John Welsh of Dalry/Saltcoats.....

jillwelsh · Post by **jillwelsh** » Tue Apr 25, 2006 9:09 am

Hi All

I've left this one dormant for a couple of years but am now in the process of helping my 11 year old son with his Primary 6 "Family Focus" project.

We're focussing on his ggg-grandfather John Welsh, born 1804 in Dalry, Ayrshire to John Welsh and Elizabeth Boyd. I can trace most of his life from about age 17 till his death age 86 in Saltcoats, but what I can't find is any trace of his father or any siblings. (Think I have Elizabeth Boyd in Dalry). His birth is on the OPR but was indexed under Sex Unknown(!). Have tried wildcards etc but to no avail.

Any help would be most appreciated!

Jill

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 8:55 am

Jill

The 1841 index and images recently became available at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk , so worth a look if you haven't already tried it.

Be aware that ages for those over 15 were rounded down to the nearest 5 years, e.g. someone of 64 would be recorded as 60.

David

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 9:20 pm

Hi Jill

His birth is on the OPR but was indexed under Sex Unknown(!).

Was this on the original OPR? Surley not?

Perhaps a look at the original OPR on film might give a little more information? A trawl through the OPR might also reveal some siblings if you are lucky (and they hadn't moved to other parishes to have them!)

There is always a possibility he could have been illegitimate (I have loads of them in my tree - they keep things interesting!

) , or his father may have died very young - either of these situations might explain why you might find no siblings with matching parents, or family groups in the 1841, though by then the children of this couple may all have grown up and left home - depends if John was the youngest or the eldest in a family.

If it were me, I'd be off to look at the OPR if you haven't done that already. I can't see John on the IGI - is he in it or did you find him on SP?

Best wishes
Lesley

jillwelsh · Post by **jillwelsh** » Mon May 01, 2006 9:31 am

Hi David & Lesley - found John on SP he's not on the IGI. Have never ordered an OPR image as I presumed there would not be much more info on it - is this the case?

Have had a look for his parents on the 1841 but to no avail - although it is entirely possible that they are dead by 1841.

Best

Jill

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Mon May 01, 2006 9:36 am

The classification "U" is used when there's no explicit mention that the child was a son or daughter.

David

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Mon May 01, 2006 10:47 am

hi Jill

Have never ordered an OPR image as I presumed there would not be much more info on it - is this the case?

- you never can tell til you see it!

OPRs vary a lot in the amount of information given. A trip to the Mitchell Library would be cheaper - or your local LDS family history centre to see the OPR entry on microfilm. Much better too to see the whole film, not just the one page which is all you would be sent of the "extract". Microfilm nos. are;

587. DALRY
587/1 B 1680-1756 M 1679-1756 D -
587/2 B 1757-1819 M 1757-1820 D -
587/3 B 1820-54 M 1820-54 D -

from
http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/famrec/h ... r-cov.html

Best wishes
Lesley

jillwelsh · Post by **jillwelsh** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 8:01 pm

Have finally seen the OPR image for John Welsh's birth. He's illegitimate and is the only one on the page who is "natural" so the mother's name (Elizabeth Boyd) is also listed. It's listed for July 1804 although states that he was born in October 1803. Do you think the delay in baptizing him was that the parents married in that time?

I'm still no closer to finding any siblings or anything about his father John Welsh.

Brick wall I suppose!

Jill

Post by **emanday** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 9:02 pm

Checked the BIVRI for any siblings but his parents only show him I'm afraid. No sign of a marriage for his parents there either.

There is always the possibility that his mother either never married or married someone else later, but wee John kept his natural father's surname.

I have a similar one, but he just had to later confuse the issue by always registering his grandparents as his parents. His mother did marry someone else later and her children (my wee chap's half siblings) all acrry her husbands surname. Only with the wonderful help from Jack on here did I discover who the wee chap really was.

Jockbird · Post by **Jockbird** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 11:08 pm

Hello Jill,

Have you tried the website www.threetowners.com ? The reason I ask is that there is a poster called Susie17 who is researching this family...apologies if you are Susie17...it's not the first time I've done that

On that site there is also an article about John Welsh's son, John Welsh aka John the Post, who was Scotland's oldest postman.

Also, you could try the North Ayrshire Library, for £15 they will do a name check and will look at all the local papers, burial records etc, in addition to the OPRs, they are very helpful there.

As an aside, I notice that John died at Kyleshill, my Gx5 grandfather John Ballantine died at Kyleshill House, Saltcoats in 1859.

Good luck with your search. If I come across anything (and I've got quite a bit on that part of the world around that time) I'll post it.

Donna

x

jillwelsh · Post by **jillwelsh** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 3:04 pm

Hi Jockbird

Yes I have been speaking to Susie17 for several years now but we're still no further forward/backward! with John Welsh Senior!

Thanks!

Jill