Alexander ...what's his last name?

[Anne H]

Hi everyone,

I've just uploaded an RCE in the gallery for approval.

http://talkingscot.com/gallery/displayi ... ?pos=-1222

Can anyone decipher the father, Alexander's surname? At first glance I thought it was Forrest...but I'm not sure. I looked for Alexander and Agnes on the 1881 census hoping to get a clue, but no luck there either. I know Agnes didn't marry him for she went on to marry someone else and had 8 more children and first born son Peter continued with the name Finlay and stayed with his granny.

Transcription added later:
Woodend
22 Oct 1884
Page 148
Register of Corrected Entries
For the Landward District of Falkirk
In the County of Stirling

In the fourth column of entry No. 216 within Register Book of Births for the year 1882, before the name of the child’s mother insert Alexander (Forrest?), formerly married, on the authority of a certificate in the form of Schedule (1F?) to the following effect.

In an action relating to the paternity of a child named Peter Finlay born June 18th 1882, at the instance of (mother ?) Agnes Finlay, sometimes servant at Woodend, Torpichen, now residing at Blackhill near Bonnybridge in the Parish of Falkirk, against Alexander (Forrest?), (fire?) engineman residing at Woodend Village near Armadale, in the County of Linlithgow the Sheriff Court of the Lothians at Linlithgow. the Sheriff Court of the Lothians on the 13th of December 1882 found that the said child was the illegitimate child of the parties aforesaid. (six words deleted before signing).

February 21, 1883
Tho (Gunttes ?)
Registrar

Thanks for any help.

Regards,
Anne H

Gallery URL added - AndrewP

[AndrewP]

Hi Anne,

My suggestion is Alexander Forrest Jun^r, Engineman.

All the best,

AndrewP

[paddyscar]

Hi Anne,

While I agree with AndrewP about Alexander Jun^r, Engineman, I have a very different take on the surname.

The capital letter F in Falkirk / Fourth column / Peter Finlay / Agnes Finlay are distinctive and consistently formed, as are the initial letters A, E, B

The initial S seems dependant on which word was being written. It is very clearly an S on Schedule / Agnes Finlay sometimes / found that the said child / Six words deleted before signing / Sherriff court.

I read the surname as Smith, but then, does it say Agnes Finlay sometimes servant at?

Frances

[Anne H]

Hi Andrew,

Many thanks...now I can see Junr.

I've added my original transcription and as you can see, I thought it said Alexander Forrest, formerly married, although I did get engineman in the second paragraph.

Could you please have a look at my translation and let me know if I made any other errors?

By the way, just how did you get the little "r" in Junr. up top like that?

Many thanks.

Regards,
Anne

[AndrewP]

By the way, just how did you get the little "r" in Junr. up top like that?

Hi Anne,

^r (superscript) makes the little r in Jun^r.

All the best,

Andrew

[AndrewP]

Hi Anne,

Using Frances's Smith and your deciphering I can now see there, and a couple of other decipherings I see:

==============================
W N D Ward(?)
22 Oct 1884
Page 148
Register of Corrected Entries
For the Landward District of Falkirk
In the County of Stirling

In the fourth column of entry No. 216 within Register Book of Births for the year 1882, before the name of the child’s mother insert Alexander Smith, Engineman, on the authority of a certificate in the form of Schedule (F) to the following effect.

In an action relating to the paternity of a child named Peter Finlay born June 18th 1882, at the instance of poor Agnes Finlay, sometime servant at Woodend, Torpichen, now residing at Blackhill near Bonnybridge in the Parish of Falkirk, against Alexander Smith, Engineman residing at Woodend Village near Armadale, in the County of Linlithgow the Sheriff Court of the Lothians at Linlithgow. <strike>the Sheriff Court of the Lothians</strike> on the 13th of December 1882 found that the said child was the illegitimate child of the parties aforesaid. (six words deleted before signing).

February 21, 1883
At Falkirk
Tho (Gunttes ?)
Registrar
==============================

All the best,

AndrewP

[DavidWW]

Agreed re Smith.

The registrar is Tho Gentles !! (d. Falkirk 29Mar1910, Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages)

David

[paddyscar]

So then, Andrew ...

Alexander Smith, Jun^r Engineman ... rather than ... Alexander Smith, Jun^r, Engineman.

I thought Jun^r a rather odd designation for his name in the 1880s

Frances
Added later: Or could it have been an abbreviation of Journeyman Engineman?

[DavidWW]

Hmmmmmmm...... normally, there'd be an engineman, then maybe a senior engineman, which, of course, implies that a simple engineman was just a junior engineman , but I don't recall seeing many occupations written that way.....

"Journeyman" most usually follows the occupation in the records, never mind I'm unsure if there'd be an equivalent apprenticeship required to become a journeyman.

Although unusual for that era, given the surname SMITH, I wouldn't be surprised to see the usage Jun^r if it was felt to be necessary to distinguish him from his father, or uncle, who might also have been an engineman..........

David

[Anne H]

Hi Frances,

Like Andrew, now that you mention "Smith", I can see it quite clearly, even with the strange looking "S". Many thanks for that. Isn't it amazing what you can see after someone tells you about it.

Alexander Smith, Jun^r Engineman ... rather than ... Alexander Smith, Jun^r, Engineman.

Now there's something I wouldn't have thought of...thanks for bringing it up.

Cheers!
Anne