Telford - Ayton Berwickshire .....

[JosiahS]

My GG grandmother Alice / Alison Telford married a Wilson Orwin in Sunderland Co Durham in 1833 (marked as OTP on the register)

In most censuses she is simply described as being from Scotland, but in one, 1861 (RG9/3774 Registration district: Sunderland, Sub-registration district: South Bishop Wearmouth, Folio: 43, Page: 25, Household schedule number: 159) she is shown as being from Berwickshire and born about 1813.

While on the Ancestry transcription they show the town as Peter on the original it looks like Aiton.

On the IGI I can find some Telfords in Ayton (mother's name Alison) but not the christening of my Alison.

Does anyone know in what condition the Ayton registers are in - is it possible that she is there but I just can't find her? Were there any non-conformist churches there which aren't on the IGI?

Any assistance much appreciated - I'm at a dead end on this one.

Thanks
Jos

All census information is of course, copyright to the National Archives

[LesleyB]

Hi Jos
I'm afraid I don't know about the records for that area but I wonder if the Borders Family History Society might be worth contacting?
http://www.bordersfhs.org.uk/

If you click on the surname interests link and type in the name you are looking for it looks like someone else is researching the name Telford but in Dumfriesshire. Still might be worth following up though.

Hope you find what you are looking for.
Best wishes
Lesley

[JosiahS]

Thanks for the help Lesley. I'll give it a try - I'm pretty convinced I've got the right family in Ayton but it's finding the proof which is the challenge!!

Cheers

Jos

[LesleyB]

Hi Jos
A quick look on GROS at this page shows the following films to be available for Ayton:

727. AYTON
727/1 B 1743-1819 M 1745-1819 D 1800-19
727/2 B - M 1753-81 D 1753-81
727/3 B 1820-54 M 1820-54 D 1820-54
727/4 Index to B 1743-1854

You should be able to order films from your local LDS family history centre. For most people this works out as the most economical way to view them, unless you live in the area in which case a local library might have them. And if it is Ayton parish your folks are in, you are in luck - looks like there are death records as well!!

Best wishes
Lesley

[LesleyB]

Hi Jos
You've probably tried this already , but I just did a quick check on the free search on SP - there seem to be only 2 T*lf*rd births in Ayton, both female, between 1790-1830. It would seem the name is not "big" in that area. (Even between 1750-1854 there are only 5 births total) Couldn't resist a peek at the two:

• 24/03/1808 TELFORD MARY GEORGE TELFORD/ALISON PATERSON F AYTON
  10/12/1809 TELFORD ELIZABETH GEORGE TELFORD/ALISON PATERSON F AYTON

- just the ones you referred to with Alison as a mother's name. I also tried all parishes (all of Scotland) for that period and still no Alison... but that does not mean she isn't there, somewhere...

Best wishes
Lesley

[JosiahS]

Hi Lesley

Yes those were the births - the fact that my ancestor's christian name and the name of these two's mother is the same is what makes me feel that they are the right family.

It's frustrating cos I can find George and Alison's marriage, their births etc, but without that link I can't be sure.

I was wondering if the OPRs are in really bad condition - it could be that she is there but the page is illegible for some reason.

Maybe I should email the SP site and see if they can tell me

Thanks for your help

Jos

[Rach]

Hi Jos,
Sorry can't help with this family. Had a look at the M.I. book I have for Berwickshire the Eastern parishes pre 1855 but there are no Telford's listed in any of the graveyards.
Rae

[JosiahS]

Thanks for your help Rach - everything helps in terms of narrowing the search down.

All the best

Jos