Leith birth?

yazza · Post by **yazza** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 1:09 pm

hi
I have been looking for the birth/baptism of Isabella Mitchell 1854.She lived at Linktown/Kirkcaldy with her parents and siblings but on all the census records it has Leith Edinburgh as her birthplace which seems curious as all the others were born at Linktown.I realise sometimes women went home to their mothers to give birth but this doesn't seem to be the case here as all the family came from Kirkcaldy-Dysart area.I have looked on the IGI and SP (Leith north and south) and can't find her.Any help appreciated.
Steve

nelmit · Post by **nelmit** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 1:14 pm

Hi Steve,

What were her parents names?

Regards,
Annette M

yazza · Post by **yazza** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 1:30 pm

hi
her parents were John Mitchell and Margaret Gourlay.
Steve

Post by **AndrewP** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 4:10 pm

Hi Steve,

It looks most likely that her birth/baptism was never recorded, or the record has not survived. Pre-1855 there was no statutory registration, so it was only if the child was baptised (most commonly only if the child was baptised in the Church of Scotland) that the event was recorded in the Parochial Register.

It could always be that there was a baptism and it was recorded, but in a church other than the Church of Scotland. If so, such a record may survive, possibly amongst the Kirk Session records in the National Archives of Scotland. Unfortunately these are not indexed online yet, and may be a few years away yet from going online.

All the best,

AndrewP

yazza · Post by **yazza** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 4:39 pm

hi Andrew
thanks for that explanation,this looks like another puzzle that i will not be able to solve because as you say they were Church of Scotland.
cheers
Steve

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Sun Nov 18, 2007 8:00 pm

Hi Steve
When and where did the parents marry?
(sorry if I've missed this somewhere...)

Is this them on IGI?

JOHN MITCHELL
Marriages:
Spouse: MARGARET GOURLAY Family
Marriage: 16 NOV 1851 Abbotshall, Fife, Scotland

What did John do for a living?
Best wishes
Lesley

yazza · Post by **yazza** » Mon Nov 19, 2007 7:18 pm

hi Lesley
Yes that is their marriage.It seems as Andrew said that the record has not survived.I only wanted to find it to tie up a loose end.Thanks for looking.
cheers
Steve