Monday, April 9, 2007
BEWARE THE 1841 SCOTLAND CENSUS...
I found my notes from Genealogist Fenwick in Scotland from July, 2005 when he cautioned me about the 1841 Census: "First the method of listing ages in the 1841 Census was not rigid. A few (census takers) listed the correct ages. Most (census takers) rounded ages from 15 onward to the nearest 5 years. For instance, 17 (actual) would be listed as 15 and 18 (actual) would be listed as 20." I had forgotten this information and it may help to explain some of our issues. He also noted that the census was recorded with pencils in this period and did not always leave a clear record. It's also worth noting his comments that "until the mid to late Victorian period, the celebration of birthdays, like Christmas, was of little consequence. In fact it was not until the advent of national insurance (equivalent of Social Security in US) that the recording of precise birthdays was to become an essential factor".
Friday, April 6, 2007
KEEPING THE SUSANS STRAIGHT....
Since we are dealing with three Susans in this quest we've decided to explain them as follows: Susan Ogilvie married Andrew McFarlane; they had a daughter, Susan McFarlane , who married our James John Mitchell. They had a daughter, Susan Mitchell, who married Andrew Burt, Sr. There we have it: Susan Ogilvie, Susan McFarlane and Susan Mitchell!
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
ANDREW McFARLANE/ SUSAN OGILVY CONFIRMATION
It appears the Andrew McFarlane/Susan Ogilvy parentage of our Susan McFarlane is correct thanks to some extra sleuthing by fellow researcher Lois Riekens.
The 1841 Scotland Census showed Andrew McFarlane (age 40) and Susan Ogilvy (age 35) and their family in Fern, Angus, Leytack. The children listed were: Robert (age 2); John (age 6); Andrew (age 10); Ann (age 15). The problem has been that our Susan was not listed.
I did locate a Susan of about the right age (b. 1829)in the same Census, born in Lethnot & Navar, Angus. She was living with an Ann Cobb (b. 1766) and an Ann Gordon (b. 1786). Lethnot/Navar was a parish in Angus created in 1845 and abolished in 1975. One wonders if this was our Susan and whether she was loaned or hired out to help these older women? Of course we'll never know. She would have been about 12 years old.
Lois found what appears to be our Susan in the 1851 Scotland Census. The parents and family were still in Fearn, Angus, Leytack. They now had another son, Adam (age 8); Robert and our Susan were also listed. Susan was listed as age 19, which would have made her birth year 1832, not the 22 Apr 1830 we have believed to be correct. This may still be an issue to be resolved. We know these birth years can vary in the Census depending when the information was collected within a year and how accurately the information was given to the census taker.
What makes us believe this is the correct family is the addition of Adam to the family. Mrs. Glen (Gladys) Burt, grandmother to Lois Riekens, made mention of Adam in a family history some years ago. She said Adam was single and died in Scotland in 1906. The 1871 Scotland Census still shows Adam living with his parents. He was the only child at home by that time and was age 28. The Burts were descendants of the marriage of Susan Mitchell and Andrew Burt, Sr. Susan Mitchell was a daughter of our James John Mitchell and Susan McFarlane.
The 1851 Scotland Census shows place of birth for Andrew McFarlane as Lochlee, Forfarshire. The same Census shows the birthplace for Susan Ogilvy as Oathlaw, Forfar.
It would be helpful if we can now find the common father to Susan Ogilvy (wife of Andrew McFarlane) and William Ogilvy, father to "Uncle" Charles Ogilvy.
The 1841 Scotland Census showed Andrew McFarlane (age 40) and Susan Ogilvy (age 35) and their family in Fern, Angus, Leytack. The children listed were: Robert (age 2); John (age 6); Andrew (age 10); Ann (age 15). The problem has been that our Susan was not listed.
I did locate a Susan of about the right age (b. 1829)in the same Census, born in Lethnot & Navar, Angus. She was living with an Ann Cobb (b. 1766) and an Ann Gordon (b. 1786). Lethnot/Navar was a parish in Angus created in 1845 and abolished in 1975. One wonders if this was our Susan and whether she was loaned or hired out to help these older women? Of course we'll never know. She would have been about 12 years old.
Lois found what appears to be our Susan in the 1851 Scotland Census. The parents and family were still in Fearn, Angus, Leytack. They now had another son, Adam (age 8); Robert and our Susan were also listed. Susan was listed as age 19, which would have made her birth year 1832, not the 22 Apr 1830 we have believed to be correct. This may still be an issue to be resolved. We know these birth years can vary in the Census depending when the information was collected within a year and how accurately the information was given to the census taker.
What makes us believe this is the correct family is the addition of Adam to the family. Mrs. Glen (Gladys) Burt, grandmother to Lois Riekens, made mention of Adam in a family history some years ago. She said Adam was single and died in Scotland in 1906. The 1871 Scotland Census still shows Adam living with his parents. He was the only child at home by that time and was age 28. The Burts were descendants of the marriage of Susan Mitchell and Andrew Burt, Sr. Susan Mitchell was a daughter of our James John Mitchell and Susan McFarlane.
The 1851 Scotland Census shows place of birth for Andrew McFarlane as Lochlee, Forfarshire. The same Census shows the birthplace for Susan Ogilvy as Oathlaw, Forfar.
It would be helpful if we can now find the common father to Susan Ogilvy (wife of Andrew McFarlane) and William Ogilvy, father to "Uncle" Charles Ogilvy.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
SCOTTISH NAME EQUIVALENTS
To aid everyone in their research, there are some name equivalents we have discovered: Susan= Chusan; Janet= Jess; Jane= Jeun.
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