Thomson family, Alloa

[d.mackechnie]

Hi all, just wondering if anybody on here is researching this family, in particular a Margaret Kirkwood Thomson, the family were living in King Street, Alloa in 1897.
Thanks in advance.

[SarahND]

Hello,
Do you mean this household in 1901?

1901
King St Galls Close, Alloa, Clackmannanshire
James Thomson, 47, Head, born Forfarshire, Stone Carter
Margaret Thomson, 43, Wife, born Alloa, Clackmannan

Is there anything specific you are trying to find out about Margaret, or do you just want to know if anyone else is researching her? Is Kirkwood her maiden name or her middle name? About what year was she born?

Just trying to clarify who you are interested in.

All the best,
Sarah

[d.mackechnie]

Hi Sarah, I should have given more information on Margaret, Margaret married a Peter McKechnie in 1896 and moved to Lyatt St, Alloa (at the time of her marriage she was living in King St), in between 1896 and the 1901 census they had had 4 children, Christina ( who is not on the 1901 census ), Mary, Donald and Maggie, after the census they had another 2 children, William and Christina, in 1911 the family emigrated to America, the records can be seen in the Ellis Island Record Office, the family are still there in the 1920 census living in Queens although there is no Donald, after this census the family disappear.
Margaret's parents were a William Thomson and Christina Stewart, were the name Kirkwood comes from I'm not sure but 4 of the children had middle names which were Margaret Kirkwood, Donald Mckillop, William Norman and Christina Stewart, the Stewart and Mckillop names I can place, Peter's mother was a Mary McKillop and the Stewart name from Margaret's mother.

The main reason I am looking for someone who is researching this family is because the man Margaret married, Peter McKechnie may, just maybe my G/Grandfather, I say may because the family story I have heard is that he died in 1896, married to my G/Grandmother Flora MacPherson in Dunoon but have as yet been unable to find a death record for him. The information that Peter gave for his parents on both marriage certs are the same and both state he was from Oban, the only differences are the way the name is spelt, but with the name McKechnie that is not uncommon and his birth year is out by 1 year.
Sorry if this is all a bit muddlesome.

[SarahND]

The main reason I am looking for someone who is researching this family is because the man Margaret married, Peter McKechnie may, just maybe my G/Grandfather, I say may because the family story I have heard is that he died in 1896, married to my G/Grandmother Flora MacPherson in Dunoon but have as yet been unable to find a death record for him.

So you're thinking that "died" may actually mean divorced in this case...? Wouldn't be the first time! One of my great grandmothers married and divorced three times and after every divorce was a "widow" Well, you have an interesting problem! Wonder where the family went after 1920...

Cheers,
Sarah

[d.mackechnie]

Thanks Sarah, I had never thought of divorced before now lol, Don't suppose it's possible to look that up is it?, though on my G/Grandmothers death cert it states widow of Peter.

[SarahND]

Thanks Sarah, I had never thought of divorced before now lol, Don't suppose it's possible to look that up is it?, though on my G/Grandmothers death cert it states widow of Peter.

You can look them up at NAS: http://www.nas.gov.uk/onlineCatalogue/ but I'm not seeing anything obvious. It was an expensive thing to do at that time, so probably wasn't the case. However, if they were just separated, he couldn't have remarried... Don't see any bigamy cases against him either!

What's odd is I don't see two boys of that name and birthplace in 1881, so at first glance it looks like it could be the same man marrying the two women

Regards,
Sarah

P.S.

The information that Peter gave for his parents on both marriage certs are the same and both state he was from Oban, the only differences are the way the name is spelt, but with the name McKechnie that is not uncommon and his birth year is out by 1 year.

What were the spelling differences? And did Peter give the same occupation on both certs?

[d.mackechnie]

The spelling differences were on his marriage to Flora MacPherson it was McEachern, to Margaret it was McKechnie, although the names look different they do pass for the same name after the anglizitation, his jobs were with Flora, a Ploughman and with Margaret what looks like a mashoman.

[Isabel H]

what looks like a mashoman

A mashman works in a brewery or a distillery, and prepares the mash (mixture of milled malt grain and water) that will then be fermented.