Minor Records Scotlandspeople - War Returns - South Africa W

casserole · Post by **casserole** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 4:53 pm

Hello,
I wonder if someone can give some advice re finding the record of death of my great grandfather. I have searched on the Minor records- War Returns - South African War at Scotlandspeople but without luck. I was hoping to find this as it might have given his place of birth. Am I missing it?

He was not discharged to pension so I have been told that his army record would not have been kept and would therefore not be at the Public Records Office at Kew.

The information I have is:
He died of dysentery at Pietermaritzburg, S.A. on 7th March 1900
He was Private 6375 William WILSON, 2nd Battalion Scottish Rifles.
He was aged 27 but I am unable to find out about him or his parents as I have no idea where he was born.
His widow was given his Queens S.A. Medal and clasp - Relief of Ladysmith seven years after he died.

Thank you

JustJean · Post by **JustJean** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 5:26 pm

Hi Casserole

You mention his widow......what was her name and where were they married? If it were in Scotland it's quite likely you'll get his parent's names from their MC.

Best wishes
Jean

casserole · Post by **casserole** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 5:58 pm

Hello Jean,

Thank you for your reply. Sorry, I should have been more clear in my posting.

I have the marriage certificate for William WILSON (1896, Lanark to Marion Christie NICOL) and it does give his parents names but I have been unable to find a marriage certificate for his parents, James WILSON and Agnes CROSBIE. Since I don't know where William was born and I can't find a marriage certificate for his parents I was hoping that an entry in the War Returns would be the answer.

There are a few possible William WILSONs in the 1881 census but I haven't been able to identify one as mine.

Thank you again,
Carole

Post by **SarahND** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 11:54 pm

Hi Carole,
Welcome to Talking Scot

To narrow things down, does the marriage certificate give the father's occupation? Putting in William Wilson with father William and mother Agnes in the 1891 census only comes up with one result (see below), but this is only good as long as both his parents were still living and he was still living with them! So may not be him at all. Nonetheless, here it is:

1891
Hangingshaw, Cathcart, Renfrewshire
William Wilson, 44, head, born Liberton, Lanarkshire, Dairy Man Coal Salesman
Agnes Wilson, 44, wife, born St K*******, Stirlingshire
John Wilson, 20, son, born Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Law Apprentice
William Wilson, 17, son, born Cathcart, Renfrewshire, Coal weigher
Janet Wilson, 15, daur, born Cathcart, Renfrewshire
Marion Wilson, 13, daur, born Cathcart, Renfrewshire, Scholar
Isabella Wilson, 10, daur, , born Cathcart, Renfrewshire, Scholar
James Wilson, 9, son, born Cathcart, Renfrewshire, Scholar
Alexander Wilson, 3, son, born Cathcart, Renfrewshire
Margaret Wilson, 1, daur, born Cathcart, Renfrewshire
Margaret Armstrong, 62, sister-in-law, born St Ninians, Stirlingshire, Tartan Weaver Retired

All the best,
Sarah

Note: Agnes' birthplace as given by the Ancestry.com index is surely wrong... and the automatic censor would only, I'm sure, replace it with "numptie", so I'm just putting asterisks

You have to see it to believe it

casserole · Post by **casserole** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 12:20 am

Hello Sarah,

Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately you have given me the details of William WILSON and wife Agnes when I said that my great grandfather's parents were James WILSON and Agnes. I appreciate the time you have spent looking at teh 1891 cesus.

Anyway, James's occupation on William's marriage certificate is Iron Foundry labourer.

Thank you so much for being so kind as to look up this family and so sorry that it isn't the right one.

All the best,
Carole

Post by **SarahND** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 12:25 am

Hi Carole,

So you did say James!!! I think I must be tired... Doing a similar thing with the correct names again only one comes up, but William is a cloth measurer in Brechin, Forfar and James is a Power Loom Tenter... so maybe not.
Back to the drawing board...
Regards,
Sarah

Post by **SarahND** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 12:33 am

Hi Carole,
One more thing

Are his parents both listed as living on the marriage certificate, or is one or the other deceased?
Regards,
Sarah

casserole · Post by **casserole** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 1:44 pm

Hello Sarah,

On the marriage certificate I have there is no indication that either is deceased so have to presume that they were both alive. Agnes is Agnes WILSON m.s. CROSBIE.

Thanks again,
Carole

Post by **SarahND** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 5:44 pm

Hi again,

This family comes close, but William is too young. Still, may be him. Out of the 29 James Wilsons married to Agnes in the 1891 census, this is the only one whose occupation fits.

1891
24 Fullarton Street, Kilmarnock, Ayrshire
James Wilson, 38, head, born Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Iron Forger
Agnes Wilson, 37, wife, born Ayr, Ayrshire
Jane Wilson, 15, daur, born Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Monitor
William Wilson, 14, son, born Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Draper's Assistant

Is one of the Williams you found in 1881 this one born in Kilmarnock? Does his age fit, or is it different? What was William's occupation on his marriage certificate?

Regards,
Sarah

P.S: !!!!! While looking, I found this James Wilson in Maryhill, Barony:
James Wilson, 40, head, born Dunfermline, Fife, Occupation: Concert & Vanity Entertainment Tutor
Great occupation

Post by **AnneM** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 9:02 pm

Hi

I wonder if this family is the James Wilson who married Agnes Hamilton Dick in 1871 in Ayr. Both parties give an address in Kilmarnock and the occupation is correct. Funnily enough the father of this James was called William.

I'm not sure if that precludes it being the right family as I wonder if the maiden name of mother on the subsequent marriage cert could be wrong.

Anne

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