburgh in 1859, the last child of 5 of Andrew Biggan and Mary Hutton Kelly.

He married Maggie Scott 19 Dec 1884 in Edinburgh, and they had children Elizabeth Hogg Biggan (1885) Mary Scott Hutton Biggan (1887) both in Edinburgh, and then Jessie Biggan in 1892 in Anderston, Lanark. His wife died in 1897.

In 1891 the two elder children were living in Tranent with their grandparents but there is no sign of Jessie.

James was a baker.  I can find him in 1881 living with his married sister Helen (Marshall), but I cannot locate him in any other censuses.  There is a possible sighting of his wife in 1891 - a Margaret Biggan (marked as unmarried) and working in Edinburgh as a cook to a family called Robertson.  That Margaret Biggan is marked as being born in Tranent in 1864 which would be correct.

Can anyone locate James either in the censuses after 1881, or find a death reference for him?

Many thanks indeed for your help

[JosiahS]

I should add that it is clear James was alive when his wife died in May 1897, and he was marked as deceased when his daughter Mary married in April 1913

[CaroleW]

Re Jessie  - if she was only b 1892 she would not be on the 1891

Did James report Maggie's death? 

[CaroleW]

Have you seen the tree on Ancestry?  Tree holder has him as Biggar & dying at sea in 1882???

A James Biggan married Maggie Scott in 1884.  Did you download the marriage cert & confirm his parents names

[JosiahS]

The death in 1882 is rubbish! Typical of that website.

Yes I have the marriage certificate - the details I have given are correct

[CaroleW]

It's not the website - it's the person who has created the tree & posted it there who is to blame

Did James report Maggies death or somebody else

[softly softly]

Jessie's death

BIGGAN
JESSIE
aged 0
mmn SCOTT
F
1892
646 / 3 / 560
PARTICK

John

[softly softly]

Something for the back burner. This James Biggan does NOT appear in England/Wales gro records either for births or marriages. Whilst the death age is out by 3 years info on death cert is only as good as the informants knowledge.

Deaths Sep 1897   
Biggan    James    35    Newcastle T.    10b   70a

John

[CaroleW]

I think that particular James is possibly the one shown on the 1891 for Newcastle as a boarder b 1855 Scotland married - occ coal miner.  No family with him

I saw the entry earlier but dismissed it as his occ was coal miner - not baker

Coincidence - as Maggie also died in 1897.  James is stated to be born 1859