Missing (?) death - can anyone suggest anything?.....

[LesleyB]

Catherine Ballingall (possible spelling variations Balingall, Ballingal)
born 10 December 1803,Monimail, Fife.
She married David Goalen 4 August 1832 North Leith. They had one son, David George Goalen born 25 December 1833, North Leith.

Husband David Goalen R.N ( Master R.N. with ship Clio) died 20 December 1855.

Son David George Goalen died 8 January 1860 in St Cuthbert's Poor House aged 28, and his parents are stated as "unknown" on his death entry.

Document at NAS: Catherine Balingall or Goalen, inmate of Lunatic Asylum at Newbigging, Musselburgh dated March 1875 states "December last, the date of the ward's death" = December 1874?

There is an asylum on the 1851 census - Inveresk Private Lunatic Asylum, but no sign of Catherine. Does not help that most of the inmates are mentioned only by initials.

1861 Inveresk White House Asylum, patient CG a widow aged 62 looks likely, but not conclusive. Can't read occupation - looks like Funelholes? Place of birth looks like India, Dinapore - so, nowhere near Monimail! (did they ask the inmates where they were born or get this from some other source??) Not even sure if this is the correct establishment.

But can I find the death of Catherine (Ballingall) Goalen around December 1874? Can I wotsit....??

Tried spelling variations. Tried search with one L in middle for death = zero results & tried other sp. of Catherine- Katherine.

1871 census - not turning up on name search for Goalen, not even with soundex or C/Katherine Goalen, Midlothian, aged 65-75. Or C/Katherine Ballingall. But she must still be around somewhere??
(Ok, probably a Lunatic Asylum, probably Newbigging)

Any suggestions for retaining my sanity welcome...

[sporran]

Hello Lesley,


it is best to use a wildcard search with this sort of name. To start with, I looked for all deaths of B*L*N*L for all of Scotland, born 1803. This brought 5 results and your lady did indeed die in December 1874, but not in Midlothian. Had this not been successful, the year of birth can be moved by 3 years (i.e. 1806 or 1800), since the default is to look at ±1 year of the nominated year.


Regards,

John

[DavidWW]

Always an idea to look in the area where the person came from. Cupar parish adjoins Monimail parish.

A similar wildcard search on B*L*N*L age range 65 to 69 in the 1871 census will also give you a possible result in Largo, but possible only....... the entry in question is sandwiched between two BALLINGALL families ... and appears to be the sisters Janet and Catherine CRAIGIE, probably misindexed as BALLINGALL .....

Possibly just coincidence, as both shown as unmarried and born in Largo........

........And it is coincidence, as shown by the deaths over the next few years of the spinsters Catherine and Janet CRAIGIE in Largo, so back to where we started in terms of the 1871 census.

Davie

[LesleyB]

Hi Davie and sporran

Thanks for that and well done! That one has been a puzzle for a while. Back to Scotlands People to have a look...

I now suspect that the 1871 census problem may be caused by initials being used again perhaps, if she was still in an asylum?

Best wishes
Lesley

[DavidWW]

Hi Davie and sporran

Thanks for that and well done! That one has been a puzzle for a while. Back to Scotlands People to have a look...

I now suspect that the 1871 census problem may be caused by initials being used again perhaps, if she was still in an asylum?

Best wishes
Lesley

Even if it was a question of initials only you can still search on the basis of the wildcard combination that Sporran used for the surname, but just use the initial "C" or "K" and an appropriate age range. I haven't tried it so don't know if there will a result........

Davie

[LesleyB]

Many thanks for your help Davie and John. I've downloaded the death entry now - brilliant! Goes to prove yet again the myth that its a doddle if you are researching an unusual name!! If I had a pound for every spelling variation I've seen on "Goalen" I'd be able to buy...well, it might just about stretch to a posh bottle of gin.

I'm sure Catherine will turn up eventually in the 1871. I suspect she may be in the Asylum at Newbigging, initials only, and if I get a chance I'll look at the films if I have no luck with the wildcards. She certainly wasn't in Cupar for the 1871 census but her sister was at the same address at which Catherine later died:

1871 Cupar census En. dist 1 p.7
No 41, 60 Bonnygate (above Toymaster today)
Janet M Steele H W 56 Rope Merchant born Falkland
Mary J Steele Dau, Un, 22 born Cupar
George M Steele Son Un 15 scholar born Cupar
**Janet Ballingall Boarder Un 75 born Kingsketlle.
(6 rooms with one or more windows.)
I passed the building today - I've known it all my life and had NO idea it had any family connections until recently, but thats one of the fascinations of rummaging about in the past.

I still think Catherine and her husband David Goalen were possibly cousins (no concrete proof on that one yet, just a few coincidences with places and unusual surnames) and they may even have been cousins twice over... I'm not sure if I'll ever get to the the bottom of that one though!

Again, many thanks for your help.
Best wishes
Lesley

[LesleyB]

Whoops, not quite correct: both sisters died at 78 Bonnygate, not 60 Bonnygate which is the address mentioned in the 1871.

Lesley