LYON = LYONS illegitimate

[JeanM]

Hello Andrew

Many thanks for the looking at the records and it is a good idea to view the original where possible.

I have also considered a rummage in the records of Shoemakers and their apprentices - that could be worthwhile. I imagine there has been close connections and trading between Scotland and Denmark over a very long time.

Delighted to receive these prompts - it does help
Good wishes
Jean

[JeanM]

Hello again searchers

The as yet unresolved puzzles in this family remain a 'bee in my bonnet' therefore I have taken another look at the Census 1871 Meldrum and documents in Scotland's People.

On the 1871 census Alexander LYON is described as the STEPSON of
Margaret LYON, born at Tarves. he is 7years and born in England.

GRO Birth Index for England and Wales has
Alexander LYON registered 1864 March quarter
Blackburn, Lancashire (8e 358)

My atlas also shows the close proximity of Meldrum to Tarves.
This helps see a bigger picture while I wait for the official
documents to arrive.

thoughts and comments always welcome.

good wishes
Jean

[Montrose Budie]

Hi Jean

Agreed re Danish.


The Ancestry transcriber's 'Dumtsh is understandable given the obscuration produced by the pencil stroke.

'Dutch' ain't a possibility given the space between the 'D' and the end of the word.

'Deutsch', however, is a possibility, except that it's unlikely that someone would write 'Deutsch Subject' instead of 'German Subject'.

But then Germany absorbed the previous Danish province of the former Duchy of Schleswig (Danish: Slesvig) or Southern Jutland (Danish: Sønderjylland), this later being divided between Denmark and Germany since 1920.

Northern Schleswig, today part of the Danish Region Syddanmark, earlier South Jutland County, was ceded to Denmark after a referendum following Germany's defeat in World War I.

have also considered a rummage in the records of Shoemakers and their apprentices - that could be worthwhile. I imagine there has been close connections and trading between Scotland and Denmark over a very long time.

Could well be worthwhile, as could also be the Edinburgh City directories of the time, but these only show the names of those in business on their own, or employers, as opposed to employees/apprentices...

mb

[JeanM]

Hello mb

I have looked at the image of the census and feel confident that Danish is correct. I am indebted to you for the background information on the ebb and flow of Denmark's recent history.

The business directories plus the Scandinavian naming pattern will be a fresh challenge to conquer.

Many thanks for your help - details of the positive finds will
be posted.

good wishes
Jean

[AnneM]

Hi Jean

I have searched in vain for a Georgina anything which makes any sense born around the time you are looking at in Aberdeenshire. There is no Georgina Lyon that I can see.

I've noticed that Jeannie/Jennie has vanished off the census with Margaret and the weans by 1901. Is it possible that she has poshed up her given name and decided that Jeannie/Jennie is actually short for Georgina and not Jane. She would have to have shaved a few years off her age as well but I never yet came across an ancestor who was loath to do that when the occasion called for it...or even when it didn't!!

Mind you I have also searched vainly for the birth of the Maggie Lyon who appears in the 1891 census. I wonder if she is another granddaughter. Perhaps the daughter of William Stephen, Margaret's oldest child. Yup. That's who she is. She is there in the 1891 census as Maggie Stephen.

Anne

[JeanM]

Hello Anne,

That's a good thought and as you say, embellishing the facts is a well known ploy. Illegitimacy was scorned and where possible a well kept secret. In Edinburgh I did find a marriage of GeorgIANA LYONS but her father was not Alexander.

These girls are a puzzle and I am surprised, but shouldn't be, that so many of the given names and surnames are scrambled. The name patterns do appear to be significant.

I had wondered if 'adopted' Violet had been the unpaid servant in the household in Edinburgh. Then with 'a little accident' had returned to St Machar for the birth of Jeanie 9th June 1906.

Family legend said that Jeanie was 'alone' by age 15 and was in London, possibly Camden Town ca. 1924. Jeanie died in Harrow Middlesex 1973.

With this in mind I have checked again for deaths in the GRO Index England and Wales. This one is speculative: August Carl Christen or Christenson, shoemaker December quarter 1922 Fulham, Age 57. Informant is spouse, E. Christenson.

William STEPHEN is a key player - specially as he is the informant for death of Alexander. I am grateful for your additions - it does help.

good wishes
Jean

[AnneM]

Hi Jean

I take it you have seen the marriage in 1916 in Fulham of August Carl Christens and Emily Blackburn. I think this is likely to be your ACC, in which case he would be 51 when he married.

It may well be the same ACC as married Georgina Lyon on the basis that she has died. The certificate would be interesting to see.

How's this for a theory and it is only that I hasten to add.

The Georgina Lyon who married ACC was the same Jeannie/Jennie Lyon who was the mother of Violet, Ina and Isabella. She started her life as Jean Chesser and appears on the 1871 census as Jane Henderson, Mr Henderson being her father. She has tampered with her age.

The Jeanie who marries in 1928 is in fact the daughter of Violet, the same Jeanie born in Aberdeen in 1906 and who is brought up by her grandmother Jeanie/Jennie/Georgina Lyon who has by that time married ACC and is living in Edinburgh or England.

Whether or not Violet is actually the daughter of ACC who knows. Anyway when ACC dies (the elder Jeannie having predeceased) Jeanie finds herself on her own because Emily is not too keen on her/dies shortly afterwards/remarries or whatever. She would be 15 or 16 in 1922 when ACC dies so that makes sense. I have not a clue what happened to Violet.

Your only consolation is that if you can wait till 2012 or so the 1911 census should help matters along!!

Anne

PS I would say that the Frederick Gustave Christens born in Fulham in 1902 may well be connected to your lot. Wonder what happened to him.

BTW I would love to know who the informant on the death of Jeannie Chriestens aged 45 in Kensington in the September quarter of 1915 was! Jeannie is not a common name in Engerland.

In fact if I were you regardless of expense I would want to get my hands on both of these certificates, the first to see if he is from your lot, the second to look for clues to see if it is our Jeannie.

[JeanM]

Hi Anne,

Like you, my curiosity will not be satisfied until I can see the documents therefore it is time to order the certificates for key players. It's a justifiable expense and specially if more facts come to light.

I'm not not sure I could not hold out for the publication of the next 1911 Census. The electoral lists could help but imagine ACC would not qualify to vote in England. I had also spotted Jeannie in Kensington - so often these searches are a slow process of elimination to bring the story together.

Recently I have learned that Chris, grandson of Jeannie, has an inherited medical problem that affects the hands and finger joints. The syndrome has a name, which escapes me for the moment, but it is well known and researched in families with links to Scandinavia.

I'll keep digging and certainly forward details.

Once again, many thanks Anne

good wishes
Jean

[barryroots]

hello all

just a footnote to this old post on the Lyon/chesser couple. I came to a dead end on this twenty years ago and have recently picked up the old files again. With the internet I made some headway and found your old posts. I am related to the William Stephen b.1854/55 to Margaret Chesser and John Stephen. As you are aware John & Mgt never married although they had two children together. From what I can see, the family remained close despite all the 'out of wedlock' occurences. As someone noted, William registered the death of his stepfather Alex Lyon for example, and his daughter Maggie stayed with her Grandma and was recorded on the census. FYI William went on to have an illegitimate child himself not surprisingly, also William b 1879, but happily he went on and broke the family 'tradition' by marrying the mother Mary Bartlett the following year and they went on to have more children in Newhills near Aberdeen. William himself died in Woodside , aberdeen in 1913.

The next challenge is to follow the line of John Stephen who left the scene some time after Anne's birth in 1858, I would be grateful for any information from anyones searches which shed any light on him at all. John was a stone dyker and later a mason and may well have been instrumental in getting young William into the quarrying industry. I also have more background info on Margaret herself if anyone needs it, although I suspect you have aquired all you need since these old posts and your focus was on the Lyons I believe.

best regards

Barry Stephen

[SarahND]

Hello Barry and
I see that JeanM hasn't visited the forum since May 2008 If she hasn't changed her email address since then, she may get a notification of your post. You might also try sending her a pm by clicking on the pm box under one of her posts. I'm sure she'd be very pleased to hear of another researcher looking into this family!

All the best,
Sarah