Robert COWAN missing from 1851 Scottish Census

Jake Drummond · Post by **Jake Drummond** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 7:35 pm

My wifes GG Grandfather is missing from the 1851 and subsequent Scottish census returns, and he would have been around 35 to 39 years old.
I wondered if perhaps he was either off to war, or had died outwith Scotland.
Questions are; how do I tell if he was away to war and if so which one would be likely?
Or, if he went to Ireland or England why is he not showing on a death certificate in either?

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 8:04 pm

Hi Jake
Can you give us the name of your wife's GG Grandfather - I hope we might be able to help with this one... no promises!

<later - oh duh, sorry... just noticed his name in the title!!!

Not had my dinner yet!>
Do you know where he was born? Was he known as a soldier? Have you tried a search for him in the English census? Any other clues that you can give us that might help someone find him would be great.

Best wishes
Lesley

Jake Drummond · Post by **Jake Drummond** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 9:01 pm

Robert's birthplace is unknown, and he is not on the 1851 census, though his wife Elizabeth (nee Penman) is shown on the 1861 census as a "Miner's wife" though given as "head" of family living at Cowdenbeath in Fife. Had he been dead she should have been shown as a widow I think.

Their son Robert was born in 1849 at Hakiesfauld (?) Dunfermline, and married Janet Paterson in Dunfermline parish on March 8th 1869.
I've had a look for Robert's death in the Scottish records, but not having a birthplace has made things difficult.

Post by **AndrewP** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 10:08 pm

Hi Jake,

I think your assumption is right that his wife was listed as miner's wife, rather than widow, the implication is that he was alive somewhere - at work, living away from home, estranged from the marriage? She was head of the household, at least on that night.

The most valuable record that you could find regarding him would be his death certificate, listing him as married to, or widower of Elizabeth Penman.

On son Robert's marriage certificate, is his father noted as deceased or not?

[edited in later]
Go to www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk and do a search for Robert Cowan, aged 18 upwards, died in Fife after 1861. That produces 9 results. If you use the places you already know from your posts above, you will find both father and son Robert, hopefully in your first two tries out of the nine.

All the best,

AndrewP

Jake Drummond · Post by **Jake Drummond** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 10:28 pm

I can't find a marriage certificate for them Andrew, but there is an OPR with the birth of Robert Junior which states "Robert Cowan Coalminer and Elizabeth Penman his wife...." so there has been some recognition of the fact that they were married.

That date is for June 10th 1949, but the census return for 1861 gives Robert Junior as being aged 10, so born 1851 probably, which is strange.

Robert Junior's marriage in November 1869 gives his age as 19, confirming a circa 1850 birth date. Robert Senior may have been deceased as there is a cross beside his name, though no word to that effect. All father's names on the two entries on the page are marked the same; is this meant as an "and" sign or a deceased?

Proof that this Robert Junior is the 1861 census one is that the witness for him is given as Joseph, his older brother by two years in that census, and Elizabeth Cowan m.s. Penman, is given as his mother.

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 11:01 pm

Hi Jake

Their son Robert was born in 1849 at Hakiesfauld (?) Dunfermline

I have folk from this area - I think it may be Hawkiesfauld. If you go to www.old-maps.co.uk and in the search boxes for co-ordinates 309227,688828 and click "go", you should be able to see it. It is just north of Dunfermline, near Wellwood colliery as far as I remember.

Best wishes
Lesley

Jake Drummond · Post by **Jake Drummond** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 2:34 pm

Good shot Lesley, it's just 15 minutes away so I might get out that way this evening to get the feel of the place. Wellwood would have a colliery nearby, or a mine perhaps, as the family were mining fowk.
I've had another trawl through my records and I'm positive that I'm on the right track, but the fact that Robert Senior is not showing up anywhere on record is making things tricky.
I might have a looksee if there are any mining death records, as that part of West Fife was known to be riskier than most for miners; damp, gas and unstable workings, so it's worth a try.

Strange that Elizabeth is still listed as a 'Miner's Wife' though, so maybe as Andrew P suggests he had just taken some time away from home at that time (30/31 March 1861), so I'll need to search all the Robert Cowan's aged around 37 in 1861, which dates his birth at around 1824.
My original posting suggested he was born circa 1816, which is WRONG. His spouse Elizabeth was born c1824 and I'll assume similar ages for them both.
Anyone got a ROBERT COWAN at all out there, born around then?

Jake Drummond · Post by **Jake Drummond** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 3:29 pm

I tried you Old Maps link Lesley but cannot view the maps!

Post by **AndrewP** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 3:41 pm

Hi Jake,

Try http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/mmartin/fifepits/ and go to "West Fife". There you will find that Wellwood was in a mining area. Hawkiesfield gets a mention there as an older name for Wellwood.

All the best,

AndrewP

Jake Drummond · Post by **Jake Drummond** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 3:53 pm

Thanks Andrew, checking now.
Robert Junior's birth details give him as being born at Hawkiesfauld in 1849, so it looks like dad Robert was at work there.