Maxwells, Lawsons and Carmichaels, Muiravonside and Polmont.

laineywoo · Post by **laineywoo** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 4:16 pm

Hi
I wonder if anyone could point me in the right direction, or even just give me any advice or their opinions.
My 4 x gr grandparents were James Maxwell and Janet Carmichael.
James died 03 April 1886, age 69 according to his death cert. His parents are then listed as Robert Maxwell and Elizabeth Lawson. The problem is that I cant find anything with Robert and Elizabeth listed, but did find Robert and Isabella Lawson. They are listed as having a child James born 21/08/1816 Muiravonside, which is the correct area, and working James' age from his cert about right. James and Janet definately had a daughter called Isabella, and from the naming pattern alone, I would expect to find a dau Elizabeth but there doesnt seem to be one.
2 seperate people have come to me, with additional info regarding this Robert and Isabella, but how can I confirm that Isabella and Elizabeth are the same person, with Maxwell being a reasonably common name in these parts? I am told the OPR's dont show the parents, and as they married in 1836, there is therefore no other records that I can think of that would confirm his parents. I do think there was probably a mistake in the parents names, but am scared to go off on a wrong track here.
Can anyone help??
Thanks
Lainey

Alison Plenderleith · Post by **Alison Plenderleith** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 4:46 pm

Hi Lainey,

I remember reading on TS a while ago that Isabella is another version of Elizabeth, and commonly interchanged.

Kind regards,

Alison

laineywoo · Post by **laineywoo** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 4:51 pm

Hi Alison
I've never heard of that before! Then if you think of the shortened versions, Izzy and Lizzy are obviously very similar. Would you then also assume these are the same person? Or do you think I would be jumping at straws? I am rather frightened to proceed with this in the meantime

Lainey

Alison Plenderleith · Post by **Alison Plenderleith** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 5:09 pm

Hi Lainey,

I'm no expert but until one comes along and says otherwise, I think I'd be tempted to take them as the right people.

It came to me just after my last post that Queen Elizabeth is actually called Reina Isabel by the Spanish media, so not just interchangeable in Scotland!

Kind regards,

Alison

laineywoo · Post by **laineywoo** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 5:19 pm

Thanks Alison, your advise is most appriciated!
Lainey

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 7:06 pm

Hi Lainey

but how can I confirm that Isabella and Elizabeth are the same person, with Maxwell being a reasonably common name in these parts? I am told the OPR's dont show the parents, and as they married in 1836, there is therefore no other records that I can think of that would confirm his parents.

What I've done under similar circumstances is to track down the siblings of your person and find any of their post-1855 deaths to see what it said for their parents. Occupation of the father and m.s. of the mother would help confirm they were the same lot.

Best wishes
Lesley

laineywoo · Post by **laineywoo** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 7:17 pm

Hi Lesley
That might just be the answer. Again, at the risk of sounding really pessimistic (is that how you spell it?!), unfortunately, they were all coal miners round and about, and probably about 8 out of 10 people in the area were! I will try that though, asking the other 2 contacts and then I will look for all James possible siblings and see what happens. On saying that

in the 1861 census, it does say that James was a miner and publican, so that may just give a wee hint that the family could have been in the pub business too.....you genius you!! Thank you........oh gosh, I'm off to spend another fortune at SP!
Thanks Lesley
Lainey

JustJean · Post by **JustJean** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 7:34 pm

Hi Lainey

Not sure if this helps at all but the BIVRI disks give up two births to Robert and Isabel....

MAXWELL, Alexander Bir 1814 Scot Stir Muirav
Fa: Robert MAXWELL
Mo: Isabel LAWSON
MAXWELL, Peter Bir 1820 Scot Stir Muirav
Fa: Robert MAXWELL
Mo: Isobel LAWSON

I noticed that most of the IGI ones are submittals.

Best wishes
Jean

laineywoo · Post by **laineywoo** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 7:41 pm

Jean
I think you have just cracked it here!!! Gosh I'll be jumping about soon! The 2 births you just list, are on the IGI under the parents names of Robert Maxwell and Elizabeth Lawson! Alexander chris 26/09/1914 muiravonside and Peter 17/04/1820 Muiravonside............I have to take this now as def being one and the same Elizabeth and Isobel that is!! Thus far I have always taken the cert details as being exact, but now I must remember this lesson. I am SOOOO chuffed
Thanks again
Elaine

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 10:12 pm

Hi Elaine
Being the type who likes to cross-check stuff - now Jean has helpfully provided a couple of likely looking siblings, and even better, they are male, so no sneaky name changes, I'd be tempted to follow those guys through the census years and to their deaths entries, bearing in mind that the same boys births are on the IGI with mother as Isabell, but they are both submissions, so not 100% reliable from that source.

I was thinking about the death entry of James too - I suppose if someone mumbled the name, or said it quickly, it would be quite easy to hear "Isabell" as "Elizabeth" and vice versa.

Jean - is the info on the BIVRI a mixture of submissions and extracts similar to the IGI?

Best wishes
Lesley