Elusive Elizabeth Brown Macaulay

[Madelief]

Your ideas and discussions are spurring me on - thanks to all!! 

I contacted the Gorbals Church and they said the records had been lost but someone posted on RootsChat (thank you!) that marriage records at the time didn't record the names of the parents, so that seems like a dead end.

I have searched through Ancestry and ScotlandsPeople to no avail. I contacted Dumbarton Registrar Office and they said the only records prior to 1855 in Scotland would be parish records and can only be accessed through ScotlandsPeople (back to square 1!).

However they did mention that there is a Geneology Service at the Mitchell Library in Glasgow. As I live in Scotland I could make the trip but it'll be costly and they charge too. Has anyone used this service or is it just a way of accessing the same information as online through the databases such as ScotlandsPeople etc?

[heywood]

Could you not just download them from Scotlands People? It would be cheaper than a trip to Glasgow initially.
If witnesses are shown that could be a clue.
You never know (I don’t though) but individual churches might give slightly different information.
It might be worth it.

[Madelief]

It's just breaking this circle I seem to have found myself in. I can't get the link from my EBM to any other that is "on record" in Scotlands People or the databases in Ancestry. The fringemaker record is the closest with the right age, place and dates but it's just getting the link and the fact that she's not 'Brown Macaulay' makes me wonder. In all later records she includes Brown.

This links to another thought. My great great aunt used to talk about the 'The Browns of Dunoon' . Perhaps this is the link but again all I can find about Browns in/of Dunoon is a hardware shop and I doubt this would make it so extraordinary as to talk about them - The Browns of Dunoon - with such acclaim.
Does anyone know who they might be?

[heywood]

Again, try her marriage and that of Margaret - just to check and you might be able to eliminate those records from your search.
Have you connected the various middle names of Elizabeth’s children to any others? Obviously Macaulay is ok but that what about any others?
Brown may be a Grandparent’s name.

[MonicaL]

If these records are on Scotland’s People, does it mean that it is just an index or would we see any other details?

Madelief posted that they were destroyed but I just wonder if a copy is available.

Scotlands People will have on their database an image from the registers for both marriages. These may be from the original register or a copy of the register. The Church may well no longer have these registers to hand but with SP listing entries on the index, it means they have the corresponding images.

Madelief, SP are the only source of original images for Scotland. Paid for subscription services, such as Ancestry, have taken copies of some of the original material that SP have or also from other databases such as Family Search. However, they simply have transcripts rather than the original image.

Monica

[MonicaL]

Have a look at Forfarian's thread here www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=714261.0 - Topic: Scotland's People, Ancestry, FamilySearch etc: which to use? for background.

Also, there are other guidance notes that are useful such as www.gla.ac.uk/departments/scottishwayofbirthanddeath/

And of course, a great place to look at is also Scotlands People itself and the guidance notes they have www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/help-and-guidance/guides

For example, this section covers Church records www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/guides/record-guides/church-registers

So far, there is no indication of Irish origins for Elizabeth so would help you to look at all the guidance notes for researching in Scotland pre 1855 and after.

Monica

[Dundee]

I wonder if this is Elizabeth?

1841 - relationships are not given in this census
High Street Southside, Dumbarton

Transcription
John Smith 45 yrs
Agnes Smith 35 yrs
John Mcauley 12 yrs
James Mcauley 6 yrs
Margaret Mcauley 15 yrs
Elizabeth Smith 18yrs
Lindsay Smith 7 yrs

There is a John Smith/Agnes Kean marriage in 1841, Dumbarton so that is not helpful.

I believe this was a second marriage for both John and Agnes.  The SMITH children are John's from his marriage with Elizabeth McFARLANE and the McCAULEY children are Agnes' from her marriage to John McCAULEY.  I don't think they are the two girls with Margaret STEELE in 1851.

Margaret STEELE seems far too old to be an aunt in the literal sense to the two girls.  I think it was her parents who were John McCAULEY and Elizabeth BROWN, unless she had a brother John who also married a woman with the same name as his mother.

Baptism

MCAULAY, MARGARET
   
Parents: JOHN MCAULAY/ELIZABETH BROWN FR530 (FR530)
   
02/12/1772
   
496
   
20 / 196
   
Dumbarton

Debra 

[bbart]

A different spelling of Macaulay, but too close to ignore:

Glasgow Herald
25 February 1853

At 88 Rutherglen Road, on the 22d instant, by the Rev. W. D. Henderson, Laurieston Church, James E. Johnston, Esq., writer, Glasgow, to Elizabeth Brown, daughter of the late James McAuly, Esq., of Dumbarton.

Findmypast says this following link is a free version, but I have no idea of whether or not you have to register:
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/image-viewer?issue=BL%2F0000060%2F18530225&page=5&article=013&stringtohighlight=mrs+james+e+johnston

[Dundee]

That is a great find.  So her father was James.  If the Elizabeth with Margaret STEELE is the correct person then Margaret did have a brother James who was 20 years younger.

It looks like John McCAULEY and Elizabeth BROWN had their children baptised at Dumbarton and Cardross.  The first James died...

Baptism

MCAULAY, JAMES
Parents: JOHN MCAULAY/ELIZABETH BROWN
22/04/1784
496
20 / 271
Dumbarton

Burial

MCAULAY, JAMES
Father: JOHN MC AULAY
Age 4
19/09/1788
496
50 / 360
Dumbarton

Baptism

MACAULAY, JAMES WARDROP
Parents: JOHN MACAULAY/ELISABETH BROWN
16/06/1792
494
20 / 129
Cardross

Debra