Marjory McLaren Mystery

[Rodeo]

John Paterson (my great uncle) married Marjory Carmichael McLaren (b. 1891, St. Rollox), daughter of Duncan McLaren and Sarah Scott, in 1912, in Glasgow. John Paterson died in 1929. The informant was his brother, Willam Paterson, of 93 Cromwell Road, Glasgow, who cites the name of John's widow as Margaret McLaren.

I can't find a subsequent marriage or death for Marjory (or Margaret) McLaren, having searched them all in vain on SP. Nor do I know if John and Marjory Paterson had issue.

A Marjory Carmichael McLaren, born to Duncan McLaren and Sarah Scott on 13 July 1890, appears in the 1891 census, aged 10 months. However, she died on 2 June 1891 at 4 Swan Street, Glasgow (age cited as 10 months).

There is a subsequent birth registration for a Marjory Carmichael McLaren, born to Duncan McLaren and Sarah Scott on 12 July 1891 at 4 Swan Street, Glasgow. However, she does not appear with the family, living in the 1901 census at 112 Barloch Street, Glasgow. Very odd.

I can only assume that Sarah was pregnant with another child when her daughter, Marjory Carmichael McLaren, died and gave the same name to the child she bore exactly a year and a day after the birth of the deceased Marjory.

If Marjory Paterson (nee Marjory Carmichael McLaren) emigrated, I can't find a convincing record on Ancestry. She seems to have vanished without a trace.

Any help would be most appreciated.

Cheers,

Rodeo

[apanderson]

Hi Rodeo,

Could Marjory be a 'pet' name for both mother and daughter - both real names Margaret?

The following is Ancestry's 1901 transcription: (There's quite a few Duncan & Sarah McLarens)

Name: Dancan Mclaren
Age: 40
Estimated birth year: abt 1861
Relationship: Head
Spouse's name : Sarah Mclaren
Gender: Male
Where born: Comrie, Perthshire
Registration Number: 622/1
Registration district: Maryhill
Civil Parish: Maryhill
County: Lanarkshire
Address: 112 Barloch St
Occupation: Foundry Labourer
ED: 37
Household schedule number: 61
Line: 20
Roll: CSSCT1901_241
Household Members: Name Age
Sarah Mclaren 37, wife, born England
Maria Mclaren 7, daughter, born Glasgow
Harriet Mclaren 1, daughter, born Glasgow

On Scotland's People, there is this wee Marjory ......

1 1901 MCLAREN MARJORY F 9 MILTON GLASGOW CITY/LANARK 644/08 063/00 018

But I don't have enough credits to view the image

Search Criteria:
M*Laren (wildcards allowed)
Marjory (forename variants)
No second person
Female
Age range 9 - 11
All Records/All Districts

Anne

[apanderson]

My nose was bothering me, so .......

The wee 9 year old Marjory McLaren was the daughter of Robert & Mary McLaren living at 129 Firhill Road.

Back to the drawing board! Sorry!

Anne

P.S. PM me if you want a copy of her image for your records (not that it's a lot of help!!)

[SarahND]

Hi all,
I think I have tracked her down in 1901. There is a Margery McLaren, age 9, born "Glasgow, Paisley" who is a visitor, "attending school Wolstanton" in the household of Elizabeth Fenton, an 88 year old woman living on her own means in Wolstanton, Staffordshire. The key is, I believe, in the person above Margery in the list: Elizabeth Scott, Servt, 45, General Servt Domestic, born Stoke on Trent. Could she be Sarah's sister?

All the best,
Sarah

[Lindsay]

Could this be her death? Unfortunatey you'd have to buy the cert to check it out

1971 PATTERSON MARJORIE MARY Not Permissible MACLAREN F 78 GLASGOW GLASGOW CITY/LANARK 644/04 0835

[carlineric]

You have cracked the mystery of where she was in 1901 Sarah. I checked for Sarah in the 1871 Census and found her with her family in Wolstanton, Elizabeth was not in the household but she is in the 1861 Census. There is a sister Maria in the 1871 census who ties with the Maria on the 1891 census for 4 Swan Street. Also the Harriet in the 1901 census for 112 Barloch Street appears to be a family name as Sarah had a sister Harriet, there is also the naming of daughter Maria after another sister. Wolstanton is on the outskirts of Stoke on Trent.


Eric

[Rodeo]

Hi Anne, Sarah, Lindsay and Eric

Yes, Anne, that's the family in the 1901 census. The 'wee Marjory McLaren' you found, born 1901, is the daughter of Robert McLaren, brother of Duncan. (I have that certificate but thanks so much for offering to send it to me). Their parents were Robert McLaren and Marjory Carmichael (after whom my Marjory was named). I have her birth certificate on which her name is definitely recorded as Marjory Carmichael McLaren. I have no idea why John's brother, William, gave her name on the death certificate as Margaret. You'd think William would know the name of his sister-in-law -- unless, as you say, she was always known by a pet name.

Bravo, Sarah. That is my Marjory you found in the 1901 England census and Elizabeth Scott is indeed Sarah's sister. I missed that one on Ancestry. Thanks for that.

Eric, I've traced Marjory's sisters, whom you mention. Harriet McLaren married Alfred Black and she died in 1975 in Glasgow. Maria Scott McLaren remained a spinster and died in 1958, Glasgow, the informant being her brother-in-law, Alfred Black.

Thanks for the Marjorie Mary Patterson 1971 death record, Lindsay. It doesn't look right but could possibly be a mistranscription. Hmmmm. I wonder. Definitely a long shot but worth following up.

Again, many thanks to you all.

Cheers,

Rodeo

[Rodeo]

Hi Lindsay

I just did a search on SP re the death record you posted. That death registration is definitely that of Marjorie Mary McLaren, who married Herman Francis Patterson in 1921. Unfortunately, this not my Marjory but at least we can eliminate that record as a possibility.

Thanks again.

Cheers,

Rodeo

[Rodeo]

Hi all

It occurred to me that William may have incorrectly recorded the name of his sister-in-law as Margaret, instead of Marjory, because he simply didn't know her because John and Marjory had perhaps separated.

Previously, I had been searching for Marjory's possible immigration post-1929, when John Paterson died. However, I just found today a 1921 immigration record for Marjory Patterson (sic), age 30, married, grocer's assistant, destination Larchmont, New York, USA. Her closest relative is cited as Duncan McLaren, father, of 334 St. Vincent St., Glasgow. I know this is my Marjory as her father, Duncan McLaren, died in 1923 at 334 St.Vincent St., Glasgow. It appears that Marjory and John had separated and the fact that she was travelling alone suggests that they had no children. However, I can't find Marjory in the 1930 US census. Presumably, she remarried.

I've also just discovered that Marjory had three other siblings (William Duncan McLaren, Elizabeth Scott McLaren and Mary Ann McLaren) who, like Marjory, aren't recorded in the 1901 Scottish census, as they are living with their grandparents, William Scott and Kate Mackary (Sarah Scott's parents), in Wolstanton, Staffordshire.

Oddly, in the 1901 England census, WIlliam Duncan McLaren, born 1889 in Wolstanton, is cited as grandson, and Elizabeth Scott McLaren, age 3, born 1898 in Scotland, and Mary (actually Mary Ann) McLaren, age 3, born 1896 in Scotland, are cited as visitors. In fact, they are all the grandchildren of William and Kate Scott (children of Duncan McLaren and Sarah Scott). There are no marriage or death records on SP for these three children, Marjory's siblings. What a strange set-up this is. It seems these children were farmed out for a time, although I can't find any of them in the 1911 England census.

There is a baptismal record (Wolstanton, Staffordshire) for William Duncan McLaren dated 19 May 1889 but his birth is registered in September 1889, his parents having married in August 1889 in Scotland.

Moreover, Duncan McLaren has a different occupation in every census -- from spirit merchant, bonded warehouseman and foundry labourer to sewing machine factory labourer, at the time of his death in 1923.

Clearly, the family situation of these McLarens is utterly skewiff. Small wonder that four of their children, including Marjory, have vanished without a trace.

Cheers,

Rodeo

[trish1]

There is a baptismal record (Wolstanton, Staffordshire) for William Duncan McLaren dated 19 May 1889 but his birth is registered in September 1889, his parents having married in August 1889 in Scotland.

It is possible that the registration includes a birth date in May - if the birth was registered after 30 Jun it would be in the Sep Quarter. You would need to see the certificate to know if they did provide a later birth date. The 1874 Act gave the parent/s 42 days to register before the registrar (if he knew of the birth) could demand that the child be registered. If the child was born out of wedlock, the father had to be present at registration for the birth to be registered in his name.

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.anc ... 874Act.htm

Trish