Help Needed Please

[trish58]

Hi everyone

When were parents marriage dates first added to the childs birth record??

The reason I ask is that I am not able to find the marriage of John Kennedy McMath to Jane Ferguson on the OPR's. or IGI

I have used all wildcards and variations, James Kennedy McMath born 1811, parents Thomas & Sarah ms Kennedy.

John Kennedy McMath & Jane Ferguson had their first child William Pringle McMath 3 Jul 1838. (8 Children in all)

I pulled up the last two from TS 1857 & 1860, in the hope I would find parents marriage date - as has been the case on all my other birth certificates for various members of the family.
No marriage appears, does this mean they didn't marry or because the hadn't started including this information at this time .

I looked on OPR's tips and couldn't find anything that would help.
The family all moved to the USA where John & Jane died.

Can anyone help please Thank you

Trish

[Anne H]

Hi Trish,

Unfortunately, the marriage information of parents was not included on BC's from 1856 - 1860. The marriage info appears on BC's for that lovely year of 1855 and then from 1861 onwards.

Regards,
Anne H

[trish58]

Hi Anne

Wouldn't you just know it Must be a conspiracy to stop these family member being found.

Any ideas where to look next No marriage record on IGI (that I can see) or on OPR's.

Aprecciate any help from anyone

Thanks

[SarahND]

The reason I ask is that I am not able to find the marriage of John Kennedy McMath to Jane Ferguson on the OPR's. or IGI

I have used all wildcards and variations, James Kennedy McMath born 1811, parents Thomas & Sarah ms Kennedy.

John Kennedy McMath & Jane Ferguson had their first child William Pringle McMath 3 Jul 1838. (8 Children in all)

[Bold type added by SarahND]

Help! Trish! Is he John or James? William's father is James, so I think that's the correct name?

Regards,
Sarah

[nelmit]

I think this is them in 1841 so James it is Sarah.

Piece: SCT1841/580 Place: Barr -Ayrshire Enumeration District: 1
Civil Parish: Barr Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island: Barr
Folio: 1 Page: 9
Address: Barr Village

Surname First name(s) Sex Age Occupation Where Born Remarks
MCMATH James M 24 Agricultural Labourer Ayrshire
MCMATH Jane F 24 Ayrshire
MCMATH William M 2 Ayrshire
MCMATH Hugh M 3m Ayrshire

Still no sign of a marriage though.

Regards,
Annette M

[SarahND]

Hi Trish and Annette,
There is a marriage on the IGI of Jane Fergusson to James McAmond on 30 Dec 1831 in Barr by Girvan, Ayr

Could this be a misreading of McMath? I know it is earlier than you thought, but I don't see any children for this couple as written, so maybe it was a mistake?

Regards,
Sarah

[nelmit]

Hi Trish and Annette,
There is a marriage on the IGI of Jane Fergusson to James McAmond on 30 Dec 1831 in Barr by Girvan, Ayr

Could this be a misreading of McMath? I know it is earlier than you thought, but I don't see any children for this couple as written, so maybe it was a mistake?

Regards,
Sarah

Yes, I saw that too Sarah but thought they might be a bit young to be married in 1831.

Regards,
Annette M

[SarahND]

Yes, I saw that too Sarah but thought they might be a bit young to be married in 1831.

Well, their ages do bounce around a bit in the censuses... In 1861 they are 49 and 45, which would put them at 19 and 15 in 1831... just possible?
Grasping at straws
Sarah

[SarahND]

Jane says in the census that she was born in Ballantrae, Ayr. This looks like a likely Christening, with good names for parents:

Jean Ferguson
17 May 1814 Ballantrae, Ayr, Scotland
Father: Hugh Ferguson
Mother: Betty Graham

She would have been 17 by the time of her marriage.

[AndrewP]

I had wondered where the eight children were - I could only find seven births. James only shows up in the censuses. No sign of the father in 1851.

from the online IGI
WILLIAM PRINGH MCMATH - Birth: 03 JUL 1838
WILLIAM PRINGH MCMATH - Christening: 26 AUG 1838 Barr By Girvan, Ayr, Scotland
HUGH MCMATH - Birth: 25 FEB 1841
HUGH MCMATH - Christening: 03 MAR 1841 Barr By Girvan, Ayr, Scotland
THOMAS MCMATH - Birth: 03 NOV 1843
THOMAS MCMATH - Christening: 19 NOV 1843 Barr By Girvan, Ayr, Scotland
(no sign of James - should be about 1847)
MARY MCMATH - Birth: 03 AUG 1851
MARY MCMATH - Christening: 17 AUG 1851 Barr By Girvan, Ayr, Scotland
ELISABETH MCMATH - Birth: 24 FEB 1854
ELISABETH MCMATH - Christening: 12 MAR 1854 Barr By Girvan, Ayr, Scotland
JOHN MCMATH - Birth: 27 MAY 1857 Barr By Girvan, Ayr, Scotland
ELIZABETH MCMATH - Birth: 26 FEB 1860 Barr By Girvan, Ayr, Scotland

1851 census: Willio(?), Barr, Ayrshire
(no sign of James [senior])
Jane McMath 34
Wm McMath 12
Hugh McMath 10
Thos McMath 7
Jas McMath 4

1861 census: 11 West End, Barr, Ayrshire
James McMath 49
Jane McMath 45
Hugh McMath 20
James McMath 14
Mary McMath 9 (Ancestry mistranscribed as Man McMath)
John McMath 3
Elizabeth McMath 1

1871 census: Ermuraine(?) Lot 62, Girvan, Ayrshire
James McMath 53
Jane McMath 50
Mary McMath 18
John McMath 11
Elizabeth McMath 9

Counting ages was never their strong point (or possibly mistranscribed on Ancestry).

Elisabeth of 1854 died in 1859, so never appeared on any censuses.

All the best,

AndrewP