Proof?

ninatoo · Post by **ninatoo** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 6:32 am

Hello all,

I am trying to find the parents of my gggg grandfather Robert Easdon (var.) This is the man for whom I had incorrect parents and recently deleted them from my tree (yes I saved that lot in a new gedcom for posterity!) I have had a new look around and I am fairly sure of his town of origin. From the censuses and other records he seems to have been born in about 1780 in Erskine Renfrewshire, and then settled in Inchinnan:

His marriage OPR’s (2 of them, one in New Kilpatrick Dunbarton, where wife Agnes was from, and the other in Erskine, Renfrewshire) states he was from Erskine Parish. In 1840, son William married in Inchinnan.

In 1841 Robert Easdon was in Inchinnan, Renfrewshire, aged 60 and states he was born in Renfrewshire.

In 1851 he was again in Inchinnan, Renfrewshire, aged 72 and stated he was born in Erskine Renfrewshire.

He doesn’t seem to be on the 1861 census.

Now Robert and his wife Agnes McCouat (var.) had five known children, David b. 1802, John, b. 1804 (whom I have researched) Robert b. 1806, Agness, b. 1807 (also researched) and my ggg grandfather William b. 1811 (not found his birth OPR though I know he was born in Erskine) All born Erskine Renfrew under various surname spellings of Easton.

Wife's father was a John McCouat...thought I would throw that in!

Now.....I have found a likely pair of parents from Erskine; David Ersdon and Ann Cunningham. I thought they might be a good fit because the naming pattern of the sons matches the Scottish tradition. The name David carried right on through the Eastons in my tree until at least 1923, so it must be an important family name.

So...I am wondering....how the heck do I prove these are his parents?

After deleting his other set, I am very wary (well always was, really....it was just I was new to genealogy when I included the last lot).

Nina

Ann In the UK · Post by **Ann In the UK** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 8:06 am

Ack! I did that too - for my main Carrick line.

Followed them right back to 1745 ish too, and was very impressed with myself. They were in that exact area also - Old Kilpatrick, Erskine, Johnstone, Paisley. We even visited there in the early days of my research and spent hours looking round old churches, streets and graveyards looking for remnants of them.

Then I found my mistake. Turned out, the people I thought were the parents of my 3x great grandfather did have a son of the same name (William

), but he'd married 2 years after my 3x greatgrandfather did.

But I haven't deleted them. What made me believe they were related back then, still holds true today - the brothers who lead me to them were everywhere my family where, for many years. They were neighbours on Bute for over a decade, and while one lived a couple of streets away in Anderston later on, the other died there - and their kids all practically had the same names for goodness sake! Still seems unlikely to simply be coincidence. But how the hell I'm going to get any further in this line now, with a lack of death and birth certificate for my William, is beyond me.

crayspond · Post by **crayspond** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 2:11 pm

Hi Nina,

Doing a death search for him on SP between 1855 and 1865 age (bearing in mind he was in his 70s on the 1851 census) brings up the following in the Renfrewshire area

1855 EASDON ROBERT M 73 PAISLEY MIDDLE CHURCH /RENFREW 573/03 0305

The age would fit near enough, and as you know 1855 is a good year for info - it would mean using 5 credits on SP but it would be worth it as it may give you his parents which is what you are looking for.

Regards

Ailsa

ninatoo · Post by **ninatoo** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 9:52 pm

Hi Ailsa,

Thanks for looking! Not him...I should have mentioned that I think he died before 1855, as did his wife, as I have all the likely Roberts' death registrations. Which is what got me into trouble in the first place.

(Kidding....it all seemed to match at the time). Of course there is the possibility of a really obscure index entry that I have missed....

Ann, I had mine to a definite dead end in 1717. The birth OPR had that Robert's father's first name torn off.

Nina

crayspond · Post by **crayspond** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 10:49 pm

Hi Nina,
No problem i thought it was a bit too easy! I suppose you have saw this one too
23/06/1853 EASTON ROBERT M COLDSTREAM /BERWICK 733/00 0409

You have to wonder why he would be in Berwick - although folk do turn up in the strangest places. A son or daughter moved there perhaps?

I am pretty certain my gggg grandfather is wrongly named on his son's death cert - it was certified by his son in law and i am sure he has given the wrong first names for him and his wife - could he have known what his wife's grandparents were called! Anyway it has left me stuck as i have trawled the records for the said couple - in censuses, marriage birth etc. Like you i have found a match with the names John Rankin and Ann Ferguson (again all names used in their family) and not George and Agnes Rankin as is on the certificate.
Such is life! Good luck with your hunch.

Ailsa

Andy · Post by **Andy** » Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:01 am

Hi, have you tried the Wills and Testaments? There is a Renfrewshire based David Easton, a feuar at Grahamstone, whose Will dates from 1836. May be worth the £5 to check if Robert is mentioned. That would be proof enough.

I had a great great Granduncle who not only misnamed various grandparents on various death certs but later, when he owned a very successful Boilermaking factory, actually bought headstones UNDER THE WRONG NAMES!

He led me a merry dance for years. I was convinced that I knew the proper Grandparents but the available evidence was against it. Turns out the PROPER Grandmother left a Will (again in 1836) and named my G-G-G grandfather and his siblings with addresses that matched the 1841 census. RESULT.

This led to a very interesting story about James Wilson's (my REAL G-G-G-G Grandfather's) climb up the social ladder.

ninatoo · Post by **ninatoo** » Thu Sep 03, 2009 11:30 am

Hi Ailsa,

I didn't look at Berwick because Robert seems to have been taken care of by daughter Agnes in the 1841 and 1851 census, and there has never been anything turn up for a connection to Berwick.

Andy, I am having trouble viewing wills at the moment; the next page button just keeps taking me back to the "Viewd Images" page. But I did purchase that will and it mentions a deceased Robert but it could mean his father........I also had purchased a will for a Robert Esdon from Meiklebog....now he does mention a son Robert. But my Robert says he was born in Erskine and lived in Inchinnan....those two places don't appear on either document that I can see yet (not been able to look at all of the David Easton one).

Thanks for the interest. I appreciate any and all suggestions!

Nina

Post by **Anne H** » Thu Sep 03, 2009 5:23 pm

Hi Nina,

I am having trouble viewing wills at the moment; the next page button just keeps taking me back to the "Viewd Images" page

I've also have been having that same problem lately...it's a pain in the neck! As I"m sure you've done yourself, I just keep going back in and eventually manage to view all pages of the will.

Good luck with your continued search!

Regards,
Anne H

ninatoo · Post by **ninatoo** » Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:44 pm

I was doing that last night Anne, but got fed up and eventually emailed SP. I am sure they will sort it out soon.

Nina

Andy · Post by **Andy** » Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:42 pm

Hi Nina,

Looking at the dates: What's the chance of David dying before Robert? Good!

My initial searches show that some of the Erskine lot moved to Barrhead (Neilston).

There are an inordinate amount of David Eas*n* in the area. There MUST be a relationship.

I too have had problems with the "Next Page" but WILL get it sorted.