Entire Donaldson's School Missing from 1881 LDS??

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kitkat27
Posts: 18
Joined: Sat Mar 28, 2020 12:03 am

Entire Donaldson's School Missing from 1881 LDS??

Post by kitkat27 » Sat Mar 28, 2020 5:45 pm

Hello Everyone! :D First Post alert! (also long post alert apologies)

My mum has been around here for years but I've finally caught the "family history bug" in a big style so have taken the plunge and joined.

I'm currently doing a family tree for my friend (mums already done our family)
I'm challenging myself to see how much I can find out without spending a penny! (Typical Scot here!!)
I'm hoping to prove that its easy to do quite alot without breaking the bank...and then treat myself to a day trip to the Mitchell when I'm done!

Anyway that was a quick background.

So I was looking into a William ALSTON b. St Andrews, Edinburgh 1867.
He is the oldest son of William ALSTON and Hannah LAWRIE.
His father died in 1873 and his mother remarried Robert LAURISTON in 1880.

I have him in 1871 living in St George with Mum, Dad and little brother Walter.
However in 1881 brother Walter is living in Dalmeny with Maternal Grandparents Alexander LAWRIE and Margaret BOYD but there is no sign of William. Mother is by now remarried and living in Govan with his little sister Margaret.

Of course I'd only been trying to find him in the LDS but no luck... (he does show back up in 1891 etc so i know he's alive in 1881)
I eventually found what I think is him on the "normal" 1881 census search as William P. ALSTON in St George age 13.
So then went back to the LDS thinking great I have all the info even if its been transcribed wrong I should be able to fiddle about with it and get him eventually.... Nope! ](*,)
Using the 1881 Street Index book I was able to figure out he's at the Donaldson's Hospital/School, and I noticed there was another thread on here which had the names of the Matron etc we even looked for her and she seems to be missing too...
Have had a wee confer with mum and she's looked and all she can think of is that the records were never transcribed on LDS?

Anyone know if this is the most plausible explanation or can give me anything else to try?
It's all a big learning experience for me so i'm quite happy to try anything...

KT

jgmills
Posts: 105
Joined: Sun Mar 04, 2007 11:40 pm
Location: Dumfries and Galloway

Re: Entire Donaldson's School Missing from 1881 LDS??

Post by jgmills » Sat Mar 28, 2020 11:12 pm

I seem to recall a friend not being able to find her Grandmother in the 1881 LDS census, but once the records came online properly in ScotlandsPeople, she suddenly appeared.

There may have been a number of records/enumeration books not originally microfilmed/transcribed by LDS for some reason or other.

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