His name was also James Muir and, according to census entries and his age at death on 11th November 1867, he was born circa 1826.
I have traced James Jnr, who was a coal miner, in 1841 where he is living in Stevenston, his place of birth, at the home of William Kilpatrick & Cecilia Jaffray.
I am assuming that William Kilpatrick is Isabella Kilpatrick's brother, if so, then the 1819 census taken by Rev Landsborough in Stevenston puts them in Stevenston and Isabella is at home with her parents William Kilpatrick & Margaret Strathern. Several members on other sites are related to William & Cecilia and there are member submitted IGI entries for Isobella, one of twins, who was allegedly born on 16th April 1793 and christened on 21st April 1793.
I can find no record of a marriage for James & Isobella, then again that's nothing new. Their son James married on 19th February 1847 to Catherine Ballantine, I have records of that from several sources, extracted entries & OPRs.
I cannot trace any record of James Jnr's birth and there is nothing at all on his father, assuming his name really was James Muir and he was a farm labourer as detailed in James Jnr's death cert. By 1867 when James Jnr died, his wife, the informant, stated both his parents were dead.
Am I being overly morbid thinking they died pre-1841 and that's why James, then 14, was living with his aunt & uncle? Did they emigrate?
Ayrshire has good records but these two seem to have successfully evaded all recordings...any pointers would help as 'ma heid's sare stotting it aff this big brickwall'
](./images/smilies/brick-wall.gif "Brick wall"){kind=small}
And I'm starting to doubt the info I have found!Thanks for looking.
Best wishes
Donna
x
