Genealogy Chat

Joan in Australia here again, still trying to find information about my Gran, Mary Shepherd's, birth. Dennis, I have tucked your Morayshire contact information away in a safe place , but I keep coming back to try to find her myself just one more time! Oh how I wish I had asked my Mum these questions while she was alive. No-one still alive knows when her birthday was as times were very hard for them and birthdays, especially her own, were not celebrated. Ages on censuses, marriage and death registrations do not tally and leave me a very wide field to search in. If I at least knew the month or day and month I could eliminate some of the 'possibles' from my long list. Does anyone have any ideas of any records which would include a woman's date of birth? I have tried hospital records from when she died and would you believe the records for the month of her death are missing from the archives. Likewise school records in Forres-she just does not appear . She was married in 1912 and widowed in 1928. Did widows receive pensions then and would those 'forms' include a date of birth. My family are accusing me of being obsessed (!) but I just need to find her!!! Thanks for any help at all, Joan

Mary's marriage cert should give her age at the time of the marriage (ie in 1912) and her father's name and occupation. You will have a choice of 2 years depending on whether Mary was married before or after her birthday in 1912. This should narrow down the candidates on census. Pick the census immediately after the likely birth years and then find one with a father whose name (and ideally occupation) matches the marriage cert. Or is there a huge discrepancy between her age on marriage cert and her age on the death cert? nell

Hi Joan. Nothing wrong with being obsessed. Most of the people on this site are obsessed with finding there ancestors/relations, thats why wer'e here.And also to help you, if possible. If you could be a bit more specific maybe we can help. Is Mary Shepherd the birth name.....or married name. ****She was married in 1912 and widowed in 1928**** Name of spouse/husband. Married In Oz.....or U.K ? Did she die in Australia, and when.....State/Territory/Year Was she born in Ozzie.......or Morayshire ( Scotland ) Do you know if she had siblings. Tony Oz ( Victoria )

Good morning to Mary, Ozibird,Nell and Tony, Great to see your replies but I have to get myself to work this morning so can't add those extra details just now.It's all a bit complicated...as always! Will get back to you later today. So grateful for your interest. See you later, Joan

Hi again to everyone. I'm back with some of the info you mentioned. Everything was hunky-dory in the family history until I sent for my gran's marriage and death regs. when we discovered that the couple we always knew as her parents, weren't. Mary Shepherd was born between 1882 and 1887 in Forres, Morayshire, Scotland and may have been born as Mary Shepherd or perhaps Mary Fraser if illegitimate On Marriage and death certificates,parents given as John Shepherd and Mary Fraser, but can find no trace of marriage for them (except one, in Methlick, Aberdeen, but their daughter Mary Ann appears on 1891 Census with her Father, while 'my' Mary appears on same census with her Grandparents.) nor can I find a connection of a John Shepherd or Mary Fraser to the 'Grandparents' my Mum knew, and who we know brought Mary up. Mum's siblings all deceased bar one who can no longer give any information. Mary Shepherd brought up in household of James Shepherd and his wife Annie Robertson in Forres, married Andrew Cassidy in Renfrew, Renfrewshire Scotland, 1912 and died in Paisley Renfrewshire Scotland1952 . First census after birth (1891) has her as Grandaughter of James Shepherd and wife Catherine, parents of James Shepherd in whose household she grew up. Suspect her father may actually be this James Shepherd the younger, but as there is no record of birth of Mary Shepherd in Forres, too many elsewhwere in year range and far too many Mary Frasers (!) everywhere- I am hoping to find some record which might have her day and month of birth so I can eliminate some of the many! So if anyone can suggest any kind of records on which her birth might appear I will be eternally grateful In addition to records mentioned in first mail, I have also checked cemetery records but they do not include birthdate. Thanks everyone. Joan in Melbourne