1868 Birth of Daughter to Peterkin and Coull

[DrewBD]

Hi
My name is Drew and I've been researching my Mothers family tree for several years. Her Grandfather, William Boyd, married Jeanie Coull in 1893. On the marriage certificate, Jeanie's father is named as Benjamin Coull (Master Mariner) and her Mother Mary Coull (nee Peterkin) deceased. I can find no evidence of a marriage between Benjamin and Mary. The only Master Mariner named Benjamin Coull that I can find married Ann Mustard in 1875. I have found the Birth Certificate for Jane Ann Peterkin (I believe from family anecdote that this is probably Jeanie) born in 1868, illegitimate child of Mary Peterkin, in the County of Banffshire, Scotland. Father was not named. I believe I have also found an extract from the 1871 Census showing 2 year old Jane Ann Coull living with her Grandmother Mary Coull (nee Suding).
I have been looking for evidence to support my theory that Benjamin Coull was the father of Marys illegitimate daughter Jane Ann. Can anyone help.

[Forfarian]

If you're going to have any chance of cracking this you need to know which parish they lived in, not just which county. Is Jane Ann Peterkin the one born in Mortlach? In which parish did you find her in the 1871 census? Where did she marry William Boyd? Have you found her in any other census?

There are a couple of web sites that specialise in finding evidence of missing fathers.

Try https://www.scottishindexes.com/paternitysearch.aspx and
https://www.oldscottish.com/fathers-found.html

If that doesn't work, there might be something in the Kirk Session records of whichever parish(es) Benjamin and Mary actually lived in.

If it's Mortlach, the Kirk Session records from 1855-1885 (CH2/259/8) and another volume covering 1837-1935 (CH2/259/12) are held by the National Records of Scotland, but are not so far available online, so you would either need to go to General Register House in Edinburgh or get someone to go there on your behalf and look to see whether there is a record of the errant parents being summoned to repent their sin.

I see that in 1871 the household is in the parish of Drainie, Mary Coull being born in Aberdeen and her daughter Mary Alexander in Portgordon, which is in the parish of Enzie, but is sometimes listed in the parish of Rathven.

They were already in Drainie in 1861, the family consisting of Margaret, Ellice, Bengn, Mary, John and Jean. In 1851, in Rathven, there were Margaret, Elus, Benjymine, and Mary. Jane

So it does look very much as if Jean Ann's grandmother was also mother to Benjamin, and thus that it is pretty certain that he was her father.

[DrewBD]

Hi Forfarian

This is all brilliant information and advice and pretty much confirms my suspicions.
Jane Ann was born 1868, in the Parish of Mortlach, to Domestic Servant, Mary Peterkin. There is no reference to Marys age or address. Aged 2 in 1871, Jane Ann is living with her Grandmother, Mary Coull in Lossiemouth, Parish of Drainie. 1881, in Drainie aged 12, still with Grandmother Mary Coull. She married William Boyd in the District of Blythswood, Burgh of Glasgow in 1893.
I would like to establish Marys parentage as this opens up a whole new world for me to explore. I note in the 1841 Census, a Mary Peterkin, then aged 9, born to John and Ann Peterkin also in the Parish of Mortlach but she seems to disappear from subsequent Census. The 1851 Census reveals another Mary Peterkin, Head of Household, aged 29 and an Innkeeper in Dufftown. She, in turn has a daughter Mary, aged 5. It's not clear to me which Mary could be Jane Anns mother. I'd be grateful for any further advice. Drew 

[trish1120]

To help rule in or out;

MARY Peterkin bapt 31 Aug 1845, Mortlach Church, Mortlach
Parents JOHN/MARY Peterkin
Birth 23 Aug 1845
Mother surname SHEPHERD
(FreeREG)

1861 Census
Balvenie St, Mortlach
Mary Petriken 38 Head Householder born Banff
Mary Petriken 15 Daughter Scholar born Mortlach***
Rosana Rose 10 Daughter Scholar born Mortlach

1851 Census
Mary Peterkin 29 Head Inn Keeper
Harriote Peterkin 14 Stepdaughter (Step Daughter)
Margret Peterkin 10 Stepdaughter (Step Daughter)
Mary Peterkin 5   Daughter****
Rosana Rose 4 Mo Daughter

So second Wife for John I presume as;

1841 we have;
John Peterkin 30 Carrier*
Ann Peterkin 30
John Peterkin 6
Henrietta Peterkin 4
Thomas Peterkin 2
Margaret Peterkin 1

Henrietta Maria was bapt 23 Dec 1836 to JOHN/ANNE nee WATT
(FreeREG)

Marriage;
8 Jun. 1843  Kintore, Aberdeen, Scotland
John PETERKIN to Mary SHEPHERD
(Anc.)

Trish

[trish1120]

The Mary 1845 above may have married William Burnett Ramsey Greig 1878 London, image on Anc
Father JOHN a Carrier, deceased

1891 in Fulham we have;
William B Greig 42 Head
Mary Greig  43   Wife
Elizabeth B Greig 8   Daughter
Mary Peterkin 68 Mother-in-law
2 Marys born Scotland*

1881 in Fulham;
William Greig 32 Head
Mary Greig 33   Wife born Banffshire*
Mary Peterkin 58 Mother in Law born Banffshire
John Young 15 Boarder

1871 back in Mortlach
Mary Peterkin 47 Head
John Young 6 Grandson

Cant pin down Mary Jnr in 1871

[DrewBD]

Hi Trish

From a posting back in July 2009....
 (Re: Peterkin, Mary- Born Scotland abt. 1845 probably Aberdeenshire or Banffshire), I can see that a Mary Peterkin, aged 25 in 1870, arrived in Montreal, Canada as an immigrant from Scotland and was registered as a Servant. This could possibly explain why we don't see her in the 1871 Census and beyond. As Mary's status was Domestic Servant at the time of Jane Ann Peterkin's birth in 1868, it's not unreasonable to assume that this is the same Mary who emigrated to Canada two years later leaving her daughter to be brought up by Benjamin's mother, Mary Coull, in Lossiemouth.
I've previously contacted and searched the site www.oldscottish.com/fathers-found, but received no reply. I will also contact the General Register House in Edinburgh to arrange a visit. I'm based in Ayrshire, Scotland so not too far away.
Thank-you everyone for all the contributions. I think I'm much further forward now than I was a couple of days ago.

  Drew

[Forfarian]

Does Jane Ann's birthplace give the actual address where she was born in 1868? Though this might not be all that useful as the family clearly moved a lot.

In the 1861 census the family were in Balvenie Street, Dufftown
In the 1871 census the family were in Castle Street, Dufftown
In the 1875 valuation roll Mrs Peterkin was in Conval Street, Dufftown

All, of course, in the parish of Mortlach.

[DrewBD]

From the Birth Certificate

Jane Ann Peterkin
Born - 18th October 1868 (illegitimate)
Place of Birth - Dufftown, Parish of Mortlach

Mother - Mary Peterkin - Domestic Servant

There is no specific address.

Hadn't thought to look at the Valuation Roll. Just taken a look and I can't see Mrs Peterkin in Conval Street in 1875 using ScotlandsPeople. Could the person you see be the same Mary Peterkin, aged 47 and a Mill Worker, living in Castle Street, Dufftown with her Grandson John Young, recorded in the 1871 Census.

[Forfarian]

Quite possibly, but perhaps not.

See screenshots.