Marriage July/first child November the same year.....

[elmca]

I was beginning to think my g.g.g.granny was a bit of a hussy!! She had an illegitimate child, then a few years down the line got married just a few days before her second child was born (to a different man)
My g.g.granny had a puzzling middle name though - could it have been the name of her 'unknown' father perhaps?? And has anyone ever found out the name of the father through other sources (I read the churches were very good at getting the name of the man 'who did the deed' out of the young woman!)

[susieq]

Hiya Elmca,
One way to maybe find the name of the father is to see if the mother has been brought in front of the kirk session, I was lucky enough to find that my gx3 grand mother was a bit of a lass! Brought in front of the kirk session and pleaded guilty to fornication and asked that another FOUR times to be taken into consideration.
Unfortunatley the father of her four illigitimate son's or father's! was not named but hey it's a bit of a story!
You can gain access to the kirk session minutes (if they survive) at the National Archives , Edinburgh.
Susan.

[Thrall]

Hi Elmca, if you do go searching at NA, brace yourself; it was called interrogation and a kirk session didn´t take "no" or "perhaps" as answers. The miscreants were threatened with the presbytery or the sheriff, and witnesses were called from afar to hazard a guess at whether the unfortunates were meeting, when, or even what they were doing many years previously. Some midwifes were summoned (so much for medical privacy) to find out whether anything was said in times of stress.

That said the minutes do make fascinating reading and can solve many a mystery.

Thrall

[ASGROOMBRIDGE]

Hi everyone,

How do you get to look at the Kirk Sessions.

Audrey

[AndrewP]

How do you get to look at the Kirk Sessions.

Hi Audrey,

Just now, the only way to see the Kirk Session books is to go to the National Archives of Scotland in General Register House, Princes Street, Edinburgh (or have someone go there on your behalf).

There is an ongoing project to scan these into digital images in the same manner as GROS next door in New Register House with the DIGROS project to scan the birth, death, marriage and census records. Unfortunately, it is likely to be a few years yet until these become available online.

All the best,

Andrew Paterson

[ASGROOMBRIDGE]

Thank You Andrew

Audrey

[elmca]

Hi Elmca, if you do go searching at NA, brace yourself; it was called interrogation and a kirk session didn´t take "no" or "perhaps" as answers. The miscreants were threatened with the presbytery or the sheriff, and witnesses were called from afar to hazard a guess at whether the unfortunates were meeting, when, or even what they were doing many years previously. Some midwifes were summoned (so much for medical privacy) to find out whether anything was said in times of stress.

That said the minutes do make fascinating reading and can solve many a mystery.

Thrall

Hi Thrall
hey that all sounds pretty interesting stuff!! I do hope I get the chance to have a browse at some point, mind you I hope my poor g.g.g. granny wasn't given too hard a time bye for now!

[Thrall]

Hi Audrey, if I may add; some KS records have been scanned, to be viewed at present on a screen, while others are on the way. Expect certain difficulties with handwriting and a little Scottish legalese. Fairly cheap copies of the relevant pages are available on request.

Well worth the effort - if you´re in Edinburgh. Access to the National Archives is free.

Good hunting,

Thrall

[DavidWW]

As the images become available, they can be viewed on the internal system at National Archives of Scotland at Old Register House.

David