Lost relative

Raylen · Post by **Raylen** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 1:14 pm

Hello to everyone.
I'm looking for some guidance to try and locate the death of a relative.

The story is this:
Marion McGilvray b 1865 Argyll (mothers maiden name McLean)
married Allan McDiarmid 1894 Glasgow.
She then married James Winter Mackay in 1905 Glasgow.
When I couldn't find her death I got a copy of her husband James
death certificate and found his marriages listed as:
Wife 1 Elspeth Thompson
Wife 2 M(illegible) looks like Morag McDairmid. The McDairmid has
been crossed out and the name Campbell inserted.
Wife 3 Jane Fyfe.
With all the variations of spelling the surnames I have had no luck finding ( and spent a fortune looking

) for Marions death certificate on Scotlands People. I found James marriage to Jane Fyfe and he lists himself as a widower. Am I too presume that Marion has remarried given that her name seems to be Campbell? If this is the case, why would James be a widower when he remarrried?
What names should I use in my search for Marion's death certificate please. Sorry this is a bit long but I'm desperate to find her!
Thanks in advance for any advice,
Raylen

JustJean · Post by **JustJean** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 3:19 pm

Hi Raylen

Here's a lesson in "less is always more"......with all the surname variations she could have been found under.....here tis...

1920 MACKAY MARION F 54 KILMORE AND KILBRIDE /ARGYLL 523/00 0006

Best wishes
Jean

Russell · Post by **Russell** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 9:06 pm

HJi Raylen

We too have McGilvray/McLean problems. As you so rightly say there are so many variations on the name it becomes very difficult.
We found our Archie McGilvray under McGilvra - note no 'Y' as he was born on the gaelic speaking island of Colonsay.
We also found two distinct lines of McLeans/McLaines living in the same part of Mull, around Torosay.
Wild cards are of only limited use for these searches and occupations don't help much either as they often multi-tasked and could be crofter/weaver/fisherman depending on which census you read.
Have you had a look under either name on our 'Search' facility. There have been several threads which included your family names.

Our Archie McGilvray complicated matters by marrying 4 times with first and last wives having the same name. And wife number four had been married previously to another Archie McGilvray

Hopefully Jean has set you off on a round of new searches.
Have you used the three day 'Freebie' in Ancestry.com. If not, look at the Ancestry Freebie thread here for a link.

Russell

Raylen · Post by **Raylen** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 11:33 pm

Hello from a VERY happy lady!

To Jean,
I can't thank you enough for that information
It is indeed my Marion!!!!!
Proving again that, family trees can be frustrating.
Even when you think you have the right details, you
can end up on a very confusing (and expensive)search.

To Russell,
I understand your complicated searches all too well.
It is my first time posting here so I will indeed have a good look around the site. I have used my 3 free days on Ancestry, but it would be nice to get another few days

Once again, thank you both and maybe you'll see me floating around the forums in the future.

Raylen

JustJean · Post by **JustJean** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 1:39 am

Hi Raylen

So happy you're happy

Don't think that it was all easy peasy for me to find her either

.......I just didn't go in to the long drawn out details of just how many combinations I tried

Come back anytime with another stumper!

Best wishes
Jean

Currie · Post by **Currie** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 1:09 pm

Hello Raylen, and anyone else who is listening.

That Ancestry freebie is still running. If there’s anyone else living in your house there’s absolutely no reason why they shouldn’t have their own email address and absolutely no reason why they shouldn’t register with Ancestry and get the free days. I think most Internet Service Providers let you have several email addresses. Just log into your ISP, set it up there and then set it up in your email program.

There is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t give that person a great deal of help in their research. In fact I don’t think Ancestry gives two hoots how many people and how many times people access the freebie. For a start they give you the password as soon as you register not via an email check. As far as I know there are no visible terms and conditions and nothing to agree to. The 3 day thing might be only so their servers don’t get overloaded. I would think that the more people who take advantage of it the happier they will be.

So anyway, after all that, if your family needs more free days why not give it a go. But before each subsequent person registers make sure you delete your cookies. Some people delete cookies automatically every time they close their browser, some others don’t accept them at all. Cookies belong to you, as does your computer, and that’s why a facility is provided to remove them, whether you have a reason to or not. If the other family members were set up as separate users on your computer you possibly would not even have to delete your own cookies.

Sorry to rattle on for so long, but I wouldn’t like to see anyone miss out. But, act quickly, Ancestry freebies seem to finish with absolutely no warning.

All the best,
Alan

winslowsmom · Post by **winslowsmom** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 2:35 am

Good Idea Alan,

Or open a Yahoo account, another Yahoo account, a G Mail account, etc . . .

Its also good to use for anything else you sign up for so that all
your junk mail goes there instead of to an address that friends and
family use.

Cathy H