1891 Census for Robert McCracken .....

[Linda Malpass]

I hoping someone can help me to locate this 1891 census entry for Robert McCracken. Here is the 1881 census:

3 Hawthorn Bank 1st Floor
Edinburgh St Cuthberts

Robert McCracken, Gardener, 40, Inch Parish, Wigtown (born 1839)
Isabella, 38, Inch Parish
Mary 14, Inch Parish
William 11 Cathcart Renfrew
Helen 7 Cathcart Renfrew

Most of my family research in in Ayrshire, so I am not familar with the counties and districts of the 1881 census. I suppose they could have moved around alot since 1881, Robert was a gardener. I did a blanket search on Robert M*Crack*en, age 45 to 65, came up with Edinburgh, Canongate, but it was not him, also did a blanket search on Isabella hoping I could match them up, but again nothing. Also looked at some Renfrew images but again nothing.

I'm at a my wits end, hoping some of you experts can lead me in the right direction.

[sporran]

Hello Linda,


I had a quick look around, but I could find nothing of relevance. Do you have any information that any of the family were in Scotland after 1881?


Regards,

John

[Andy]

There is a brother and sister William and Ellen of about the right ages in Midlothian in 1891. However this entry is an afterthought since the enumerator seems to have forgotten his route. He may well have forgotten to do a whole street (it would be interseting to see how many pubs were on the route).

[DavidWW]

You won't find Robert McCRACKEN anywhere in any later census as he was dead by 1891. Look for a death of around the right age in Edinburgh between 1881 and 1891. The age is a bit different from what it should be if the 1881 age is correct, but not that much different.

Daughter Helen died before the turn of the century, the informant being her brother William. Both parents are shown as deceased. Isabella's surname is quite an unusual one, - HUGHAN and variant spellings. Her death should be difficult to trace but I can't find it!

Later........ Isabella also had died by 1891, but finding her death is complicated by the fact that her age at death is shown in the index as "3" [-X

To make life even more interesting, the kids, 4 of them by now, are still together in the 1891 census, but on different pages, and I don't mean in sequence. The enumerator had to add on some names he had omitted at the end of the enumeration book, and for the McCRACKEN erors, even cross-referred back to the wrong page 8-[

Davie

[Linda Malpass]

Thanks to Sporran, Andy and Davie for your input, no wonder I couldn't find him, I will have to digest this info. I have another question, what district and county would I be keying in for 1891 census of the children, Edinburgh?, Midlothian?

Isabella and Robert McCracken were married in Sorbie, Wigtown, 1865. Isabella maiden name is in fact HAGHAN. Robert listed himself as a gardener and his usual residence as BELFAST? All of the McCracken kids were born in INCH that I know of, although the father William McCracken, my 3rd gg was born in Ireland, as per the 1851 census in Inch. So I'm thinking that the McCracken's originated in Belfast and that Robert had travelled to Belfast before his marriage in Sorbie. This will give me a starting point to do some research in Ireland. My 2nd gg John McCracken, born in Inch and married in Riccarton in 1848 and from there they all ended up in New Cumnock, Ayrshire, all were coal miners and they lived at Burnfoot Rows which was quite a community in itself. So my research was quite easy at this point as they all lived at Burnfoot Rows.

Thank you again for all your help, I will look for the deaths and census of the children.

[DavidWW]

Thanks to Sporran, Andy and Davie for your input, no wonder I couldn't find him, I will have to digest this info. I have another question, what district and county would I be keying in for 1891 census of the children, Edinburgh?, Midlothian?

Midlothian, indeed.

Isabella and Robert McCracken were married in Sorbie, Wigtown, 1865. Isabella maiden name is in fact HAGHAN.

I'd disagree On the marriage register entry. and all the other records that I've seen so far, including the death record of Isabella's sister Helen, - she was the informant on Isabella's death register entry, it's very clearly HUGHAN !, which is a surname recognised by Black in his "The Surnames of Scotland", but all he gives on derivation is "Diminutive of Hugh", and one occurence in Kirkcudbrightshire in 1773.

Robert listed himself as a gardener and his usual residence as BELFAST? All of the McCracken kids were born in INCH that I know of, although the father William McCracken, my 3rd gg was born in Ireland, as per the 1851 census in Inch. So I'm thinking that the McCracken's originated in Belfast and that Robert had travelled to Belfast before his marriage in Sorbie. This will give me a starting point to do some research in Ireland. My 2nd gg John McCracken, born in Inch and married in Riccarton in 1848 and from there they all ended up in New Cumnock, Ayrshire, all were coal miners and they lived at Burnfoot Rows which was quite a community in itself. So my research was quite easy at this point as they all lived at Burnfoot Rows.

Thank you again for all your help, I will look for the deaths and census of the children.

McCRACKEN is both a SW Scotland name and an Ulster name, and may well have become the latter from the former if you see what I mean. Robert Bell's "The Book of Ulster Surnames" maintains that it's a variation of the Argyllshire clan name MacNAUGHTON, the Scots Gaelic Mac Neachdainn.

Orraverybest

Davie

[Linda Malpass]

Well I got right on it this morning, got all the deaths and the census info, but I must say if I hadn't got Davie's hints I would be pulling my hair out by now ..... and Andy, I think your right about the census enumerator stopping along the way for a few drinks, he made a mess of that particular street!!

Thanks again to you all, this is such a great forum, I like it much better than the old SPDG, and thanks to Davie and all his helpers for getting this new forum up and running, such a great group!!