Looking for Philip Harper in 1911

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garibaldired
Posts: 642
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2005 2:42 pm
Location: Dorset, UK

Re: Looking for Philip Harper in 1911

Post by garibaldired » Sun Apr 10, 2011 12:16 pm

What was his address when he married?
Annette, he was at Louisa Square, Rosewell. I've sent you a pm. Many thanks.
You can do first name only searches on the 1911 census,
Yes Carol and there are lots if you go away from the strict 9 year old limit! However as you say when you're desperate.......... :D

I do think you're both right and that the answer may well lie in Midlothian!

Best wishes,
Meg
Main family lines are Harpers from Midlothian, Fife & Kinross-shire, and Dobies/Dobbies from Midlothian. Also Strathearn, Stobie, Layden and Downie.

garibaldired
Posts: 642
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2005 2:42 pm
Location: Dorset, UK

Re: Looking for Philip Harper in 1911

Post by garibaldired » Sun Apr 10, 2011 12:24 pm

it was in Lasswade parish, but very close to the boundaries with Carrington and Cockpen parishes.
Thanks for that, Andrew.
It is difficult when you are not terribly familiar with the geography of the area to get a "feel" for the places involved.

Best wishes,
Meg
Main family lines are Harpers from Midlothian, Fife & Kinross-shire, and Dobies/Dobbies from Midlothian. Also Strathearn, Stobie, Layden and Downie.

garibaldired
Posts: 642
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2005 2:42 pm
Location: Dorset, UK

Re: Looking for Philip Harper in 1911

Post by garibaldired » Mon Dec 05, 2022 4:02 pm

With the release of the 1921 census I thought the mystery of Philip Harper would be solved. However it has raised more questions!

He is indexed as Philip Harfie ( the writing is difficult to read). He is shown as 19, coal miner, born Dunfermline and adopted. He is with William Selkirk and family at 59 Waverly Street, Ballingry Fife.
William Selkirk married Helen Leslie 23rd February 1900 in Prestonpan, East Lothian. He was 18, she 19. He is a coal miner as he is in 1921.
William was born Cockpen, Midlothian and Helen in Dunfermline, Fife.
They had 8 children (2 have died soon after birth; one, Robert, in Ballingry January 1901) and 5 are still at home in 1921
George 16 born Haddington Pencaitland
Annie J H 14 born Haddington Ormiston
John H 11 born Dunfermline Fife
Agnes M 9 born Lochgelly Fife
Walter M 6 born Edinburgh Midlothian.

William Leslie 18 (born September 1902 Ormiston) is at Piershill Barracks.

I know this must be "my" Philip Harper as all the details fit and he named one of his sons William Selkirk Harper. However I cannot find the Selkirk family in 1911. William senior is with his father, Robert, in Ormiston in the house of his step brother Thomas Crichton & family but I can't find Helen or the 4 children- William Leslie Selkirk, George Hood Selkirk, Annie Johnson Hood Selkirk, John Hood Selkirk.
As John was born 31 July 1909 at 32 Brick Row, Kingseat, Dunfermline and Agnes 5 February 1912 at 29 Melville St Lochgelly, I'd have expected to find them in the Fife area or the Haddington area.
Both William and Helen seem to come from mining families. Did they adopt Philip a year after the death of their first child or was he with another family first? He did name another son George Black Harper! I feel like I'm going round in circles blindfolded :lol:

Currie
Posts: 3924
Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2007 3:20 am
Location: Australia

Re: Looking for Philip Harper in 1911

Post by Currie » Mon Dec 12, 2022 6:20 am

Hello Meg,

I had a look at this last week but didn’t get anywhere.

If it is only the wife and young children who are missing maybe she was a suffragette, or a sympathiser, and boycotted the census.
https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/research/ ... n-scotland

(The policeman illustrated in that article shouldn’t have any trouble finding his ancestors. https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vect ... 760263.jpg )

Best of luck,
Alan

garibaldired
Posts: 642
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2005 2:42 pm
Location: Dorset, UK

Re: Looking for Philip Harper in 1911

Post by garibaldired » Mon Dec 12, 2022 2:03 pm

Hello Alan,

Thanks very much for looking and for your humour :D

I did consider the suffrage aspect but wondered how much impact this would have had on the poor working classes.

I'll continue the search......

Many thanks again.

Best wishes,
Meg

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