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Looking at the births for the children listed on the 1881 census, the Mum seems to be Mary Shepherd but this looks like the parents marriage. Notice the spelling of Mary's surname. This is probably how it appears on the marriage certificate, so select "surname variants" on Scotlandspeople if you are looking for the marriage.

Name: Alexander Scott
Gender: Male
Marriage Date: 16 Dec 1859
Marriage Place: Edinburgh Parish,Edinburgh,Midlothian,Scotland
Spouse: Mary Sheppard
FHL Film Number: 6035516

Doubt if these children are on their own in 1851, the original image will be on SP

Name: Mary Shephard
Age: 12
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1839
Relationship: Head
Gender: Female
Where born: Glasgow, Lanark
Parish Number: 685/1
Civil Parish: Edinburgh Old Church
County: Midlothian
Address: Hume's Close 284 Canongate
Occupation: Pauper
ED: 6
Page: 11
Household schedule number: 51
LINE: 13
Roll: CSSCT1851_178
Household Members:
Name Age
Mary Shephard 12
John Shephard 10
David Shephard 5

Here's the Freecen version of above census

Piece: SCT1851/685 Place: Edinburgh -Midlothian Enumeration District: 6
Civil Parish: Old Church Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island: Old Church
Folio: 729 Page: 11 Schedule: 51
Address: 284 Canongate Humes Close

Surname First name(s) Rel Status Sex Age Occupation Where Born Remarks
SHEPHARD Agnes Head W F 40 Laundress Midlothian - Edinburgh
SHEPHARD Mary Dau - F 12 Pauper Lanarkshire - Glasgow
SHEPHARD John Son - M 10 Pauper Midlothian - Edinburgh
SHEPHARD David Son - M

Maybe 1841?

Name: Mary Sheppherd
Age: 3
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1838
Gender: Female
Where born: Midlothian, Scotland
Civil Parish: Edinburgh St Cuthberts
County: Midlothian
Address: Gibbs Entry No 8
Parish Number: 685/2
Household Members:
Name Age
Alexander Sheppherd 20
Agnes Sheppherd 20
Mary Sheppherd 3
John Sheppherd 1

Thanks. This looks like her. Just found the original marriage register entry. She was 21 at the time of her marriage in 1859, her parents were Alexander and Agnes and one of the witnesses was John Sheppard, presumably her little brother. Agnes' name is spelled Sheppard, but her parents is spelled Shephard on the same entry on the marriage register!

Philippa, if the marriage registration gave Agnes's maiden surname, you can search on SP for her death registration which will name her parents including her mother's maiden surname if the informant knew the details. In Scotland female deaths are indexed under married and maiden surnames so you can search using her maiden name as a cross reference.

Bet you glad to have Scottish ancestry as it is much cheaper to research and a big plus is the fact that Scottish births give the date and place of the parents' marriage. Scottish marriage registrations also name both parents including the mother's maiden surname. The down side is that Statutory Registration didn't begin here until 1855. 1855 registrations contain much more information than later ones. For example, an 1855 death registration for a married adult will list all their children, giving ages and for any deceased will state their age at death and year of death.

Unfortunately, I can't make out the maiden surname - really annoying as most of the other entries on that page are very clear!

Now I have found the SP site, I am very happy to have Scots ancestors! Cheaper and easier to trace. Fortunately, I'm more interested in 1850 onwards as my real interest is in finding out as much as possible about those people for whom I have written/oral records or photos and most of this is post 1850, though I have a few handed down stories from the earlier 1800s.

Philippa if you want me to have a look at it for you attach it to a PM and I'll see if I can decipher it for you.

Thank you very much. Have sent PM - sometimes I have trouble reading these old documents even when I KNOW what they say!

I'm a bit lost! Is it Mary Shepp* b 1838c that we are trying to decipher her mothers maiden name?





:-S

No, it's her Mum, Agnes. Don't blame you for feeling lost, I feel that way too and they're my family!

Right, Agnes's maiden surname on Mary's marriage registration is Noble.

I think this is the marriage and would fit with Mary's birthplace on one of the census as East Kilbride is near Glasgow.

Name: Agnes Noble
Gender: Female
Marriage Date: 3 Dec 1837
Marriage Place: East Kilbride,Lanark,Scotland
Spouse: Alexander Shepherd
FHL Film Number: 1066591

Here's the Freecen version of the 1841 census and the occupation for Alexander matches that given on Mary's marriage registration.

Piece: SCT1841/685 Place: St Cuthbert's -Midlothian Enumeration District: 33
Civil Parish: St Cuthbert's Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island: -
Folio: 33 Page: 8
Address: 8 Gibbs Entry

Surname First name(s) Sex Age Occupation Where Born Remarks
SHEPPHERD Alexander M 20 Tailor Journeyman Midlothian
SHEPPHERD Agnes F 20 Midlothian
SHEPPHERD Mary F 3 Midlothian
SHEPPHERD John M 1