Parent's name left off death cert

[Forfarian]

John McAllister, mmn Lithgow, died in 1913 aged 67. So it looks as if he was born 1845/1846.

His marriage certificate says he was 23, which suggests 1846/1847.

In 1871 John, 23, and Elizabeth, 22, are in Glasgow with their son John, under 1 year and cousin Sarah McKee, 26. John was born in Ireland, which would account for not being able to find a birth/baptism record in Scotland.

In 1861 there's a household consisting of James Law and his wife Margaret, both born Ireland, two children born in Glasgow, and a 14-year-old son, John McAllister, born Ireland. I infer from this that Francis must have died quite young and Margaret Lithgow then married James Law.

[Davy MacLean]

Forfarian,


Thanks for that, I'm aware of the 1871 census got to love AI translations, John is actually a slipper maker,

Not sure if the cousin is on the side of John or Elizabeth or isn't a natural cousin and related to James Law

[Forfarian]

Thanks for that, I'm aware of the 1871 census got to love AI translations, John is actually a slipper maker

Yes. FindMyPast's transcription is correct. I take it you're still using Ancestry. (Their notorious (mis)transcriptions have been around for long enough not to be blamed on AI!)

There is no substitute for viewing the original census image to make sure that any information you take from it is as the enumerator recorded it and not as some transcriber imagined.

Not sure if the cousin is on the side of John or Elizabeth or isn't a natural cousin and related to James Law

No idea.

According to FindMyPast there are six Sarah McKees and one Sarah McKie in Great Britain in 1881 aged 30 to 40 (four in Scotland, three in England). All but one are married or widowed. The seventh one is aged 35, born in Ireland, so she is unlikely to be yours, who was born in Glasgow if the (transcription of) the 1871 is correct.

So she must have married, returned to Ireland, or emigrated somewhere else between 1871 or 1881. Or changed her surname or evaded the 1881 census enumerator.

On the other hand there are several marriages of Sarah McKees and McKies after 1871. It would be possible to make a note of all their married surnames, then search for deaths using both surnames. Eliminate any whose ages are wildly different from Sarah's. Then go for census records of the remaining ones and eliminate any who were not born in Glasgow. Then, assuming that she died in Scotland, you should be able to find her. But if she emigrated, with or without a husband, this method won't work.

Another way to look would be to go to a Scotland's People Centre and work your way through all the marriages and deaths of Sarah McKee or McKie born say 1845 plus or minus five years.

Whether she's worth all that effort is something only you can decide.

[Davy MacLean]

Not sure if worth the effort at the moment until I can investigate the relationship of sara to John McAllister, if shes a full cousin, then it's worth the checking if I can't find any info on Francis McAllister

[Davy MacLean]

One way of trying to find Alexander Arnott’s death (or at least to narrow it down) is to look at the marriage records of his children,
We know when his son David Arnott married in 1870, his father was deceased.
His son John Arnott; married Margaret McGregor in 1864 Blythswood. What does the record give about his father?
His youngest son Alexander married in 1855 – Does this marriage record say his father was alive or dead?
We know he was alive in the 1851 census.

He's dead in 1855, However what it does give me though is information that the Arnott/Arnolds come from Downpatrick

And that John is on his second wife in 1864 and living in High St as a water carrier as his occupation


Here is some information about his youngest son: -
Alexander Arnott (junior) married Catherine Austin in 1855 Calton Glasgow
Children:-

He's dead in 1855, However what it does give me though is information that the Arnott/Arnolds come from Downpatrick

And that John is on his second wife in 1864 and living in High St as a water carrier as his occupation

[Neale1961]

Good progress.   I was hoping that 1855 cert. might add some useful information.

So the Downpatrick baptisms I found are likely correct for this family.

Alexander died between 1851 census and his son’s marriage in 1855. So no death registration to find for him (sadly), only a burial record, if one exists.

[Davy MacLean]

Those 1855 records are good, Any idea as to the reason they stopped putting as much detail in them in later years?

[Forfarian]

I believe they found that it was too much work to collect all the details every time, so the requirements were reduced in 1856. A great pity - but at least they kept the names of both parents including the mother's maiden surname, unlike in England, Wales and Ireland.

[Davy MacLean]

It is a pity, Would have been back to Adam and Eve in the tree by now if it had been there and a few more quid in my pocket!