Thomson/Laing/Vine/Callander(Callender))Callandar)

[Lost Emu]

Hi lost Emu

am in Australia and have no access to the 1861 Scottish Census records

You can access all the Scottish census records online and download the original pages at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk (a pay per view site) and also transcriptions of the Scottish census at Ancestry.

In addition, you can order any census microfilms from any LDS family history centre for a small fee, but you do need to have a good idea what district of Scotland you are looking in, in order not to spend the rest of your life scrolling through film!

Best wishes
Lesley

Thanks Lesley,

I have been down that track, but I have nothing concrete, and am unable to use those facilities until I have some definite information. Have been able to ascertain the LAING and VINE family okay from what FREE sources there is available, such as LDS site.

But, the THOMSON and CALLANDER family---now that is another story.

Can you help anymore?

[Lost Emu]

Hi Lost Emu

Welcome to Talking Scot

Thank goodness for the internet! Those of us not living near Scotland still have easy access to the records, irregardless of where we live. Click on the link at the top of this page for Scotlands People…it is a pay to view site, but well worth it

I had a quick look at the 1861 census on Ancestry and there are a few Williams born in Ireland, but I don't think any of them are your William. If you don't already have Jessie on 1861, you will find her living with her parents, William and Ann Laing along with their young eight-year old son at 87 Stirling Street, Glasgow.

Regards,
Anne H

Thanks Anne, but I am unable to use Scotlands People until I have some definite information on the THOMSON's family.

What has really confused me, is that, I found a LDS site listing of James & Esther (CALENDAR) THOMSON, and siblings: Margaret 1833 & Thomas O'Neill 1823, both baptised at Rosemary St Church, Belfast, Antrim.

Now I have no idea if this is William's parents, but they could be(??).

My Australian family birth certificate of William's first child born in Australia birthplace is recorded as Belfast, Ireland.

All other Australian records has William's birthplace listed as Glasgow, Scotland. Typical siblings recollection of family history, like my family today. In one ear and out the other.

Somewhere in my travels I accessed a site and was able to extract Scottish Census information for a William, Margaret, and Thomas THOMSON.

I use Lanarkshire as the possibly county of residence at the time, born in Ireland, and I found:

1841 Census:
Thomas THOMSON, cc 1821 & 1828.
Margaret THOMSON, cc 1833.
William THOMSON, cc 1833.

1851 Census:
Thomas THOMSON 1822 & 1827
Margaret THOMSON, cc 1831 (1833 & 1834 at Midlothian).
William THOMSON, cc 1833 (1833 at Midlothian)

Now that is all I have. And I have no idea where to go from here, as without certain information I am unable to use those pay sites. So I was hoping for a leg in somewhere.

Anyway, sorry if I have rambled above, and thanks for your interest and help, and any other further help if possible.

Regards
George

[Lost Emu]

Hi George (good to know the lost emu has a name, so he might one day be "found" )

Sorry, the only James Thomson I can find who is married to Esther is a Cotton Spinner in Busby, Renfrewshire. He was born in Ireland abt 1817, which puts him a tad young to be William's father anyway.

There is a William Thomson age 8 in 1841 who is living in Stevenston, Ayrshire. He was born in Ayrshire, but both his parents were born in Ireland. His mother is Esther, but his father is unfortunately Francis, and a labourer not a flesher

There is a confusing Este Thompson age 57 in 1861, born in Ireland, who has a daughter Mary Gunn and a son Edward Higgins, as well as two grandchildren with the surname Forsyth...

Sorry, not much help here. If William came over from Ireland, it is possible that his parents remained there-- in which case it may be very difficult to track them down.. Maybe someone else will find something I have missed. I have to admit I have not trawled through all the English censuses, since you can't search by occupation and Thomson is such a common name.

All the best,
Sarah

Hi Sarah,

Thanks for that.

I am now wondering if James and Esther being born in Ireland would have been married in Ireland.

Then another thing struck me that I began to wonder if James was in the Army and was stationed at Belfast, and they had three children there, Thomas O'Neill, Margaret, and William.

I found Thomas and Margaret on the LDS site, parents James & Esther (CALENDAR) THOMSON, but no William, baptised at Belfast, Ireland.

And his unit could have returned soon after William's birth, he discharged, and became a "flesher".

William served during the Crimean War, and he could have been a soldier at the age of 18 (1851), just prior to the start of the Crimean War, and served there. I found a serverly wounded William THOMSON at second battle of Inkerman 1854. So he may have been discharged when he returned home, and became a "flesher" as well.

James may have died between 1854 to 1863 in Scotland.

Now, I am rambling, so I will stop now.