Looking for William Blair and Margaret Sutherland

lpearce · Post by **lpearce** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 1:12 pm

We have Janet Blair born about 1844 Stenton, Haddington and from her marraige in 1865 we have her parents names but can find nothing more about them.

Does anyone have a William Blair, he was a blacksmith, married to a Margaret Sutherland.
Possibly living in the Dirleton/Haddington area.
Janet's MC suggests they were still alive in 1865

Any help would be appreciated
Les

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 1:24 pm

Hi Les
Have you tried any searches for them in the census years at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk ? The '51 might be a good start as your Janet would just be a child then.

Another way to tackle it woudl be to look for the death of Margaret Sutherland/Blair on ScotlandsPeople - a free search brings up 3 who match that description, but none who seem to have been born between 1800 - 1840....

best wishes
Lesley

lpearce · Post by **lpearce** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 1:29 pm

Lesley

Yes I have tried the census collection on Ancestry and ScotlandsPeople.
I also tried the OPR Banns & Marriages on ScotlandsPeople for their marraige without success.

Les

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 1:34 pm

Hi Les
Have you Janet's death? Just wondering if the parents' names are given as the same....
And on Janet's marriage - what does it say in the first column? After banns according to the forms of the....? (which church?)

Best wishes
Lesley

lpearce · Post by **lpearce** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 1:47 pm

Lesley
Janet's 1917 DC gives her parents as William Blair (Saddler) deceased and Margaret Blair MS Sutherland (deceased).

Janet was married by the Free Church of Scotland in Dirleton, Haddington to David Thomson Todd.

Les

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 2:39 pm

hi Les

Janet was married by the Free Church of Scotland in Dirleton, Haddington to David Thomson Todd.

That gives us a vital clue as to why you may not have been able to find Janet's birth/christening and perhaps also the marriage of her parents

I also tried the OPR Banns & Marriages on ScotlandsPeople for their marraige without success.

- the OPRs are the records of the Established Church of Scotland. Generally speaking, although there are a few exceptons, any Free Church event will not be recorded in the OPRs, but possibly in a Free Church Register for that area. Many of them are held at NAS. (Their search engine seems to be "down" just now or we might have been able to find out if they hold any likaly looking records for that area)

Best wishes
Lesley