Baird Ayr.

[Glynn65]

John Baird was the Son of William Baird and Mary Gibson b. 22 Aug 1784 (Scotland's People).
Below is the christening date for Archibald, John and Helens 1st Son.
Name:  Archibald Baird.  Event Type:  Christening.  Event Date:  24 Jun 1818.
Event Place:  Mauchline, Ayrshire, Scotland.  Event Place (Original):  Mauchline, Ayr, Scotland.
Gender:  Male.  Birth Date:  5 Jun 1818.  Father's Name:  John Baird. Mother's Name:  Hellen Watson.

[Forfarian]

John Baird was the Son of William Baird and Mary Gibson b. 22 Aug 1784 (Scotland's People).

Yes.

Below is the christening date for Archibald, John and Helens 1st Son.
Name:  Archibald Baird.  Event Type:  Christening.  Event Date:  24 Jun 1818.
Event Place:  Mauchline, Ayrshire, Scotland.  Event Place (Original):  Mauchline, Ayr, Scotland.
Gender:  Male.  Birth Date:  5 Jun 1818.  Father's Name:  John Baird. Mother's Name:  Hellen Watson.

Yes.

But what is your evidence to prove that John Baird, husband of Helen Watson and father of Archibald is the same person as John Baird, son of William Baird and Mary Gibson?

If that census is the right family, John's age is recorded as 45, which means that he was born between 1791 and 1796. John Baird, born in 1784, if he was still living in 1841, would have been 56 and should have been recorded as 55 - a full ten years older.

The most obvious candidate to be father of John Baird, father-in-law of Helen Watson, and grandfather of Archibald is surely John, son of Archibald Baird and Agnes Bell, who was baptised in Mauchline on 3 January 1796?

[Forfarian]

This is what the indexes to the original records show.

John Baird and Helen Watson were married in Glasgow in 1817. Their family were
Archibald, baptised 1818 in Mauchline
Jean, baptised 1820 in Leith
John, baptised 1822 in Leith
William, baptised 1824 in Greenock

In 1841 the family, minus Archibald, were living in Meadowbank, Edinburgh.

Have you viewed all the baptism records? Are the witnesses' names recorded, and if so do they provide any clues?

Archibald Baird and Agnes Bell had eleven of a family, five baptised in New Cumnock then six baptised in Mauchline. If I were you, I would be looking at some of those baptisms to see if they resided in the same place where John B and Helen Watson were when their Archibald was baptised.

[Glynn65]

Hi forfarian, I have no proof, only it came up on ancestry DNA, I have also seen names on somebody else’s tree! Obviously 🙄 these aren’t to be trusted, I normally go back through the census, birth, marriage and death certificates, but John has been very challenging, maybe because I’m barking up the wrong tree 🌳
So you think Archibald and Agnes are the way to go?

[Forfarian]

Hi forfarian, I have no proof, only it came up on ancestry DNA, I have also seen names on somebody else’s tree! Obviously 🙄 these aren’t to be trusted, I normally go back through the census, birth, marriage and death certificates, but John has been very challenging, maybe because I’m barking up the wrong tree 🌳
So you think Archibald and Agnes are the way to go?

You are absolutely right not to trust anything you find online, and especially not other people's trees on commercial web sites like Ancestry.

In my opinion Archibald and Agnes are a better fit for the parents of John Baird because
(a) John's first son was named Archibald
(b) they were in Mauchline, which is where Archibald was baptised
(c) he is the right age to be the one in the census in Edinburgh in 1841
so I would definitely want to investigate them if I were you.

It may be that Archibald (senior) was related to William-husband-of-Mary-Gibson which could account for a DNA match.

It is also possible that your John Baird is one of the many people whose baptism record, if it ever existed, has not survived.

But don't trust me either! Make sure to leave no stones of your own unturned.

[Glynn65]

Thank you 🙏

[Glynn65]

Hi Forfarian, I now have proof that john Baird was the son of William Baird & Mary Gibson, I have the Birth from the old parish register from 1784 (Scotland's People), still unsure about the census yet though.

[Forfarian]

Good.

But if all you have is the birth/baptism record, what is your proof that these arehis correct parents?