Janet Cunningham/William Reid

[kslapp]

Trying to find some help on this super frustrating brick wall I have!

I have an ancestor named Alexander Reid (born 1790 in Old Monkland, Scotland and died 1867 in Scotland). His parents are William Reid and Janet Cunningham.

I am unable to find any documents to narrow down exactly which William Reid and Janet Cunningham that this person was born to. I am really trying to hone in on Janet Cunningham.
Several of my very distant relatives have a particular Janet Cunningham born to John Cunningham and Elizabeth Boyd on their tree, but when I ask them how they were able to determine that this specific Janet Cunningham is theirs, they are unable to provide with a specific answer.

If any sleuths think they can help I would be forever grateful.

Thank you!

[Neale1961]

Janet Cunningham and William Reid – no marriage record found

Children baptised Old Monkland
•   Alexander 1790
•   Andrew 1792
•   Agnes 1797
•   Margaret 1798
•   Robert 1800
•   Richard 1802
•   George 1803
•   David 1805

A few suggestions -
Look at baptism records for the children to obtain any information about occupation and abode.
Naming patterns can be useful – so look beyond Alexander to his siblings to see how they name children.
Have you looked for memorial inscriptions on graves?

[Forfarian]

I think the absence of a John and an Elizabeth from the family might suggest that Janet's parents were not John and Elizabeth. If they followed the naming tradition you'd expect her parents to be Andrew and Agnes. On the other hand there isn't a William in that list, as you would expect if they'd been following the tradition, and there isn't a third daughter who could have been named Janet.

If she was married by 1790 she cannot have been born after 1778, and is unlikely to have been born much after about 1770.

Her youngest child was bon in 1805 so she cannot have been born before 1755, and probably not before 1760.

There are 65 records of baptisms of Janet Cunninghams in Scotland between 1755 and 1778, 26 of whom were baptised between 1760 and 1770.

[kslapp]

Janet Cunningham and William Reid – no marriage record found

Children baptised Old Monkland
•   Alexander 1790
•   Andrew 1792
•   Agnes 1797
•   Margaret 1798
•   Robert 1800
•   Richard 1802
•   George 1803
•   David 1805

A few suggestions -
Look at baptism records for the children to obtain any information about occupation and abode.
Naming patterns can be useful – so look beyond Alexander to his siblings to see how they name children.
Have you looked for memorial inscriptions on graves?

He was a laborer at Easterhouse.

And yes, I have. I have their headstone actually. “William Reid Janet Cunningham & Their Heirs, 1819” 1819 being the year the headstone was erected.

[kslapp]

I think the absence of a John and an Elizabeth from the family might suggest that Janet's parents were not John and Elizabeth. If they followed the naming tradition you'd expect her parents to be Andrew and Agnes. On the other hand there isn't a William in that list, as you would expect if they'd been following the tradition, and there isn't a third daughter who could have been named Janet.

If she was married by 1790 she cannot have been born after 1778, and is unlikely to have been born much after about 1770.

Her youngest child was bon in 1805 so she cannot have been born before 1755, and probably not before 1760.

There are 65 records of baptisms of Janet Cunninghams in Scotland between 1755 and 1778, 26 of whom were baptised between 1760 and 1770.

Hello,

Yes, I agree with all of this. I just wish the birth records mention a little bit more like even date of birth would be tremendously helpful.

[Neale1961]

I just wish the birth records mention a little bit more like even date of birth would be tremendously helpful.

They are baptism records, but I see that at least four of them also state date of birth, as well as date of baptism.

[kslapp]

I just wish the birth records mention a little bit more like even date of birth would be tremendously helpful.

They are baptism records, but I see that at least four of them also state date of birth, as well as date of baptism.

— sorry, I meant date of birth of the parents.

There are other children not on the above list. As far as I can tell, their first two sons are actually James and William.

[Forfarian]

their first two sons are actually James and William.

Still no John, then.

The only year you get parents' ages (not dates of birth) in a Scottish birth certificate is in 1855. You don't get that information on any other UK or Ireland birth/baptism records. The earlier records are church records, and the church didn't record parents' ages either - it simply wasn't important to them.

[Alan of Kaslo]

Here above you said:

their first two sons are actually James and William.

But in your other thread about the same people you said:

His first son is John Reid (1781), then James Reid (1788), then William Reid (1789). These three didn’t have the mother listed, but he was a laborer at a specific estate and that is listed on the birth records.

His death certificate says his father was a farm laborer at Easterhouse which was true. He was also a laborer at Barrachnie. Both of which in Old Monkland Parrish nearby each other.

The first three baptism docs say the same thing.

In your other thread you say there was a John born first and that you've seen his baptism info that lines up with that of the next two children James and William...

What about that John? 

The other thread on Reid/Cunningham for reference:
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=877734.msg7498094#msg7498094