Unknown location.....

Brian Turnbull · Post by **Brian Turnbull** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 9:00 am

In the 1851 census for Northumberland township of East Denton Ref: 107/2413 folio 505 page 25 there is an entry for Daniel Turnbull, lodger, unmarried age 30, occucpation potter, place of birth "Rothhead" Scotland. He does not appear in other census for Northumberland. I have searched Scotlandspeople for a birth in the OPR without success. I cannot find a place in Scotland called Rothhead, does it exist?
A search of Genuki bought up Rothes, Rothesay and Rothiemay as the only likely places.
My main reason for checking this is that I think the head of household John Turnbull could be my missing gggrandfather . I have located him in the 1861 census at Duddington, Edinburgh City with wife Isabella only then nothing else. I had hoped that finding out something about Daniel may throw some light on things. There is a bit of background to the search which may not be appropriate here, but should anyone need some more information on John Turnbull snr. I can supply it.
Brian

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 9:16 am

Brian

Have a look at http://www.scotsorigins.com/ , - you can search on any fragment of the placename, but be prepared for quite a few minutes scanning the results as "roth" occurs in many place names, as does "head".

Could it be Pathhead, not Rothhead? - as there's a place of such a name in Berwickshire.

David

Russell · Post by **Russell** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 11:03 am

Hi Brian

There's another Pathhead in Fife.
Like David it sprang to mind as a likely place name given that the writing is sometimes flowery and its easy to confuse certain letters.
Keep in mind that the Scots accent was essentially foreign to someone in Northumberland. They would transcribe what they 'thought' they heard.
I think that explains why so many Irish names have more variants than I have had hot dinners.

Russell

anice · Post by **anice** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 4:00 am

Hi Brian,

There is a village in Mid Lothian named Pathhead on the A68 south east of Dalkeith.

Anita

Brian Turnbull · Post by **Brian Turnbull** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 8:45 am

Thanks to DavidWW, Russell and Anice for the advice. Pathead in Berwickshire could be likely as John Turnbull snr and wife give their birthplace as Berwickshire.
Brian

Andy · Post by **Andy** » Thu Mar 23, 2006 9:04 am

Turnbull is a very "Borders" name so, as usual, David looks on the money for Berwick.