Can't find gt grandmother's birth around 1873 - McPhail

[sheilago]

I have reached a bit of a dead end. My gt grandmother ( Mary McPhail) was married in 1896 at age 23 and gives her parents as Annie McMillan and John McPhail. This agrees with her death cert. which gives her age as 37 in 1911( and with 1901 census). However I can't find any record of a Mary McPhail born to John and Annie and I can't find Mary or Annie in 1881 census. I know that John and Annie were married in Glasgow in 1862, but John died in Dec 1871 - apparently too soon to be Mary's father. Could Mary have been born illegitimately after her mother's husband died? Or could she have been taken in by Annie - perhaps unofficially adopted? Could Mary then just have given her father's name as John McPhail when she married - were checks done in 1896 as they are now?

[killearnan]

Any of those is a possibility -- although the informal adoption in my family tree has both the original family name and the adoptive family name in later records. But my great-grandfather was adopted at 6 or 7 y.o. so that might make a difference.

I'd also guess that McPhail is a name subject to lots of spelling variations. SOUNDEX is your friend.

BJ

[joette]

Or wildcards!

[Rockford]

Hi there,

My great, great grandmother was called Helen McPhail - I found her birth in St Ninian's, Stirling as Helen FELL, and her marriage in Polmont as Helen McFELL, so wildcards, e.g. searching for Mary M*c*l, might be the answer.

However, ScotlandsPeople lists 18 Mary McPhails born in Glasgow between 1870 and 1880, are these the ones you have discounted because the parents don't match? I haven't looked at any of them.

John could have been her father, as there's always a chance that her age was wrong at marriage and she might have calculated her age from that certificate.

In my tree I have a child born 7 months after the death of the father, which if John died in December 1871, could mean that Mary could have been born in summer 1872. Depending on when she married in 1896, she could have been 23 years old and still have been John's child.

Best wishes

Brian

[edited as I had suggested a wildcard search on SP using 'wildcarded' parents names - forgot you could only do this in the old parish records]

[nelmit]

Maybe her mother married again.

How about this likely looking pair in 1881 -

Dwelling: 27 Alma St
Census Place: Govan, Lanark, Scotland
Source: FHL Film 0203685 GRO Ref Volume 646-1 EnumDist 18 Page 32
Marr Age Sex Birthplace
Ann TRUINE M 40 F Islay, Argyll, Scotland
Rel: Head
Occ: Washer Woman
Mary MC PHAIL 7 F Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland
Rel: Daur


Regards,
Annette M

Later..................Actually Mary is probably too young but I thought I'd leave it anyway.

[AnneM]

Hi

Where does the 1901 census say she was born and whom did she marry?

Anne

[SarahND]

Ann TRUINE M 40 F Islay, Argyll, Scotland
Rel: Head
Occ: Washer Woman

Ancestry has Ann's last name as Irvine. I wonder which it is?

Regards,
Sarah

[nelmit]

Ann TRUINE M 40 F Islay, Argyll, Scotland
Rel: Head
Occ: Washer Woman

Ancestry has Ann's last name as Irvine. I wonder which it is?

Regards,
Sarah

An Annie McMillan married a Mr Irvine in 1878.

Definitely worth a check.

Regards,
Annette M

[sheilago]

Thanks everyone for your tips - I will look into them all, when I get the time .Most impressed with all the speedy replies! 1901 census says Mary was born in Lanarkshire Glasgow. She married Samuel McCready. I know her mother Annie remarried in 1889 to a Robert Middleton. He had died by 1901 and Annie was living near Mary.

[SarahND]

Oh Just realized...
Welcome to Talking Scot sheilago!

Don't know how we all missed that

Hope you'll stick around and continue to intrigue us with your family puzzles!

All the best,
Sarah