Help Please.....

[ian1957]

I am trying to trace the paternal side of my family at present, and have hit one of those brick walls.

I am trying to trace my Great Great Grandfather Aleaxander Grays' birth certificate or extract.

I have his marriage extract where he marries Margaret Ramage in 1849 in Penicuik, Midlothian.

I have the 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891 and 1901 census that shows him and states his place of birth as Eddlestone, Peebleshire, but I can't find any record of this?

I have his death certificate where he died in Newington Edinburgh on the 28 December 1901 aged 79. On this it shows his parents as William Gray and Margaret Hunter. I can find no marriage extract for these two.

All the above information came from Scotlands People, great site.

Please can any one help or sugest what I do now.


Thanks Ian.

[LesleyB]

Hi Ian
...and a warm welcome to Talking Scot

Looking at the IGI I can see two Alexander Greys (both extracts from the OPRs) born in Peebles around the time you are interested in:

• ALEXANDER GRAY
  Christening: 14 MAY 1815 Lyne And Megget, Peebles, Scotland
  Parents:
  Father: ALEXANDER GRAY
  Mother: MARGARET LAWSON
  
  ALEXANDER GRAY
  Birth: 09 OCT 1819 Stobo, Peebles, Scotland
  Parents:
  Father: WILLIAM GRAY
  Mother: MARY JOHNSTON

Looking at the info you have given from his death entry, neither of these seem to fit, but it is always possible that the info given at the time of his death is perhaps not accurate. It may depend on who was the death informant. It may be worth trying to track your man down in the 1841 & 51 census, although he may not be with his parents even by 1841, and as relationships are not given on that census, it may not be of a great help, but you never know, there may just be a clue in there!

Also, the names of his children may hold some clues. On the IGI there seem to be this group, which I'm sure you will know of already:

• CHRISTINA GRAY
  Christening: 26 JAN 1853 Penicuik, Midlothian, Scotland
  WILLIAM GRAY -
  Christening: 08 OCT 1854 Penicuik, Midlothian, Scotland
  MARGARET GRAY
  Birth: 21 JUL 1856 Penicuik, Midlothian, Scotland
  JAMES GRAY
  Birth: 02 APR 1862 Edinburgh Parish, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland
  JOHN GRAY
  Birth: 10 DEC 1865 Edinburgh Parish, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland
  ALEXANDER GRAY
  Birth: 11 MAR 1864 Edinburgh Parish, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland
  MARGARET GRAY
  Birth: 02 SEP 1867 Edinburgh Parish, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland
  AGNES GRAY
  Birth: 14 OCT 1869 Edinburgh Parish, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland

If that list is complete, which it may not be, it would seem to confirm that his father was William and his mother a Margaret.

Not sure what the state of the OPRs are for Eddlestone Peebleshire, and you may have checked there already, but that would be my next port of call as although they appear to exist for the time you are interested in for Alexander's birth, there may be gaps in them.
760. EDDLESTONE
760/1 B 1713-25 M 1714-25 D 1714-25
760/2 B 1725-1819 M 1726-1819 D 1726-1819
760/3 B 1820-54 M 1820-54 D 1820-54

Sorry I'm not coming up with anything too helpful here, so far!
Best wishes
Lesley

[emanday]

Could this be him? Found this on IGI...

ALEXANDER GRAY
Birth: 06 APR 1822
Christening: 21 APR 1822 Brechin, Angus, Scotland

Parents:
Father: ALEXR. GRAY
Mother: ANNE HUNTER

Extracted birth or christening record for the locality listed in the record. The source records are usually arranged chronologically by the birth or christening date.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source Information:
Batch No.: Dates: Source Call No.: Type: Printout Call No.: Type:

C112754 1819 - 1857 0993413 Film 6902951 Film