Boyds of Strathmartine.....and Brisbane ?

[grannysrock]

Hello talkers

I'm trying to find the death registrations for John Boyd( c1815 - ) , Joiner and his wife Helen Adam ( c 1825 - ) , who married in 1852 . In 1881 were still in Strathmartine, where they had apparently lived all their lives but then disappeared , as did the children who were with them in 1881.

I think I am related to one or possibly both of them - but without the death reg's I can't prove my theory.

They had a son John McNeil Boyd b 1856 Strathmartine who was in Murroes in 1881 , in partnership with brother-in-Law George Watson , but he too is no longer there by 1891 , nor are the Watsons ..... Can't see any relevant BMD's in Strathmartine after 1881 . Had a look at some deaths in Dundee , but found nothing . Can't spot a matching reference in 1891 for John and Helen Boyd of the right-ish ages .

So where did they all go to ?

Any help or ideas would be much appreciated .

Sally

[WilmaM]

Did the son [John McNeil Boyd ] marry ? if he did between the censuses that could give a clue as to his parent's deaths.

Was the Bro. in law his wife's brother or his sister's husband .

Just a thought.

[grannysrock]

Thanks Wilma for the swift reply

If John did marry , he left his middle name at home , and he doesn't appear to have married in Murroes or Strathmartine.

Sorry I was a bit imprecise - tbe brother in -law was George Watson, born 1850 Alyth , married to Elizabeth Adam Boyd born 1859 Strathmartin.

It might be better if I stuck the 1881 details up:
No 12,Strathmartine, Forfar, Scotland
BOYD John M H 65 Joiner Strathmartine
BOYD Helen F W 55 Strathmartine
BOYD James M S 28 Railway Clerk Strathmartine
BOYD Helen F D 27 Domestic Servant Strathmartine
BOYD Agnes F D 18 Pupil Teacher Strathmartine
BOYD William M S 15 Joiners Apprentice Strathmartine
WATSON Mary F GD 2 Visitor Strathmartine
WATSON John M GS 1 Visitor Murroes


Besides these children and Elizabeth and John below, the IGI has a Mary born 12 FEB 1861.

Dwelling: Burnside Of Duntrune, Murroes, Forfar, Scotland
BOYD John McN U 25 M Boarder Joiner and Partner in Firm Strathmartine
WATSON Archibald N/A 6 M Son Scholar Dundee
WATSON Elizabeth M 21 F Wife Strathmartine
WATSON George N/A 4m M Son Murroes
WATSON George M 30 M Head Joiner Cartwright & Sawmiller Employing 1 boy Firm of Boyd and Watson Alyth


I cant find the Watsons either in 1891 .


Sally

[WilmaM]

Doing a 'google' came up with this :

http://members.aol.com/Genealogy%20Scot/Page39.html

it's the 1841 census for Strathmartine.
I know it's before the era under discussion, but could help at some stage.

[DavidWW]

.....much snipped.............
So where did they all go to ?

Any help or ideas would be much appreciated .

Sally

Sally

The Flying Saucer Theory triumphs again

The only thing that I can think of for the moment is to wait for the launch of the upgraded SP site, on which it should (there's been problems on the test site) be possible to do a cross check search in the female death index on the basis of BOYD/ADAM* - recommended as ADAM[S] is one of those awkward surnames where the trailing "s" can appear and disappear seemingly at random, - like the flying saucers, - and Soundex does not reliably pick up cognates with a trailing "s".

What niggles me is that not only is there no trace of the parents in 1891, - and I assume 1901, - but also no trace of the kiddiewinkies. Together with the apparent lack of Scottish death records that would tend to lead me to believe that the whole family had left Scotland after 1881.

It's one thing for there to be a single death record hiding behind a mis-recording or mis-transcription into the index, but two such records, plus the parents and kids not appearing in the 1891 census ???...............

Davie

[grannysrock]

Thanks Wilma and David

I am beginning to think they must have all emigrated . Had a look in 1901 Engerland but didnae see any obvious candidates. Even if they turned up abroad , I guess I won't find any nice Scottish style death certificates which tell me which one was related to me.
The story is that a John Boyd was the death informant for Nancy Adam(1830-1855), daughter of John Adam and Barbara Mudie, and sister of my ggg granny. She died at what had been the Adam's family home at Bridgefoot, Strathmartine and John described himself as "nearest relation residing in the House" .
Now from the 1881 census his wife Helen Adam was born 1825ish Strathmartine - it is very likely that she is the Helen born to John and Barbara in 1825 per the IGI. If so, why is husband John the nearest relative ?
Now again per the IGI, a John Boyd was born to a James Boyd and Elizabeth Adam in 1814, Strathmartine and if the IGI member submission is accurate , this birth took place at Bridge End - which was my John Adam's farm back then - and big John did have a sister Elizabeth
- so John Boyd might have been Nancy's cousin or brother-in-law or both. ... is anyone still conscious ....

A wee twist ( and the reason why I was so interested in the Boyd-Adam connection) is that my ggg granny Annie Adams' daughter Margaret Wanless , gave her mother's maiden name as BOYD on her marriage . Clearly Annie put her right soon after, as Maggie's first daughter ( my late great granny ) was Annie Adams McDougall - and yes Maggie's death cert says Adams not Boyd - the only example I have of a death reg being more reliable than a marriage I can imagine on her wedding day that a nervous young Maggie thought of the folks "back home" and came up with Boyd . The Wanlesses were in Edinburgh by then after a short tour of Berkshire, but anecdotal evidence suggested that they did visit the Dundee area - the story is that Maggie was supposed to catch a certain ill-fated train on the 28th December 1879 , but missed it. Whether this is true or not I don't think I'll ever know......


By the way Davie your right about the Adam(s) . All the John and Barbara records say Adam - almost all the kids that I have traced used Adams.

Wilma the 1841 is also on Freecen now , I have referred to Drew's site many times in the past - it has some great stuff for Fife too.

Ah what an exceedingly long and incoherent blether I have typed here.

Apologies

Sally

[DavidWW]

.....much snipped .................
Ah what an exceedingly long and incoherent blether I have typed here.

Apologies

Sally

Sally

Not at all!! Nae need for oany apologies .............

That's life in terms of (Scottish) genealogical research !!

Davie

[grannysrock]

I thought I should finish this thread - I think this one is finally solved now !
I found most of the family as assisted passengers to Queensland in 1884 and graveplots for most of them around Brisbane. There was also a John McNeil Boyd in Brisbane who lost a son James in WWI and there are 45 pages of this boy's army records on the Australian archives, the reading of which moved me to tears.

And I think I have proved that Helen Adam was my ancestor's sister (one of the 2 OPR marriage records mentions that her father was John - this coupled with the age and pob from census data , I think is sufficient ) .
Also when another brother, Peter Adam, died in 1863 in Dundee, the informant was James Boyd, cousin - so his mother Elizabeth Adam was indeed my John Adam's sister.

So still no proven abductions - but it's nice to tie up some loose ends for once...

Sally

[Russell]

Well done Sally

It has been a long chase but proves that patience and perseverance can get you there eventually.

And with a positive conclusion too.

This may show some of the newer searchers that it is worth plugging away and following all sorts of unlikely threads to pull the information out.

Russell

[trish1]

Hello Sally

Apologies that it took me so long to pick up on your thread. As you know from pm I am checking the bdms for your Boyds. I also went looking for the immigration & like some of my folks thought it very possible that younger family members may have come first & then suggested others (incl parents) should come as well. Thought I should add to the thread some of the extra immigration records I think are probably yours. I hope to check the details at the archives in the not too distant future

In 1883 I found these Watsons
WATSON Archibald 8 Otago 5 Apr 1883
WATSON Eliza 33 Otago 5 Apr 1883 (Age should be 23, probably a transcription error)
WATSON Geo 31 Otago 5 Apr 1883
WATSON Geo 2 Otago 5 Apr 1883

These two were not on your census record. It seems George was previously married so perhaps they were with grandparents in 1881.

WATSON John 3 Otago 5 Apr 1883 IMM/117 626 M1699
WATSON Mary 4 Otago 5 Apr 1883 IMM/117 626 M1699

http://www.archives.qld.gov.au/download ... ImmiW5.pdf

In 1884 the parents seem to have arrived - presumably the ones you found
BOYD Agnes 20 Roma 21 Jul 1884
BOYD Helen 30 Roma 21 Jul 1884
BOYD Helen 58 Roma 21 Jul 1884
BOYD John 68 Roma 21 Jul 1884
BOYD William 18 Roma 21 Jul 1884

http://www.archives.qld.gov.au/research ... 4_1912.asp

The others are probably hidden in the lists somewhere

Trish