Genealogy Chat

I am having loads of problems with my g g grandmother, JANET BIRKETT. I have no problem finding her after 1861 when she appears in the census living in South Shields with her husband JOHN BIRKETT and their one year old son (also JOHN), but no matter how hard I (and others) look we can't find any trace of her marriage or rhe birth of young John. It is made more difficult as I'm not even sure of her maiden name anymore. I have some certs, which I ordered through the GRO and they give her maiden name as MORSON, someone else, researching the same woman ordered her certs from the South Shields office and the maiden name came back as MORRISON, although the details match in every other way. Through out all the census's her age puts her birth ( in Campsie Scotland) at around 1836/37. But her death (died 1905) cert puts her at being born about 1839. I know that this is her death because my g grandmother ELIZABETH MOAD registered it. Is there anything else I can do? I have I missed something? Do I need to consign this one to the bin?

what does her daughters birth cert give as her maiden name? does that tally with her marriage?

Jan what is her first name? Georgina.

Hi Ann Yes everything tallys. Daughter ELIZABETH BIRKETT born South Shields 9. Aug.1873. Married JAMES MOAD 30.3.1891. I think we've covered most things. We know that all of JANET and JOHN's children were born in South Shields, EXCEPT the first son JOHN. Normally as he is a g, great Uncle rather than a direct link I wouldn't have gone to so much trouble, but because of the uncertainty about her maiden name we tried to find his birth, (in Scotland) and his parents marriage. Scottish certs have so much more information than the ones I'm used to so I thought that it would be a walk in the park once we found them, but no such luck. Thanks for taking the time to look Jan :)

According to the 1861 census the sone John was born in Scotland c1860. Have you checked in Scotland for his birth and the parents marriage? Pete

Sorry Georgina I can't believe that I missed that out!!!!!!!!!!!! Her given name was JANET Thanks Jan

Hi Pete Yes, I've spent hours on Scotlands people, but can't find a birth for him Jan:)

Jan this probably dosen't help but if she had John before she married this could be a possible birth... JOHN MORRISON Male Event(s): Birth: 12 JUL 1860 Falkland, Fife, Scotland Christening: Death: Burial: Parents: Mother: JANET MORRISON Georgina.

Jan dont get too excited it might be the wrong birth (sorry to put a downer on it) just keep an open mind, what would really help is the marriage, I cant see one in England. Georgina.

Hi Georgina Thanks again, yes that could be him. I have a print out of the cert. Sadly it doesn't give any more information, but it does however confirm that her maiden name was MORRISON and not Morton, (Oops! There goes my link with the Laird of Kirkintillock) And it places her in Fife, so I might be able to do something with that. Thank you Jan :)

Hi Georgina Yep, you're right, been here so many times in the last few weeks, you'd think that I'd learned my lesson. However, on the plus side this is a Morrison birth that we hadn't previously found - so if nothing else - it's someone to elimiate before giving up the ghost Actually, if I'm honest, I'm not too sure that I'd don't secretly want to lay this branch of the family to rest for good, Janet has caused so many sleepless nights! As to the marriage Of JANET to JOHN BIRKETT, I don't know if that ever happened, no sign anywhere of it, in the end we speculated that JANET had an illegitimate child, got together with JOHN, who gave the child his name and they moved to England, passing themselves off as a regular married couple. Without documents it's all just if's and maybe's. All the best Jan :)

Hi Pete Yes, I've been all over scotlands people, spent over 100 credits in a day and a half looking for young John Birkett. There are no records of John Birkett marrying Janet in Scotland. So I looked for John Morson/John Morrison born Scotland 1859/1860, but it's like looking for a needle in a haystack, there are over 95 possibles. Made especially difficult because, if his mother wasn't married to John Birkett at the time of his birth then the information entered on the birth cert is especially sketchy. I've got to the point where I think the only thing I can do is wait for a couple of years for the 1911 census and try and trace John Birkett/Morson/Morrison that way. He may list his place of birth and then I can work from there. Thanks for looking at this. Jan :)