McLaren.....

pinkshoes · Post by **pinkshoes** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 8:42 pm

Hi everyone - I could do with a bit of a hand on this one, if anyone can spare the time (and energy).

I'm hunting for David McLaren, born about 1857, and his parents in the Falkirk area. He married in 1880 in Denny and I have him in the 1891 and 1901 census living in Falkirk where he says he was born - he was a moulder (sometimes iron moulder). 1881 census drove me crackers till I found him and his new wife in Falkirk, indexed under McCann - I've convinced myself it's them from other clues.

In 1861, there is a David McLearn - I will swallow anything

age 4, grandson of the head of the Ferguson family in Falkirk. Same family in the 1871 - David is a moulder age 14, relationship now given as lodger.
Head of house born Ireland, David born Falkirk.

There is also a McLaren family in 1861 census in Camelon, Falkirk, consisting of
David age 50 Chemical Labourer born Perth, Kincardine
Jane age 46 also born Perth, Kincardine
Margaret, daughter age 11, born Linlithgow, Bo'ness
David, son age 6, born Stirling, Falkirk

David's marriage certificate in 1880 states his parents as David McLaren (Labourer) and Elizabeth Lovens, both deceased. His death cert says his mother was Elizabeth Livingstone and his father is given as David McLaren, occupation Farmer. His daughter was the informant.

I'm blowed if I can find a birth for David abt 1857 (his age is consistent throughout certificates/census) and he always says he was born in Falkirk, but then again ....

Nor can I find any trace of his father or mother (either Livingston/e or Lovens or anything like Lovens) - census, marriage, death - nowt. And no census either with Elizabeth or anything close to it.

I've tried M*c*L*r*n and D*d, D?d and all else I can think of.

If anyone is still with me after all this, I'd appreciate some ideas.
I must be missing something and I'd love the eagle eyes to tell me what it is! I have a suspicion about the Ireland connection - the woman who may be David's grandmother - perhaps his parents were Irish hence no marriage record. But they must have died???

AH'M FLUMMOXED.

Thanks for listening.

Pinkshoes

ellenavon · Post by **ellenavon** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 9:09 pm

Hi Pinkshoes

Followed a hunch and looked for him registered under his mother's name in case he was illegitimate.

And here he is:

1857 Livingston, David McLaren, Falkirk Burgh, Stirling, 479/01 0153

Go get the cert!

Regards

Ellen.

laineywoo · Post by **laineywoo** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 9:13 pm

Pinkshoes
This may sound stupid! I do have my moments, but have you tried the surname Love?
I have seen this on one of my own certs before.......might be worth a go?
Lainey

pinkshoes · Post by **pinkshoes** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 9:18 pm

Ellenavon - what a clever girl you are !!! Sure enough, mother is Elizabeth Livingston. Poor wee soul was born in the Poorhouse, Falkirk.

So a story to follow up there ... but I know it has a happy ending, at least further down the line

Thank you so much - quick as a flash too - definitely a round of applause.

Lainey - nothing stupid about your suggestion at all - perfectly feasible, and thanks for your help.

Best wishes

Pinkshoes

pinkshoes · Post by **pinkshoes** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 5:08 pm

After my excitement over David's birth, I've been trailing around looking for - well, anything really! My success rate so far has been zilch

I don't know if the parents ever married, can't find any trace of it, but here's what I know :

David's birth cert states "illegitimate" but neither his marriage nor death certs say any such thing. Both give his father as David McLaren (dec'd by 1880 marriage cert) - Elizabeth Livingston is not stated deceased on either his marriage or his death cert in 1921. I know that doesn't necesarily mean she wasn't ...

If they never married, would David's later certificates omit the fact that he was illegitimate - how did anyone know anyway unless the person concerned stated it?

I haven't found death certs for either David snr or Elizabeth - though there is one Elizabeth McLaren/Livingston but too late to be mine, unless she was about 120 when she died.

I will look and see if I can find anything in the Kirk Session records when I go to Scotland, but that's not till end April - any ideas of what I could do in the meantime (nobody mention the ironing!!!)

Best wishes

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 8:01 pm

See http://talkingscot.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3726 in the FAQ Forum for the background info on irregular marriages.

What format is used on his marriage and death register entries?, -
"Father SURNAME and Mother SURNAME MS MAIDENSURNAME", or "Father SURNAME and Mother MAIDENSURNAME".......

David

pinkshoes · Post by **pinkshoes** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 8:57 pm

Thanks David - the irregular marriages information is interesting. The marriage certificate of David jnr gives the parents as
David McLaren Labourer (deceased) and Elizabeth McLaren ms Lovens (which turns out to be Livingstone)
and the death cert says
David McLaren Farmer - (aye right) (deceased) and Elizabeth McLaren m.s. Livingstone (deceased) - apologies, I said earlier she wasn't deceased on her son's death cert

So if there was an irregular marriage David jnr would no longer be illegitimate?

Best wishes
Pinkshoes

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Sun Apr 02, 2006 12:55 am

pinkshoes wrote:Thanks David - the irregular marriages information is interesting. The marriage certificate of David jnr gives the parents as
David McLaren Labourer (deceased) and Elizabeth McLaren ms Lovens (which turns out to be Livingstone)
and the death cert says
David McLaren Farmer - (aye right) (deceased) and Elizabeth McLaren m.s. Livingstone (deceased) - apologies, I said earlier she wasn't deceased on her son's death cert

So if there was an irregular marriage David jnr would no longer be illegitimate?

Best wishes
Pinkshoes

Correct!, - as long as the parents were free to marry at the time of the birth of wee David, - some argue the date of conception, - then, as far as Scots Law was concerned, any subsequent marriage, "regular" or "irregular", automatically legitimated him !!

David