Help Deciphering McMurrays

[Southpaw]

A little while ago I uploaded an image which Andrew has kindly opened in the Gallery. However, since the accompanying message hasn't shown up I must have forgotten to hit "submit" before I logged off. . Let me try again.

I am interested in the name on the first line of this image: Alex _______?, son, U, age 3. The rest of the household is on the previous page and consists of: John McMurray, head, widow, age 70, and Elizabeth McMurray, Daughter, U, age 24.

Young Alex is indexed in the 1851 census as Alex McMurray but this obiously isn't the name on the image. And whose "son" is he? Presumably the 24-year-old Elizabeth and not the 70-year-old John (my ggg grandfather).

Since Andrew has already approved and uploaded the image, I assume it is OK for me to provide it here:

http://talkingscot.com/gallery/displayi ... ?pos=-1046

[Jack]

Hi Southpaw,
The index i've looked at has wee Alexander as SLACH.
And i suppose it does look like that !
Maybe it was Elizabeth who filled in the census details, and that's why he's as a son.
Jack

[SarahND]

Well... this person seems to not only vary the way he does capital letters, but to make many of them look just the same. The initial letter looks like the S in "Scholar" down the page (but not like the one in "Son") and also looks like the I in "Ireland" as well as the L in "Levan" (if that is, indeed, the surname of the person just below). So... either it's Welsh and is Llach, or it's Ilach (7 OPR birth records for this name!). There are no Slach people on SP, so I suppose that's out!
Ah well, I tried!
Sarah

[Jack]

Hi folks,
Red herring time!
There is a 40 yr old Elijah SLACK, just along the road in Orchard Street.
(well that's what my index says for his surname!)
-
Sarah, the enumerator does seem to have a variety of esses up his sleeve.
The index i have has the name below Alex as Margaret SWAN, and next below as Janet SWAN....
But Janet's daur Mary's "S" is different...!
Jack

[Southpaw]

Thanks Jack and Sarah. Jack, in what index did you find Slach? The free surname search on SP doesn't turn up any Slachs at all in any category.

Southpaw

[SarahND]

Hi Jack!
He's Elijah Slark in the ancestry index and, you'll never guess his profession! Marenfasuver Of British Guen & Printus Liguors But I can't even find the McMurrays on ancestry

Regards,
Sarah

Ah, finally found them. Alex is indexed as surname Slach

[Jack]

Hi Southpaw,
Wee Alex's name as SLACH is from the 1851 Renfrewshire census CD issued by the GWSFHS.
And i can't see it as that on SP either....
Goodness knows what they've got him indexed as!
Jack
-
ps >Marenfasuver Of British Guen & Printus Liguors
Sarah, Ancestry does it again....
I really can't believe than anyone with even a basic knowledge of English ever checked the transcriptions.
Their Quality Control is woeful,
but that may be high praise in comparison to what some folk would say!
--

[SarahND]

What, Jack? Are you going to admit you don't know any Marenfasuvers?

[Jack]

Well Sarah,
if it's Manufacturer...
then they are hard to come by in Scotland nowadays!
Jack

[SarahND]

You'd think if they were manufacturing British Guen & Printus Liguors they would necessarily need to do it in Britain, at least? But I forget, this was in 1851 Sometimes I forget which century I'm in