OPR missing BAIRD records .....

Bairdie · Post by **Bairdie** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 10:29 am

Hello all, I have just joined TalkingScot and am quite ignorant of Scots History, but do not intend that to last.
Because I have hit a brick wall with my own ancestors (at 1802) I am trying to fill in gaps in the BAIRD clan leadership FH.
I have been trying to obtain a list of the Children of Gilbert BAIRD died c.1593 and Lilias BAIRD (father Walter BAIRD)1558-1624, they are generation 3 of 7 BAIRD generations to have lived at Auchmedden (Mains of). 1540-1750
Apart from seven BAIRDs christened/baptised at Aberdour (Aberdeenshire), which is also the nearest church to Auchmedden, during the period 1720-31 who appear to be the children of William Baird and Anne Duff who had approximately 13/15 children. Gilbert and Lilas BAIRD had (it is reported) 32 children.,No other children seem to be on the OPRs.
The marriage of Gilbert and Lilias also appears to not be in the OPRs dated 16th August 1578.
Gilbert, it is reported, was a "rigid Papist" which may mean the children were baptised in a private RC church.? (I am not really aware of the reformation in Scotland and have yet to learn.) Would this mean their records would not be in the OPRs on view at Scotlands People?
Your opinions sought please.

Post by **AndrewP** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 10:53 am

Hi Bairdie,

Welcome to TalkingScot.

The OPRs at Aberdour (Aberdeenshire) go back to 1698, so you won't find any of your earler information there. On the NAS catalog, there are Kirk Session records from St Drostan's Kirk, Aberdour (Aberdeenshire). As far as I can see, St Drostan's should be RC, but the records start from 1828, so again no records in the period you are looking for.

So unfortunately, I cannot find any good news for you, only places that you are not likely to find information from that era. Most people studying their Scottish family history don't get beyond the late 18th century, as in most cases the provable trails run dry at the generation whose deaths appear in the start of the post 1855 civil records.

A quick web search gave 1560 as the year of the Reformation in Scotland. In the period following that, the RC church was suppressed, so I would guess that records would be quite scarce.

All the best,

Andrew Paterson

Bairdie · Post by **Bairdie** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 11:15 am

Hello Andrew,
thanks for the quick reply and welcome I guess I was expecting a little too much from the OPRs but having obtained a reasonable number of the children's names from the IGI I would have thought they at least would be in the OPRs. Unfortunately the IGI records I have looked at have no source material which again leaves a cold trail.
Is it really nice when you stop banging your head against brick walls?

Thanks again,
Martin Baird

Post by **AndrewP** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 11:33 am

Hi Martin,

The Ancestral File section of www.familysearch.org has this family going back another 3 generations. Someone has done a lot of research; or has access to old family papers to get back abt.1460, with parents speculated at <1434.

There is no sign of the name of the submitter of this information. Does anyone know, can that be found at an LDS Family History Centre?

All the best,

Andrew Paterson

ellenavon · Post by **ellenavon** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 12:01 pm

Hello Martin

I am by no means an expert, but note my thread on here about aliases and patronymics. Because of the repression of Catholics, it appears that many in the north east of Scotland used alternative surnames, although perhaps not as early as you are referring to.

Regards

Ellen.

CatrionaL · Post by **CatrionaL** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 12:41 pm

Hullo Martin

There is an Andrew BAIRD 1490 in the LDS Ancestral Files for whom the submitter is given as

Medieval Families
c/o Family History Dept
50E North Temple Street
SALT LAKE CITY
Utah
USA 84150

All the best
Catriona

Bairdie · Post by **Bairdie** » Sat Aug 13, 2005 4:42 pm

Hello Ellen,
thanks for the info and another possible brick wall looking for aliases

Hello Catriona, thanks to you also that address looks very useful especially as Andrew's link to the Ancestral File on the LDS site reveals so much of these families, somebody as Andrew says has done a lot of work and there is more info than on the ordinary IGI search site ?
Hi again Andrew,
thanks for the red face, I have been using the IGI for years and never ventured into the Ancetral Files since trying to find my own family8/9 years ago. My lot were not on there and so I do not believe I have used it since. I now have a lot of work extricating the info on the Ancestral file and finding out who did the work and what his/her source was.
Thank you all,
Martin