MAIDEN SURNAMES.....

[vass92]

Hello Everyone,

A wee puzzler for you clever folk.

My G Grandfather married 3 times. I have the last two Marriage Certificates and on each one his mother's maiden surname is different. One is Black and the other is Rose. His Death Cert gives his mother's maiden surname as Black.

Also his father's occupation is farmer/crofter on the Marriage Certs and schoolteacher on the Death Cert.

Any ideas?

Regards,

Elaine.

[Jockbird]

Hi Elaine,

Do you have a Birth Cert or OPR entry for your great grandfather? That would be be the most 'definitive' answer for his mother's surname as it could well be herself as the informant.

Some of the death certs and marriage certs I have collected are quite fanciful or downright wrong. I've got posthumous promotions, dead parents when they were alive & kicking, dead wives when they probably just wished they were as thy moved onto the next marriage! Death cert info is only as good as the informant and the more removed that person is the less 'correct' that info can be.

As for his father's occupation, do you have any census entries to support it? I had one where the census said he was a schoolteacher yet he was a crofter in his death cert and son's death cert. Perhaps in a small community they doubled up?

If you post more info we can all put our heads together on it.

Best wishes
Donna
x

[LesleyB]

Hi Elaine
Vass? Rose? Are we maybe talking Easter Ross here??
Best wishes
Lesley

[vass92]

Hi Folks
Sorry for delayed response. I have the IGI Christening Record which gives Black as John McCormick's mother's maiden name. All the info I have gives the name Black except for the third marriage cert which gives Rose. I think I must presume that this was a mistake, maybe Rose was her middle name - who knows!

I have the 1861 Census for Iona which names John McCormick (GGGrandfather) aged 69 as a "teacher of school F.C." As you say, perhaps people had more than one job - like some do today.

Regarding LesleyB's question - yes my GG Grandfather, William Vass, came from that area. Various Censuses have him being born in Black Isle, Tain, Renfrewshire or Logie-Easter, but the OPR Births Record says he was born 1818 in the Parish of Old Deer.

If you have a connection with my family I would be very pleased to hear from you.

Thanks for your help.
Best wishes,
Elaine.

Researching Campbell, Livingston(e), Vass, McCormick & McAlpine.

[emanday]

Perhaps in a small community they doubled up?

From what I've been able to find out, it seems that a teacher in very small rural communities that far back were not only paid very little, very often there living was made up with produce from the parents of their pupils. One of the reports I have read of one place in Argyll made mention of the teacher being housed with "sufficient land to provide for his needs, at least in part".

They might have had status, but were apparently very dependant on the community for their living.

[LesleyB]

Hi Elaine

Regarding LesleyB's question - yes my GG Grandfather, William Vass, came from that area. Various Censuses have him being born in Black Isle, Tain, Renfrewshire or Logie-Easter, but the OPR Births Record says he was born 1818 in the Parish of Old Deer.

No direct connection I'm afraid, just the names Vass & Rose are so typical of the Easter Ross area. As one who has spooled through many census reels for that part of the country, they feel like old friends!

Best wishes
Lesley