The mysterious Jane McLaughlin .....

[ninatoo]

Hi all,

I have searched everywhere I can think of to find this ancestor, but because I know the good people here at TS have much more experience at finding people than I, I thought I would ask if someone can help me find this lady! She is a confusing one, to be sure.

I began with a birth registration of a daughter, Elizabeth Cotterill in 1886. Parents are listed as John Cotterill and Jane Inglis, married September, 1870 Partick.

On searching at IGI I found no entry for Jane, but a marriage for John Cotterill, same time and place to a Jane McLaughlin. So I obtained the marriage registration for this couple, where it states Jane McLaughlin (parents Michael and Jane Queen) was a widow when she married John Cotterill. All well and good, but throughout the births of her 8 children she used her presumed second married name of Inglis, and not her maiden name of McLaughlin.

I believe John Cotterill died about 1906, and I have Jane's death registration where she died in 1922, same parents are mentioned but there is NO mention of the INGLIS connection. Instead it mentions ANOTHER surname for a husband...Kane with the informant being her son.

I have her on the 1871 census (and others, and in all she says she was born in Lanarkshire) with new husband John and a William Cotterill aged 7, son. If this was John's son he must have been married before but the marriage registration clearly says bachelor. So I presumed it was Jane's son to her first husband.

However, I can't find any record of a first marriage to an Inglis, a birth certificate for William, or a birth entry for Jane McLaughlin with the correct parents.

I can find an illegitimate birth for a William Inglis to a Jane Inglis, but that is as close as I can get. With all the confusion, there is no proof that this is the one I am looking for.

So in summary I am looking for:

Birth registration for Jane McLaughlin, about 1844 Lanarkshire, parents Michael McLaughlin and Jane Queen.

Marriage registration of Jane McLaughlin to unknown Inglis about 1862-69, presumably Lanarkshire.

Birth registration of a William Inglis/McLaughlin about 1864, Lanarkshire.

Marriage registration for Jane Cotterill/Inglis/McLaughlin to an unknown Kane after about 1906.

Proof of tthe existence of Michael McLaughlin and Jane Queen...as I can't find a record of them anywhere. (I haven't had any luck with censuses, but maybe someone is better at it than me).

Please help me solve this mystery!!!

Thanks for reading,

Nina

[sporran]

Hello Nina,


little to add, sorry to say.

Speculation, but the confusion over Jane's maiden name may be that she was brought up as Jane Inglis before she found out the identity of her father, and her parents subsequently married.

It looks like William Inglis was born in 1864 in the Anderston district of Glasgow, the illegitimate son of Jane Inglis.

I can find no likely marriages for Jane before 1870. The wording on her death certificate indicates that the supposed marriage to Kane would have been before that to John Cotterill.

John Cotterill died in 1906 in Dumbarton (use C*t*r*l) and appears to have completely lost touch with his family.

I could find to trace of Jane's parents, even with wildcards, so perhaps they went to Ireland.

I could not find William Cotterill / Inglis after 1871, but if he reverted to Inglis then he will not be easy to find.

Sorry that it was not more positive, but you suspected that it would not be.


Regards,

John

[ninatoo]

Thank you John for even TRYING!

I had found the John Cotterill death in Dunbarton Poorhouse...how sad. I wonder what could have happened in the family. Such a shame that he lost touch with the family, and that my grandmother never told me anything about her own grandparents. Well maybe she didn't know, given how they kept family secrets in those days.

As for Jane...I wonder if she had grown up as McLaughlin, then found her father was an Inglis. I have heard of people reverting to their correct father's surname. But then as you nor I can find not even a trace of Michael McLaughlin or Jane...well it is odd.

I did find a Jane McLaughlin who married a Queen...right dates for Jane McLaughlin's mother, but wrong order of names.

I think I have tried every combination of surnames that I can think of at SP and have still not found anything. I can only hope someone else will think of the problem a little differently and come up with answers.

In the meantime, this branch of the family has hit a brick wall, which is a shame.

Thanks again John,

Nina

[ninatoo]

Update:

Annette kindly found John Cotterill's poorhouse record for me and it states that his wife Jane's parents were Thomas Inglis and Jane McLaughlin. ALSO that Jane was a Roman Catholic.

Supposing that she didn't lie again, is that why I can't find any online records? And if so, can someone please tell me how I can access the relevant records while living in Australia?

Thanks in advance,

Nina

[Andy]

Here's John and Jane in 1881:

Dwelling: 49 Victoria Street
Census Place: Govan, Lanark, Scotland
Source: FHL Film 0203686 GRO Ref Volume 646-1 EnumDist 25 Page 18
Marr Age Sex Birthplace
John COTTERLL M 38 M England
Rel: Head
Occ: Hammerman
Jane COTTERLL M 36 F Partick, Lanark, Scotland
Rel: Wife
Jane COTTERLL U 10 F Partick, Lanark, Scotland
Rel: Daur
Occ: Scholar
Helen COTTERLL U 8 F Partick, Lanark, Scotland
Rel: Daur
Occ: Scholar
John COTTERLL U 6 M Partick, Lanark, Scotland
Rel: Son
Occ: Scholar
James COTTERLL U 4 M Partick, Lanark, Scotland
Rel: Son

[ninatoo]

Thanks you for finding that Andy. I do have that census record already, as well as 1871 and 1881. No 1901 yet, hint hint....

As yet I have not found any mention of Jane Inglis/McLaughlin and family in the 1851 or 1861 censuses either. But then I was only looking for father Michael, mother Jane.

I really want to find out the truth of this woman!

Nina

[ninatoo]

I am bumping this post back into circulation as I am still puzzling over this family. I do now have the 1901 census. John was not with his family. I still can't find anyone in the censuses before the 1871 who might be my Jane.

I have found an interesting death certificate for a Jane Inglis, m.s. McLaughlin, b about 1810 and died in 1889 in Campbelltown Poorhouse Argyll, widow to Michael. Mother's maiden name Quin. I thought this person was worth trying to trace, as there are so many coincidences in the names on the death registration. So I found a death for the mother, Jane McLaughlin, ms Quin, who died in 1855, born Co. Donegal Ireland, and lists 12 children including a Jane born about the right time for her to end uo being MY Jane Inglis' mother.

I have tried to find Michael Inglis' death without luck.

No closer, but tantalising suggestions of connections nonetheless!

Oh, for some clues that can let me remove a brick or two from this wall!!!

Can anyone help?

Nina

[ninatoo]

UPDATE: It seems Jane did marry (or consistently maintained that she did) a KANE. I have obtained some more birth registrations of her children and a number of them say "Mother: Jane Inglis, previously Kane".

I have searched and searched at SP and LDS, and the closest I got was a marriage of a William Kane to a Jane McLellan in 1863. I have seached using Inglis and McLaughlin with Kane, all with wildcards galore and still nothing comes up!

Can anyone PLEASE help?

Nina

[Elizapea]

Hello, I understand this thread is old. 2006! But here I am in 2025. I believe I am a relative and stuck at the same point as you with the mysterious Jane. Would love to know if you found out more

[WilmaM]

Elizapea,
We have indeed found out some more about this infuriating lady!
See: http://www.talkingscot.com/forum/viewto ... 9693a38ae2