Who is good at brick walls?

JustJean · Post by **JustJean** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 9:21 pm

Hmmmm....a few quick comments. The Kerr/Brown couple that Mary found marrying in Barony could be the right one. Those two girls might have been the end of the their family istead of the beginning!!!!

Also...re: Hugh Cowan.. Yup interesting. Especially since his illegimate birth is recorded as Hugh Kerr and his mum is an Isabella Kerr. The place of birth is that same Matthewsfolly address so she's gotta be Mary's sister I presume.

Also interesting that father William is not at home in 1861 but he doesn't die until much later. There is one 1861 entry that had me wondering....but also the occupation of father William has me wondering. I've seen him called an Ostler...I think that was on his DC but am typing from memory and that is always dangerous.

Anyhow....this guy in 1861 is an Ostler...and he's in a household with a couple of Kerr women with more Kerr babies....but no sign of husbands

. More daughters?? But the places of birth are all wrong......so I discarded it.....but maybe it should be held on to.....?

I wonder if the Kerr/Brown couple in Old Monkland might link back to the Brown/Kerr couple........

Wow.....this one is really doing my heid in....

Best wishes
Jean

JustJean · Post by **JustJean** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 9:36 pm

ok....a quick assist from ancestry.....looks like this might be the kerr/brown clan in 1861.....and there is a jessie and an isabella accounted for so doubtful they are yours.....

1861 Scotland Census
about Andrew Kerr
Name: Andrew Kerr
Age: 48
Estimated birth year: abt 1813
Relationship: Head
Spouse's name : Isabella
Gender: Male
Where born: Tollcross
Registration Number: 622/3
Registration district: Shettleston
Civil parish: Shettleston
Town: Tollcross
County: Lanarkshire
Address: Auchenshuggle
Occupation: Coal Miner
ED: 14
Page: 16 (click to see others on page)
Household schedule number: 90
Line: 23
Roll: CSSCT1861_91
Household Members: Name Age
Andrew Kerr 48
Andrew Kerr 11
Ann Brown Kerr 9
Hellen Kerr 23
Isabella Kerr 46
Isabella Kerr 3
Jane Kerr 17
Jessie Kerr 5
John Kerr 7
Mary Kerr 13

Might be interesting to chase down a few of these to see if there is a family link though...

Best wishes
Jean

Grendlsmother · Post by **Grendlsmother** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 7:39 pm

Jean
OK - my girls were in Sanquhar in ‘61 so this is obviously not their family. Thanks for all your research. There may be a connection but Kerr and Brown are such ordinary names. (note I did not say “common”).

There is also the Wilson grandchild on the ‘51 census - un-named 1 month. This significantly narrows down her birth date but there is no trace of her as Wilson or Kerr in Sanquhar OPRs (IGI). Obviously the child of one of the daughters of the house (which one?).

You say “Also interesting that father William is not at home in 1861 but he doesn't die until much later“. I have never found a death cert for him and assumed he died before 1855. Does his death cert give his wife’s name. His profession on the ‘51 census is given as Ag.Lab.

If you have the date of William’s death and also his address for the ‘61 census I will look them up on SP and see if the original documents give any clues.

Thanks again for your help.

Grendlsmom.

JustJean · Post by **JustJean** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:11 pm

Hi there

Well I too thought William must have been dead before the 1861 census but then I found his DC in Sanquhar in 1869! His occupation is Ostler....the informant looks to be the in residence grandson William Kerr and he is named as married to Isabella Lockie. So it's him.

As for the 1861 census reference...I only found it on ancestry...haven't viewed the original from SP yet....here are the details: (btw I searched on Just William Kerr and occupation of Ostler anywhere in the whole country and he is the only one.....but he may be a very wild goose chase!)

Name: William Kerr
Age: 59
Estimated birth year: abt 1802
Relationship: Head
Gender: Male
Where born: Jedburgh, Roxburgh
Registration Number: 775
Registration district: Galashiels
Civil parish: Galashiels
Town: Galashiels
County: Selkirkshire
Address: 9 Green St
Occupation: Ostler
ED: 2
Page: 31 (click to see others on page)
Household schedule number: 142
Line: 9
Roll: CSSCT1861_139
Household Members: Name Age
Isabella Kerr 29
Isabella Kerr 5
Janet Kerr 24
Janet Kerr 2 Mo
William Kerr 59

Best wishes
Jean

JustJean · Post by **JustJean** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:26 pm

Here's a WARNING!!!

Don't waste credits looking for William KERR on SP in Galashiels cause he ain't there in the indexes...unless you search for

1861 MERCER WILLIAM M 59 GALASHIELS /SELKIRK 775/00 002/00 031

The digital image is faint but is quite clear that it should be indexed as KERR....

God...will it ever end......

Best wishes
Jean

I realize the places of birth are all wrong but the names and the unmarried daughters with children just seemed to be something we'd seen before....I'll let you decide it there is any chance it might be him....

JustJean · Post by **JustJean** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 8:49 pm

Ok...I'm confused now.......who was the one who was spose to be the COWAN???

Just that...I took a wild chance that the Isabella with all the illegitimate kids in Selkirk might have found a husband....and there is this one...

1880 DALGLEISH JAMES R KERR ISABELLA GALASHIELS /SELKIRK 775/00 0028

and on it she's a 48 year old spinster

....but her parents are William Kerr innkeeper dec'd and Isabella Kerr mn Cowan......no mention of being dec'd.....

At least I think it's COWAN...but at this point I'm needing to get another sheet of paper.....

Best wishes
Jean

JustJean · Post by **JustJean** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 9:22 pm

and this is that family in 1881.....

Dwelling: 10 Abbots Place
Census Place: Galashiels, Selkirk, Scotland
Source: FHL Film 0224036 GRO Ref Volume 775 EnumDist 2 Page 57
Marr Age Sex Birthplace
James R. DALGLEISH M 54 M Yarrow, Selkirk, Scotland
Rel: Head
Occ: Builder (Emp 8 Men 2 Boys)
Isabella DALGLEISH M 48 F Galashiels, Selkirk, Scotland
Rel: Wife
Occ: Housewife
George DALGLEISH 16 M Old Lawerenshope, Selkirk, Scotland
Rel: Son
Occ: Labourer
John DALGLEISH 14 M Old Lawerenshope, Selkirk, Scotland
Rel: Son
Catherine DALGLEISH 11 F Selkirk, Selkirk, Scotland
Rel: Daur
Isabella KERR (DAGLEISH) U 25 F Galashiels, Selkirk, Scotland
Rel: Step Daur
Occ: Power Loom Weaver
Janet KERR (DAGLEISH) U 20 F Galashiels, Selkirk, Scotland
Rel: Step Daur
Occ: Power Loom Weaver

But then I couldn't resist seeing if the other daughter on teh 1861 might have married...and voila...

1865 GREIG THOMAS KERR JANET GALASHIELS /SELKIRK 775/00 0016

and this one names parents of William Kerr....Groom and Isabella Kerr mn Cameron...both living!!!!!

So that links William Kerr as an Ostler or Groom on his DC by his son John...on Isabella's DC by the same son John.....on the MC of this daughter Janet found in Selkirk on the 1861 in the same household as who we think might be our William Kerr and he lists himself as an Ostler at that time. I think we've got framework enough to build on....don't you???

Best wishes
Jean

JustJean · Post by **JustJean** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 9:43 pm

Oh dear.....I've just found this bit.....

there is an OPR MARRIAGE of...

24/09/1826 KERR WILLIAM ISABELLA CAMERON/FR2190 M Jedburgh /ROXBURGH

and he is an ostler

and it looks like he's there in 1851 with his family.......so I think now he's been disqualified. And he so looked like a runner too......darnnit....

Best wishes
Jean

JustJean · Post by **JustJean** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 10:18 pm

I've given you so many wrong turns the least I can do is point the direction to the easily found remnants of the family in 1871....

1871 COWAN HUGH M 13 SANQUHAR /DUMFRIES 848/00 002/00 013

Best wishes
Jean

Grendlsmother · Post by **Grendlsmother** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 8:09 pm

James Brown (Snr) mother was Cowan. Will check out Hugh.

Thanks.