Scott ancestors

elaine w · Post by **elaine w** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 8:34 pm

Hi folks,

My name is Elaine and I'm trying to trace my family tree. My maiden name is Scott and I knew that most of my relatives were from Durham. However, I have traced my Grt x 3 Grandad back to Montrose, Angus although on records it states he was born in Ireland (I don't really know why). His parents are from Montrose - James Scott snr - he was a seaman and his wife's name was Catherine Scott, although i'm not sure if her proper name was Bridget! It's all very complicated!! James Scott snr parents are Elizabeth Duncan b 1783 and Robert Scott b 1787 again from Montrose, Angus.

I'm very much a newbie to all of this and just started researching about 2/3 weeks ago, so any help you can offer me would be much appreciated.

Thank you.

Elaine.

PaulaD · Post by **PaulaD** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 8:48 pm

Hi Elaine,

Welcome to Talking Scot

We're a friendly and helpful bunch on here.
Afraid I can't help you with your Scott rellies but someone should be along in a minute who can give you advice.

Paula

Post by **AnneM** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 10:31 pm

Hi Elaine

I think people could help best if you tell us a bit about your 3 x great grandfather. It would be most helpful to know his name and dates and also what evidence you have for his coming from Montrose and where you got the name of his parents from. The information you have at the moment sounds a wee bit confusing and it is just possible that there are 2 people of the same name, one with a mother called Bridget and one with a mother called Catherine.

If you talk us through how you got to the person from Montrose being your 3 x great grandfather I'm sure there are a good few people on the board who will be able to help and advise.

Anne

Post by **joette** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 10:49 pm

Hi from a fellow albeit a bit further south(Roxb & Midlothian) Scott!
It can all be a bit confusing at first & we have all been down somebody elses branch at some point.
Anyway welcome to

elaine w · Post by **elaine w** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 10:59 pm

[quote="AnneM"]

Hi Anne,

Ok where do I start? My Grandad John George Scott b.26.07.1899 in Southwick, Sunderland. His father named John Scott b.1869 Soutwick - married Annie Taylorson 22.11.1893. John Scott's father is James Scott b 1843 in Ireland, he was a letter carrier, he married a Christina Grant - 11.07.1862 District of Montrose. James Scott jnr father is also a James Scott (seaman) b.1812 from Montrose,Angus. He married Bridget (catherine) Scott. On Christina and James marriage cert it states James jnr's parents as James (snr) Scott and Bridget Scott (i can't make out her maiden name but it looks like M L Maidson). On every census I have found for James it shows his mother named Catherine not Bridget but it is the correct James and family. So I think she got called Catherine rather than Bridget. James Scott (snr) parents are named Robert Scott and Elizabeth Duncan - i'm not sure of dob's for them but he was born in Brechin, Forfarshire occupation Linen weaver and she was born Arbirlot. There was also a daughter Helen Scott, Flax Spinner born Montrose plus a lodger, they were living at High Street Glan Close, Montrose.

I am still unsure about the maiden name for Catherine Scott (or Bridget)
and I would like to trace the Scott family further i.e. the parents of Robert Scott. As I'm very inexperienced at this I need as much help as I can get!!

This site came highly recommended by another genealogy site who have been helping me get this far. So I hope you can help me get even further

I hope I have tried to make this as simple for you as possible but even I have had trouble keeping up with it!!

I would be really grateful for any help you can offer.
Thanks
Elaine.

Post by **AnneM** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 11:34 pm

Hi there

I think part of the problem is the dreaded curse of Ancestry. There are no images online for the 1851 census for Montrose and on the 1861 census from SP James jnr is given as the son of Elizabeth who is at that time aged 72. Given that at that age he is 18 this seems unlikely. I think it is more likely that he is her grandson.

Catherine at some stage marries the lodger William Towns and she dies in Montrose in 1887.

I'm not convinced that she is James's mother but I'm not too sure about that.

Will work on this one later as just now it is a bit too late for brain to function.

Anne

PS I don't doubt that you are correct in this but I think it might be helpful if you tell us why you think that the James Scott in Montrose is the one who is the father of John Scott born in Southwick. Are John's parents on his BC given as James Scott, letter carrier, and Christina Grant?

elaine w · Post by **elaine w** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 9:24 am

Hi Anne,

Thanks for your help. The only certificate I have is that of John Scott and Annie Taylorson - marriage. It states John's father as James Scott (decd) letter carrier. I don't have James Scott jnr birth certificate, I'm just going by what more experienced friends on the other forum have traced.

I didn't know about Catherine marrying the lodger, so that's news to me and I agree I think James should be grandson not son. Although I have come across many errors as I've been doing my research. We also couldn't trace the death of Catherine! Aren't you clever! So glad I joined this Scottish site!!

Do you think I should order the birth certificate for James Scott jnr? I didn't trace the vol and page dets though. All I know is he was born Ireland in 1843. I think I couldn't find him and a friend on the other forum traced it. I'm pretty sure though that James Jnr is the correct person as he married Christina Grant and they had children Elizabeth, James and John - my great grandad. John married Annie and had children - Christina, John G (my Grandad) and James G. So in my opinion it all fits.

Hope this makes sense to you, I must admit my mind is completely boggled with it all and I have to have a clear head to make sense of it!!

Hope to hear from you soon and thanks again.

Elaine.

Post by **AnneM** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 8:24 pm

Hi Elaine

I know I am being boring but I think that with common names like Scott (as so many of mine) you have to build on a sure foundation or your chances of getting lost up a highway and byeway greatly increase.

If you are sure of your grandfather's full name and date of birth you can start from there but would be much better to get his birth certificate and also the birth certificate for his father. That way you can be sure of the name of your 3x great grandfather and his wife.

Once you have verified these you can look for their marriage which will tell you where they were at that stage and open up the censuses to you nicely.

I agree that from the 1901 English Census the parents of John George appear to be John and Annie and that John senior was born in Southwick. However the names are just too common to take the chance of not getting the birth certificates. It's a real pain to do that in England because it costs quite a lot and takes time but it's the only way to be sure you have the right family.

Once you're sure about that you should be cooking with gas!!

Anne

BTW You can't even begin to guess how much money I spent on the Scotland's People site looking for the death of my maternal maternal great grandfather John Kerr. Not helped by some bum information my mother half remembered her Granny giving about his death. She was reputed to have said, "He died when he was 29." I ended up pulling and pushing that statement till it squealed and finally discovered that the real version should have been "He died when I was 39" In addition I discovered he died in Glasgow and not in Dunoon as my mother thought. The true joys of a really common name!!

elaine w · Post by **elaine w** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 8:40 pm

Hi Anne,

Thanks for that info. I AM SURE of my Grandad John G Scott and his dad John Scott married to Annie. My big problem starts with James Scott jnr (grt x 3 grandad) born in Ireland and was a letter carrier. How do I go about tracing the details so I can order his birth certificate?? I was told it is difficult tracing on the Irish site and without a County it will be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Do you have any suggestions?

I know, should I order John Scott's birth cert which would then give me his parents details and I can take it from there. Hopefully it will say James Scott as father and Bridget/Catherine Grant as mother but you never know??!!

Yes, thanks for that. I will still have problems though if James Scott jnr is born in Ireland as I won't be able to trace his b/cert.

Hope you don't mind me coming back for more advice if I need it. You are a great help

Elaine.

Post by **AnneM** » Wed Aug 06, 2008 8:55 pm

Hi Elaine

Ancestors born in Ireland are a real pain in the neck because the records are very difficult to trace, particularly as early as the 1840s. Since I tend to fail miserably looking for mine, I'll leave that to the Irish experts to advise on.

However I did wonder if James senior when he was sailing off met his wife? Bridget in Ireland; they had James junior; something happened to them and the wee one was brought back to Montrose when very little for Granny and Grandad to look after. My feeling, which may be wrong, is that Catherine is actually Aunty Catherine.

Anne