Lawful children, no marriage?

[STUARTDALGLEISH]

Hi all,

I'm sure this has been asked and been answered before but I can't find the post.

I have several children born between 1819 and 1828

James Seath Cameron born 5th and baptized 14th November 1819
Hannah Cameron born 29th January and baptized 17th February 1822
Janet Cameron born 18th and baptized 29th August 1824
Margaret Cameron born 4th and baptized 18th September 1825
Hugh Cameron born 17th and baptized 6th July 1828

All opr's show the parents as Alexander Cameron and Janet Seath and all children are Lawful. They are all born in Bo'ness and the family stay in that area all the way through to the 1950's.

So....my problem is I can't find any death or particularly a marriage for Alexander and Janet. I thought if they were lawful children then there would be some record of marriage. Is this the case or am I barking up the wrong tree, pardon the pun.

On a side note, I think I have Janet Seath's birth to James Seath and Margaret Clarkson 18/12/1791 in Kirkcaldy

Stuart

[LesleyB]

Hi Stuart
Have you had a look on freecen or SP for the family in 1841, or even 1851? I went off to have a look but freecen seems to be on a "go slow" this evening.... at least, if she was still around, the 1851 would confirm Janet's place of birth. Like you I'm not seeing an obvious marriage, but I'd agree that lawful children certainly suggest there was one.

Best wishes
Lesley

[SarahND]

Hi Stuart and Lesley,
Looks like Alexander and Janet died young. Their children are all scattered, living with different people in 1841.

I found this birth on the IGI, as you probably did also:

Janet Seath
Birth 16 Dec 1791
Christening: 18 Dec 1791 Kirkcaldy, Fife
Father: James Seath
Mother: Margaret Clarkson

The names work with her children's names.

But then I found this marriage:

Janet Seath married David Waters
11 Sep 1813 Dunfermline, Fife

So I thought, Aha! Maybe her marriage to Alexander was her second one and therefore there would be a marriage of Janet Waters to Alexander Cameron--- but no such luck Or at least I couldn't find such a marriage.

I suppose they might have had an irregular marriage, or perhaps were married in another church that wasn't Church of Scotland.

The Bo'ness Kirk Session records apparently exist for the time period, but are not held at NAS, but at the Falkirk Council Archives. Might be worth a look to see if Alexander and Janet are mentioned.

All the best,
Sarah