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margaretmccue · Post by **margaretmccue** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 3:12 pm

Hi I wonder if you could help please I have a Grt grt Granfathers death cert ,which has been altered James Rankine died 1878 in new monkland
left a widow Agnes Marshall, son Peter,informed the registrar. it says James father was Wiliam Rankine his mother was Margaret no maiden name, later came the RCE, stating James father was John Rankine his mother was Mary Dunn, this change was dated 1880, I have met up with a distant cousin doing this line of family, and we are in close touch, we have both tied all we know to trace this couple niether of us have had any luck, she is up in scotland and goes to the mitchell library, have searched IGI SP and census we are absolutly stuck, there is a stamp on his cert but I cant make it out, I thought he might be illegitimate, when I firs saw it, where else can we try please, thank in advance
bye for now,
Margaret [-o<

JustJean · Post by **JustJean** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 6:24 pm

Hi Margaret

Sounds like you've tried almost everything already.

I wonder what James has stated as his place of birth on each of the census records until his death? There are 3 that should give the Parish name. If these are consistent then it's a strong pointer that is the correct Parish to begin digging for other Rankin records. Because he was born in the very early 1800's his parents were both very probably deceased before the 1841 census. Sometimes naming patterns or siblings can be uncovered this way though. The stamp that appears on his DC is not an indication of illegitimacy. That would appear on a BC. This one is only the reference to the RCE which you've already been able to access. It's interesting that this correction was logged some time after his death record but because it was made my his widow and at a non stressful time.... it would seem that she would be likely to get it right.

Afraid this isn't very helpful but my two cents worth anyway

Best wishes
Jean

Post by **joette** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 7:00 pm

What age was given on his death certificate?There are a few fair James Rankin/es on the 1841 census.None living with a John who could be his Father but if he was an age to out of the house then that won't help.
i certainly couldn't find a James born to a John Rankin/Mary Dunn combination.

Post by **AnneM** » Sat Jul 07, 2007 3:24 pm

OK. Here we go with a suggestion or two for your James and Agnes. Some of this you may have yourself but if not I hope it helps:

James and Agnes were married on 7 Jan 1837 in Polmont, Stirlingshire. No details given bar their names.

I'm pretty sure that in 1871 they are in Slammanan in Stirlingshire with a handful of their children and that son Peter is there too with his young wife and child.

James is given as born in Polmont and Agnes in Newbattle, Midlothian. His age suggests a birth date of 1812 or so and hers 1814.

What I did notice about your RCE is that it did not give the mother as Mary Rankin m.s. Dunn but as Mary Dunn so it looks as though his parents may not have been married.

Anne

Post by **AnneM** » Sat Jul 07, 2007 3:37 pm

BTW Have you seen Agnes's death in New Monkland in 1895? Poor woman. It seems that there should be an RCE but there's no sign. Might be worth contacting SP.

Her father is given as Alexander Marshall. If that is the case she may also have been illegitimate as there is a possible birth for an Agnes Marshall with that father in Newbattle though the age is a bit off from the census but not from her DC.

Ha, being stupid. The birth is almost certainly her as her initial on the census is the same as the start of her mother's surname.

Anne

Has your cousin looked in the Mitchell for any poor law applications for Agnes following James's death?

Have realised you probably have all of this but I don't think you're going to find a birth for James. There is however a birth for a John in 1777 in Falkirk on the BIVRI with parents James Rankine and Mary Walker. A possible father for James??

There is also a William Rankine in and about that area producing children at about the right time. He could be John's brother I guess.

margaretmccue · Post by **margaretmccue** » Sun Jul 08, 2007 2:08 pm

Hi all. lookes like you,ve done it again, first off 1901 census Agnes was taking in lodgers to keep her home, second I found an Agnes at newbattle
born 1816? father Alexander mother Dolly Henderson, no further info on them, James age is62 on his death cert, Agnes 77, 1895 I didnt know what her cause of death was but my cousin says she fell in the fire!!! [awfull]
she has been to Falkirk Library, I will pass all this info on I think your all right though, we are stuck, with a lot of guess work.?? will keep trying ,
thanks again, 1851 cesus states James was born in Polmont, not sure what you mean Ann about her initials, there is somthing written in the margine on her DC but cant make it out [even tried a magnifiying glass]
thank you also Jean and Joette , for your input evey bit helps to build the picture, cheers for now,
Margaret 8-[

Post by **AnneM** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 11:19 pm

The annotation in the margin of her DC tells you that there is an entry in the register of corrected entries. It should be available online but that one does not seem to be. However it looks as if your cousin may have accessed it already as the DC states that she died of severe burns and your cousin knows that she fell in the fire.

Her middle initial on the 1871 census entry is H as in Henderson!!

Anne

DavidWW · Post by **DavidWW** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 11:33 pm

A significantly high proportion of RCE entries aren't correctly linked on www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk to the matching register entry, be that of births, deaths or marriages.

GROS are fully aware of this, - the situation on SP is the same as on the DIGROS system if you visit New Register House .........

Based on testwork carried out by the SP User Group before the launch of the RCE images on-line at www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk , it would appear to be the case that the wrong/missing links are somewhere between 5 and 10 per cent.

But to express such figures is only speculation as regards the overall situation, since the individual UG members figures on failed links to the matching RCE entries varied between a couple of percent, and 25% !!!

It was open to GROS/ScotlandonLine/ScotlandsPeople in that scenario to decide not to launch the RCE images on www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk until a lower lever of missing links was achieved, but GROS took the quite brave decision, in my opinion, to launch the RCE images on SP despite the quite high number of missing links !!.

David

margaretmccue · Post by **margaretmccue** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 9:23 pm

Hi again thank you Anne and David, for your follow up, I havnt got 1871 census but will get it after this post, her initial dosnt appear on the rest. I dont know how Christine found out about her falling on the fire, will ask next time we talk, bye the way what is BIVRI, thank again, bye the way I have another RCE, for who I thought was my fathers brother, turned out different, now, have two more illigitimates with no RCE, know who the mother was, one of the children has 3 names, her maiden name her 1st
married name and her 2nd married name, all intesting as he died in the first war under his fathers name,hope thats clear quite a little mystery,
his half sister?? also had illigiimate on her Birth cert, all for now thanks again, Margaret