The most likely suspect?

[SandySandilands]

Good news - following a re-examination of all the evidence I've managed to scale my brickwall

Now to moving on.

Attached is the marriage entry for my 5 x great grandparents

http://i1204.photobucket.com/albums/bb4 ... s/asht.jpg

The bride's father is recorded as William Thorburn and what looks to read "Laird in Hedholm burn" which I am assuming would have been in the parish of Bowden. I haven't been able to find such a place in Bowden though.

There are baptism entries for two Helen Thorburn's daughter of William Thorburn that might fit the one I am looking for:

The first is Helen "Nelly" Thorburn baptised to William Thorburn and Mary Smaile/Smeel in Midlem Mills, Bowden in 1767 - if this is the Helen I am looking for she would have been 27 at the time of the marriage.

The second is Helen Thorburn baptised to William Thorburn in Meadshaw at Roberton in 1778 - if this is the Helen I am looking for she would have been 16 at the time of the marriage.

Please can you help me identify which Helen Thorburn may have been the daughter of the "Laird in Hedholm burn."

Thanks.
Sandy

[SandySandilands]

Since posting the above I have discovered a tree on Ancestry which shows the 2nd Helen Thorburn of Meadshaw married to a Robert Henderson in 1816 and dying in 1831.

My Helen Thorburn died in 1835 in Selkirk and the burial entry records her as "the relict of Alexander Sandilands so it looks like the 2nd Helen is out.

As none of my other ancestors prior to 1850 appear to have been baptised it could be that there is no baptism record for my Helen either and she is none of the above.

Looks like the quest is on to identify the "Laird of Hedholm burn."

[grannysrock]

Hi Sandy
Congrats on your breakthrough!
I think the record might say Midholm burne .
Midholm seems to be the same place as Midlem in the parish of Bowden.
Cheers
Sally

[SandySandilands]

Thanks Sally!

Amazing what another pair of eyes can do!

I'm really chuffed

Sandy

[grannysrock]

Hi again - slightly off topic - I was just looking at a Sandilands tree on Ancestry and if it's tree and found my own ancestors on it- now I'm curious if we are related ...do you have Balloch of Lasswade in your genes ?
and back on topic ?
http://books.google.com/books?id=ZQjXSi ... CC8Q6AEwAA

Sally

[SandySandilands]

Oh... exciting.... thanks for the link Sally

My tree on Ancestry is private but there are some on there which do belong to family.

My 3 x great grandmother was Ann Balloch (often recorded mistakenly as Bullock) the dau of William Balloch born 1800 in Lasswade. William was a blacksmith in Campbell's Close, Canongate, his parents were William Balloch, paper maker and Jane Moir.

Does this make us related?

*scuttles off to find a bottle and a couple of glasses in anticipation of a family reunion*

[grannysrock]

Does this make us related?

Yes !
Willam B and Jane Moir's daughter Margaret Balloch was my gggg grandmother . Margaret married James Johnston, flesher, and they lived next to William B /Elizabeth Neill at Campbell''s close.....
so I think this makes us 6th cousins !

Sally

[SandySandilands]

Well I never! Fantastic. Small World.

Have you seen the painting by John Bell: Burns Monument, View from Campbell's Close? You can google it online. I always wondered if any of our relies are in it

[grannysrock]

No I don't think I have seen it before. I like it !
Can't seem to find out when it was painted (clearly after the monument was built though !)
Sally

[AndrewP]

Can't seem to find out when it was painted (clearly after the monument was built though !)

Seems the monument was built c1830.

http://www.edinburgharchitecture.co.uk/ ... nument.htm

Artist: John Bell (1823 - 81)

So as it looks like the work of an adult - that probably puts it in the 1840 to 1881 range.

All the best,

AndrewP