Why Register a Birth?

[malki]

Hi all

I'm sure this question has been asked a thousand times but........... what incentive for, or possible action against, our forebears in the 1840's was there to make them officially register a birth or a death. I am trying ( so far in vain ) to find a birth record for any of the 4 children of William & Susan(a) Simpson who appear on the 1851 Census at 81 Green Street, Calton, Glasgow. According to the Census ( 622/00 190/00 007 ) Rosana 10, Mary 6, James 7 and Susan 2months were all born in Glasgow but can I find a record???????????? I am hoping that Mary is my GGmother.

malki

[WilmaM]

Statutory registration wasn't brought into being in Scotland until 1855.

Any births before that would be from Church records, when children were christened.
Many reasons why you can't find any trace of births:
non-church going family
attended a church which didn't christen infants
church records not kept
church records destroyed/lost/damaged

I'm sure there are other reasons too..

In fact it's a wonder pre 1855 events are recorded at all!

[Russell]

One of the reasons it benefitted a family to register a birth pre-1855 was that it provided irrefutable evidence that the person was born in a particular parish and therefore became eligible for parish benefits and hand-outs if they were ever required. It also kept the parents in the minister's good books

Russell

[LesleyB]

Hi malki

My guess, maybe wrong though, based solely on the name "Rosana" is that your family may have been from Ireland, so the births may have occurred there (maybe for some reason they have said Glasgow as the place of birth, or the enumerator has noted it wrongly...mistakes like these did happen) and even if Glasgow is correct as the place of birth, could they have been RC? Or another church, not CoS? The OPRs are CoS records, and although there are some Catholic records on SP, the coverage of these records is patchy - there are lots of areas and RC churches not in the collection.

Where did William & Susan(a) Simpson say that they themselves were born? Where did they marry? What is Susan(a)'s surname? When/if any of their children married in Scotland post 1855, what church is named on the marriage entry?

Best wishes
Lesley

[malki]

Thank you all for the information - although it gets me no nearer the answer at least I now know what I'm up against. Funnilly enough, the Census return gives William & Susana's birthplace as Ireland, so too their first two children, William & Sarah, so it would presumably rule out an emumeration error. I believe that Susana's maiden name was Kennedy. Out of interest I also believe I have Rosana's marriage in 1866 - and the service was conducted according to the forms of The Independant Church. Does that signify anything - I don't think I have come across them before?

malki

[LesleyB]

...and the service was conducted according to the forms of The Independant Church.

Well that would certainly explain why, even if they were born in Glasgow, the births are not on SP in the OPRs!

If you ever find yourslef near the Mitchell Library in Glasgow, a search of the Poor Law applications may be well worth trying - many Irish families applied for poor relief (my own included) and these records, if they exist for your family, may help fill in some of the information. They can be a very rich source of family information.

Best wishes
Lesley

p.s I wonder if this is the church?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/SCOTLAND-Indepe ... B0030MXNMW

John Thomas Emmett
(1828-98)
A London architect, best known for his Gothic churches there and in Glasgow.
He designed the New Independent Church, Bath Street (1849-52, later St. Mathew Blythswood, now Renfield St. Stephen), which was rebuilt in 2001, after its tall spire collapsed onto the church during the great Boxing Day storm of 1998; and also designed the spireless Sandyford Henderson Memorial Church, 13 Kelvinhaugh Street (1854-6), which was completed by John Honeyman from Emmett's plans.

http://www.glasgowsculpture.com/pg_biog ... =emmett_jt

[nelmit]

Hi all

snipped..............I am hoping that Mary is my GGmother.

malki

Hi Malki,

I'm puzzled as to why you aren't sure that Mary is yours. Do you have Mary's marriage/death records and do they show her mother as Susan* Kennedy?

Lesley's spot on with looking for a poorhouse application. Susan K Simpson is an inmate at The City Parish Poorhouse in 1881. A Susan Kennedy/Simpson's death is indexed at SP in 1887.

Regards,
Annette

[malki]

Hi Annette

Ahhh yes ................I have Mary's marriage in 1866 to William Biggart but on the certificate her parents are listed as John Simpson and Susan Kinnon. It is only recently that I have discovered ( via a Poor Relief Application in 1913 ) that her parents were, in fact, William Simpson & Susan Kennedy. I have already traced Susan's time in the Poor House and her death there and also Rosana's marriage but, as I said, no record seems to exist for Susan's children's births.

My problem in totally convincing myself that this is MY family is that James Simpson appears on the 1871 Census with his sister Mary & her husband at age 20 ( give or take a year or two!!!!!! ) whereas he is on the 1851 Census age 7. Now I know that I shouldn't read too much into transcription and enumeration detail but a birth certificate here or there would be nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

malki

[LesleyB]

Hi Malki

Have you checked for a Poor Relief applicaiton for William Simpson and/or Susan Kennedy?

................I have Mary's marriage in 1866 to William Biggart but on the certificate her parents are listed as John Simpson and Susan Kinnon

Are either of them deceased at that time?

but a birth certificate here or there would be nice

For the years you mention there will be no birth certificate...the best you might hope for in a mention of a christening in a church register.

My problem in totally convincing myself that this is MY family is that James Simpson appears on the 1871 Census with his sister Mary & her husband at age 20 ( give or take a year or two!!!!!! ) whereas he is on the 1851 Census age 7.

What is the position with the 1861 census?

Best wishes
Lesley

[malki]

Hi Lesley

On Mary Simpson's Marriage Certificate in 1866 her father ( noted as John! ) is deceased but her mother, Susan, is alive. The thought of checking for a Poor Relief application by William & Susana Simpson hadn't crossed my mind until now - thanks for the prompt. I'm still hoping to find some other way to tie in the family to my tree. As yet I have not found them on the 1861Census but I have found a James Simpson on the 1881 return - aged 30 - which is what I hoped he would be - in Barnhill Poorhouse. At the same time Susan K Simpson is in the City Poorhouse - but is there a connection?

malki