Death Informed by Neighbour.....

carmentea32 · Post by **carmentea32** » Fri Jul 14, 2006 10:12 pm

Margaret Martin nee Rodger's death was informed by a neighbour. She had probably lived in that area for between 5 and 10 years.
How reliable would you consider the information on the death certificate as regards her parents?

Post by **Liz Turner** » Fri Jul 14, 2006 10:30 pm

It's really hard to know. If it was in a large town or city, they might not have known each other that well. On the other hand if they worked together and lived in the same street, they might have known each other quite well. I suspect in small towns and villages the information could be reasonably accurate.

I'd tend to take it at face value, but always bear in mind that it could be wrong. It's not unheard of for family members to get parents names wrong, or dates/locations.

Sorry this isn't much help.

Liz

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Fri Jul 14, 2006 10:35 pm

Hi carmentea
That's kind of a difficult one - because we don't know stuff like:
- how long they had been neighbours
- how well the neighbour knew her and her family
- whether it is a rural area or inner city (I would tend to think that in many rural areas where the population was agriculturally based, you have more chance of folk knowing who was who, mostly)
- but the above assumption also kinda depends which year it was!
- and lots of other things besides!

Its possile the neighbour might have known what they were talking about. I've seen relatives, who you might presume to be more knowledgeable, make a right hash of it!!

I think you maybe have to try to find some other source to cross check (a death or marriage of a brother or sister of Mgt. Rodger for example, ...preferably more than one!!) and make your own mind up from what you know.

Crikes - that was almost the same post Liz!!

Best wishes
Lesley

Post by **Liz Turner** » Fri Jul 14, 2006 10:46 pm

Lesley

Is it great minds ... or fools

Liz

carmentea32 · Post by **carmentea32** » Fri Jul 14, 2006 10:47 pm

thanks! You can help me regarding what sort of place she lived in ..
she died in Barrhead in 1876 aged 75.

The REAL reason behind the question is that I have been unable to find her birth (nor siblings) using the mother's name on the death cert, ie. Margaret Taylor. I have found the birth of a Margaret Rodger in 1801 in Neilston, father John Rodger, mother Margaret Russell. That lead me to think that maybe the surname Taylor is wrong ....

Post by **Liz Turner** » Fri Jul 14, 2006 10:50 pm

Carmentea

Well Barrhead is now a fair size town in Renfrewshire.

try this site http://www.barrhead-scotland.com/Cultur ... _assoc.asp

or this one

http://www.barrhead-scotland.com/pages/main.asp

Liz

carmentea32 · Post by **carmentea32** » Fri Jul 14, 2006 11:18 pm

Thanks Liz for the links.

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Fri Jul 14, 2006 11:27 pm

Hi Carmentea
there is also this site which has a little of the history of Barrhead. Pity their menu images are missing, but apart from that is seems to work OK!
http://www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/barr ... istory.htm

and this one:
http://www.barrhead-scotland.com/Cultur ... /index.asp
Best wishes
Lesley

carmentea32 · Post by **carmentea32** » Fri Jul 14, 2006 11:36 pm

ooh I'm going to have fun here! thanks!

tishgibbons · Post by **tishgibbons** » Sat Jul 15, 2006 10:07 pm

Hi Carmentea and other listers,

I have a similar situation - when George Leys died at 21 Braemar Place Aberdeen the informant was one Johanna Birss? of 115 Braemar Place - "intimate personal friend"! - George's wife was still alive at the time so I'm wondering did "intimate" just mean she knew him well enough to give correct information (which she did) and even if a neighbour was present, surely the widow would have given the information?! - Or was this marriage breakdown St. Machar style??

Tish