James Nicol.....

[Maisie]

This one should be so easy I wonder if I'm missing something. Is there are fresh pair of eyes out there?

My 3xggrandparents James and Marion Nicol lived in Dalserf, Lanark. I've traced them up to the 1881 census when James was 58 and Marion was 68. Marion died in April 1888 in Inveresk, which is where her daughter Isabella had moved in the 1870s. She was described as the widow of James Nicol.

So with only an 8 year window, a fairly consistent birth date from the censuses of 1823 and realistically only Lanark or Musselburgh to look in, why can't I find him? Ja*s* Nic*o*l born 1823 +/- 2 died Lanark brings up 3 between 1881 and 1888, none of which is him, and there are none in the Edinburgh/Lothians area.

Perhaps he actually ran off with a younger woman?

Maisie

[emanday]

I've got one of them as well, Maisie

I keep telling myself, even if he did run off with someone, he had to have died sometime, didn't he

His wife certainly remarried (having said that, I can't find their marriage either, or for the wife's second marriage )

[Jean Jeanie]

Hi Maisie and Mary

He did have to die sometime, didn't he?

Perhaps the death record has been badly mis-indexed.

Jean

[emanday]

Jean, I've tried every which way, wildly using wildcards and have spent a fair bit, but my guy just doesn't want to be found.

I know how Maisie feels.

Even if I could find the wife's 2nd marriage it might help to pin it down. Whisper (unless, of course she "did away with him and buried him under the veg patch ")

[Susan]

Maisie

Using N*c*l James and 1823 +/-3 gives 11 options. The first of these is James Nichol aged 63 died 1883 in Liberton, Edinburgh, married to Marion Scoular. Could this be the one you are looking for ?

Susan.

[DavidWW]

A good example of setting the +/- year range too tight.

Searching for James NICHOL born 1823 +/- 10, Midlothian only, brings up three, one of which is the correct man, in the registration district of Inveresk & Musselburgh, who was married to Marion SCOULAR.

It can be a neat judgement to make at times, to try the spelling known so far and widen the year range, or go the wildcard route; but my experience is that it's more often better to start with +/- 3.

David

[Maisie]

Susan

Thanks so much for finding him! His death was registered by his grandson which is presumably why he got both the spelling of his name and age wrong. His wife's death was correctly registered as Nicol.

But I'm now a bit confused with geography. James Nicol is shown as dying
at Third Avenue, Newcraighall, Liberton and his death was registered in Liberton. His wife is shown as dying at Whitehill St, Newcraighall, Inveresk and her death was registered in Inveresk and Musselburgh. Is it one of those cases of a border running through the middle of a place? To confue matters even further the entry above James Nic(h)ol's is for someone whose address was Whitehill St, but Liberton.

Maisie

[sporran]

Hello Maisie,


My ancestors lived at 9 Whitehill Street from the mid-1870s until at least 1957. It is in Newcraighall, which was in the Liberton district until 1898, when the district of Newcraighall was created. I can think only that the death registration in the district of Inveresk and Musselburgh was an error by the informant that the registrar did not correct.


Regards,

John

[AndrewP]

Hi Maisie (and John),

The parish boundary between Liberton and Inveresk took a diagonal line through the village of Newcraighall. About 75% of the village was in Liberton parish and 25% in Inveresk. So it may be correct that the death registration was made in Inveresk.

All the best,

AndrewP

[sporran]

Hello Andrew,


thanks for the information: I live and learn. Newcraighall is a tiny place so it seems odd to split it, especially with Whitehill Street being the main street. I wonder if the district border ran through a house?


Regards,

John