McLachlan.....

JillP · Post by **JillP** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 9:04 pm

I'm wondering if anyone can help me at all....

my great grandfather was James Mclachlan. He died aged 53 in 1918 in Thornhill, Parish of Kincardine.

According to my gran's birth certificate he married Agnes McCann in Greenock in 1905.

I have his death certificate, which states he was married to Agnes McCann and gives his parents as James McLachlan and Ellen McLachlan maiden surname Hood.

I cannot find a birth certificate or marriage certificate for him....and I have been unable to find him or his parents on any census as yet.

This family are being particularly elusive to me and I cant go any further back with them as I cant place his birth or that of his parents.

Its now really annoying me so I thought I would ask if anyone can give me any help at all or any pointers in the right direction!

Thank you for reading and possibly helping me out

Jill x

Russell · Post by **Russell** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 9:14 pm

Hi Jill
This is a common event when death certificates are the source of the previous generation.
Sometimes the person registering the death did not have all the information or mixed up the names of the parents. This happened if the grandparents were dead and the child (now an adult) had not known them.

Could I ask who registered the death and what relationship they were to the deceased.
The further away the link the less accurate it is likely to be.
Post up some names and dates that way we have something which others can check on some of the other sources they have access to.
Who knows you might even find a relative that you didn't suspect you had.

Russell

JillP · Post by **JillP** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 9:22 pm

it was Agnes McLachlan nee McCann, his widow, who registered the death...

I also believe that James McLachlan had been married prior to Agnes....to someone Jamieson (not sure of spelling) and I think there is a daughter Rebeccah to that marriage....I'm afraid I dont have any dates of that wedding tho.,..

Going by the death cert and his given age there it would seem he was born around 1865....there is a rumour that the McLachlans came over from Ireland but as I cant find them anywhere in Scotland yet I cant place them to Ireland either...

Post by **SarahND** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 9:39 pm

Hello Jill,
What was his occupation according to the death certificate? There is a James MacLauchlan, age 27 in the 1891 census at 16 Centre Street, Glasgow who is a shoemaker. Does that fit? This one was born in Donegal, Ireland and is living in the Clyde Place Home for Working Men.
Regards,
Sarah

JillP · Post by **JillP** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 9:41 pm

according to his death certificate James McLachlan was a hawker...

his father was a blacksmith....

my friend has looked on the 1871 and the 1891 census for me and couldnt find anyone that could be him....or at least not going by the dates that I can figure anyway.....

Post by **emanday** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 10:15 pm

Hi Jill,

Have you used the wildcards in SP?

There are various possible spellings of McLachlin. Might I suggest searching with M*cL*hl*n.

This will cover you for McLachlin, MacLachlin, McLaughlin, MacLaughan and a multitude of others. Any Name with the Mc/Mac start should be entered as M*. Don't always expect the "c" to be there in the index. I searched for McGuire for ages before finding it indexed as Maguire.

The advice I got on here was to say the name out loud and think how a registrar might have written it, especially in cases where the people involved, while even if they were literate enough to read and write, may not have had the best spelling skills.

nelmit · Post by **nelmit** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 11:19 pm

Hello Jill,

There is a Rebecca McLachlan born 1897 in Greenock who might be worth a look on SP.

There are also two James McLachlans living in Greenock in 1901 between the ages of 34 and 37. One of these is 35 years old.

Kind regards,
Annette M

JillP · Post by **JillP** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 11:31 pm

Hi Mary, yes I've tried using the wildcards on SP, but I hadnt thought to leave the c out....so I will try that tomorrow when I can buy some credits!!

JillP · Post by **JillP** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 11:33 pm

oh Annette!!...I cant beleive that I never thought to look up Rebeccah..it never even occurred to me!! so thank you for that!! I'll check that out too....

is the James living in Greenock in 1901 on the 1901 census??

I shall try having a look at that too.....thank you

nelmit · Post by **nelmit** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 11:34 pm

Hello again Jill,

Obviously I don't have a clue if there is any relationship but I thought this was an interesting entry in 1881.

Could this be James senior married again?

The only spanner in the works is I can't find a death for a Ellen McLachlan/Hood on SP.

Dwelling: 877 Govan Rd
Census Place: Govan, Lanark, Scotland
Source: FHL Film 0203686 GRO Ref Volume 646-1 EnumDist 34 Page 1
Marr Age Sex Birthplace
James MC LACHLAN M 44 M Greenock, Renfrew, Scotland
Rel: Head
Occ: Blacksmith
Rebbeca MC LACHLAN M 46 F Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland
Rel: Wife
Agnes MC LACHLAN U 9 F Govan, Lanark, Scotland
Rel: Daught
Occ: Scholar
Marion MC LACHLAN U 7 F Govan, Lanark, Scotland
Rel: Daught
Occ: Scholar
Ian MC LACHLAN U 2 M Govan, Lanark, Scotland
Rel: Son

Kind regards,
Annette M