Isabella Jane Wood b c 1849

Mo-anne · Post by **Mo-anne** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 3:13 pm

I'm looking for Isabella Jane Wood - she appers in the 1851 census as the two year old daughter of Richard Wood and Catherine Johnstone Sleight - (Stewarton in Ayrshire). Place of birth in census is Fife - Monimale. Her parents marriage was registered there in 1848 so this makes sense but I can't find a record of her birth in the OPRs. I've tried under mother's maiden name plus variants but in vain. Any ideas,please?

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 5:08 pm

hi Mo-anne
The marriage appears to be in the OPR, so that suggests that they may be established church:

RICHARD WOOD
Male
Marriages:
Spouse: CATHERINE JOHNSTON
Marriage: 23 SEP 1848 Monimail, Fife, Scotland

Where has the Sleight name come from? Is it a previous married name?

GROS says these are the extant OPRs for Monimail:
448. MONIMAIL
448/1 B 1656-1725 M 1656-1725 D 1677-1720
448/2 B 1725-1819 M 1725-1819 D 1738-1819
448/3 B 1820-54 M 1820-54 D 1820-54

so if she was born there, she should be there. But as you are probably aware, not all OPRs are complete... maybe a look at some microfilms for the area would give an idea how carefully they were kept.
Best wishes
Lesley

Post by **SarahND** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 5:14 pm

Hi Mo-anne,
A wild theory... Could this be her birth? Perhaps the daughter of Cathrine's brother and then something happened to the parents? I don't find this family in 1851, so maybe it's not so far out...

IGI
Isabell Johnston
Birth: 02 May 1848 Monimail, Fife
Father: Peter Johnston
Mother: Christian Robertson

Regards,
Sarah

Later: Hmmm. I take it back. I finally found Peter and Christina in 1851. They have with them only two of the children that the IGI credits them with: Peter age 5 and Robert age 1 Mo. The IGI has them continuing to have 2 more after 1851. So, either Isabella died or for some reason she was given to relatives to bring up and my first theory stands... Peter was born in Letham, Forfarshire and is a Hand Loom Weaver (linen)

nelmit · Post by **nelmit** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 10:47 pm

Here is another child to the couple showing Catherine's surname as Sleight. Now ...........I found more when I was looking last night now where did I find them?

I'm away to look.

SARAH JOHNSTONE WOOD
Female

Event(s):
Birth:
Christening: 04 SEP 1853 Dunlop, Ayr, Scotland

Parents:
Father: RICHARD WOOD
Mother: CATHERINE JOHNSTONE SLEIGHT

Regards,
Annette M

Post by **AndrewP** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 10:59 pm

Hi Mo-anne,

The online IGI shows the following children to Richard Wood and Catherine Johnston(e) Sleigh(t).

SARAH JOHNSTONE WOOD - Christening: 04 SEP 1853 Dunlop, Ayrshire
CATHERINE WOOD - Birth: 23 JAN 1860 Kirknewton And East Calder, Midlothian
RICHARD WOOD - Birth: 18 SEP 1861 Kirknewton And East Calder, Midlothian
MARY WOOD - Birth: 18 JAN 1863 Kirknewton And East Calder, Midlothian
THOMAS WOOD - Birth: 25 JUL 1864 Kirknewton And East Calder, Midlothian

The 1861 census also shows Isabella J Wood, age 12 (born Monimail, Fife).

In the 1871 census there is no sign of Isabella, Richard (junior) or Mary with the family. I am assuming Isabella had left home. Had the youngsters died young?

All the best,

AndrewP

nelmit · Post by **nelmit** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 11:14 pm

Thanks Andrew - I knew I had found more following on from Mo'anne's other post.

I find it difficult to know when to stop posting info I find as I'm always worried it might spoil the fun.

Anyway in case you don't have this Mo-anne, Isabella wasn't married by 1881 but she did have a daughter-

Dwelling: MonktonHall
Census Place: Inveresk, Edinburgh, Scotland
Source: FHL Film 0224013 GRO Ref Volume 689 EnumDist 13 Page 39
Marr Age Sex Birthplace
Richard WOOD M 53 M Inveresk P
Rel: Head
Occ: Gen Lab
Catherine WOOD M 56 F Hutton, Berwick, Scotland
Rel: Wife
Occ: Labourers Wife
Isabella WOOD U 30 F Monimal, Fife, Scotland
Rel: Daur
Occ: Farm Worker
Catherine WOOD U 21 F Kirknewton, Edinburgh, Scotland
Rel: Daur
Occ: Farm Worker
Isabella WOOD 6 F Duddingston, Edinburgh, Scotland
Rel: Grand Dr

regards,
Annette m

Mo-anne · Post by **Mo-anne** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 6:58 am

Thanks a million for all this.
The "wild idea"might not be so wild as Johnston clearly has some significance as Catherine Johnston Wood named a daughter Sarah Johnston Wood (she's my g grandmother) and she was my starting point in this)
Is it possible that the 1851 enumerator actually wrote Johnston and not Jane on the original form - if the space was cramped and the -ston unclear, it could have been mis-transcribed as Jane ??
I knew Sarah was married in Inveresk in 1873 but didn't know other family members were there.
I'm new to this so please forgive my ignorance - what is IGI ?
Also, is it the norm merely to thank people on this site or to also post any subsequent discoveries?
And thanks also for all the informative links and info that you have on TalkingScot.

Regards Mo-anne

Post by **AndrewP** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 10:09 am

Mo-anne wrote:I'm new to this so please forgive my ignorance - what is IGI ?

Hi Mo-anne,

The IGI is the International Genealogical Index.

See http://talkingscot.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3433 for some more information.

All the best,

AndrewP

Post by **emanday** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 10:27 am

Hi Mo-anne,

Also, is it the norm merely to thank people on this site or to also post any subsequent discoveries?

We all love to hear about each other's successful resolution to "mysteries" and how we achieved them. Sometimes a method used gives the rest of us another idea to solve some of our own

It might not seen likely to you now, but in a very short time you will find that you are also helping others!

Mo-anne · Post by **Mo-anne** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 10:20 am

Thanks again: to date, I've drawn a blank not only on Isabella's birth/christening but also that of the Catherine and Richard (the parents) so i suspect that Sarah and subsequent children were baptised in C of S but Isabella and parents elsewhere - by the time of Sarah's birth in 1853, Richard was in service and living at addresses which sound like emplyer's accomodation so perhaps they baptised the subsequent children in C of S as it was an expectation of the job

Shall continue hunting however...