Why no birth record?

[G.Love]

I cannot find a birth record for my great-grandmother, although she appears in all her other records - marriage, censuses, births of her children and her death cert.
But no birth.
In case anyone can help her name was Isabella Tucker, born Port Glasgow, Renfrewshire. Father John Tucker. At the time of her marriage to Patrick McColl in 1868 she is 20. Could it be that it is just some error that she is missing from the birth records prior to 1855?

[WilmaM]

Several reasons why she isn't appearing:

Her birth was never recorded anywhere.

It was recorded outwith the Established Church of Scotland

The records didn't survive

She wasn't actually born in Scotland - perhaps the family moved to Scotland when she was a baby.

or she's been mis-indexed somewhere along the lines.

[emanday]

I'm afraid WilmaM is probably right.

With one of my families all but the first child were diligently registered. He was the only one born pre-1855 and, according to the age given on both his MC and DC and on the censuses, he seems to have missed out only by a few months.

His parents seem to have been Church of Scotland, but there is no sign of any kind of record of his birth or baptism.

Maddening

[G.Love]

That's a pity. On the census and on her marriage cert her birth place is given as Port Glasgow. Oh well ...

[emanday]

That's a pity. On the census and on her marriage cert her birth place is given as Port Glasgow. Oh well ...

Just out of interest, what was her mother's name?

[G.Love]

Her mother was Isabella (or Esther) Wallace (1818-1874) who married John Tucker in 1838.

[kathyc]

Frustrating, isn't it, when you can't find them?

My GGG granparents' children born after 1855 were all nicely registered, but none of their earlier children, including my GG grandfather, were, as far as I can tell. It bothers me having that one missing piece of information.

Kathy

[emanday]

Her mother was Isabella (or Esther) Wallace (1818-1874) who married John Tucker in 1838.

Did she have any sisters?

In IGI I found 2 girls born to John Tucker and Esther Wallace, but born in Greenock, Renfrew. Both records are extracts from OPR's. If these girls are Isabella's siblings, the BC for Ann might give you more information.

1. ANN TUCKER - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Female Birth: 24 SEP 1855 Middle Or New Parish, Greenock, Renfrew, Scotland

2. ESTHER HALL TUCKER - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Female Birth: About 31 JAN 1858 Middle Or New Parish, Greenock, Renfrew, Scotland

[sheilajim]

Hi G Love
The OPR's are of baptisms and it is always possible that she was never baptized or got baptized later.

I have the same problem with many of my ancestors too.

One of my ggrandmothers was born in Scotland in 1850. I could not find any trace of her birth even though she first shows up in the 1851 census as being under a year old. She also shows up in later censuses and at the births of her children.

Then I got lucky. I was going through the 4QD Bann Valley Genealogy Site and found that someone had transcribed the Church Records for Churchtown in Ireland. I knew that her parents were married there but returned to Scotland after their marriage. Running through the lists I found her baptism there at 6 1/2 years of age, along with two of her brothers. Apparently her parents returned again to Ireland and decided to get all three children baptized at the same time. None of them were infants at the time of baptism. None of these baptisms appear in the IGI.

I wonder if maybe it is worthwhile to go through a church's records is you are able to. You never know what you might find.

Regards

Sheila

[G.Love]

Thanks for the interest and help folks! I might just put her to one side for the time being and get on with somebody else.
Oh, and I think those are indeed her sisters!