Useful for Scottish research
 

https://www.oldscottish.com/

I have just found reference to a child born to my great-great-grandmother and have requested details about the father. Unfortunately no entry for my great-grandmother.

https://www.oldscottish.com/grange.html

Elizabeth, thank you for this, I cannot wait to get stuck in!

OC

Wow!

I have had an email back and they say they have found the paternity record for my great-grandmother! I have just ordered the details for £9.99. Can't wait to find out who my great-great-grandfather was!

Ooh thats great.

That's exciting!

This is a long-standing brick wall and I didn't expect ever to discover who my great-great-grandfather was. I keep checking my inbox to see if an e-mail has arrived!

Tell us when you get it!

Yes I meant to say that, now I am waiting to know too Elizabeth :D

There are at least two more records I might buy later.

https://www.oldscottish.com/seafield.html
On this page John Christie Richardson born 18th December 1874.

He is on the 1881 Census with his mother Elizabeth and grandmother Jane Richardson as John C Dempster. Elizabeth was my 2x-great-grandmother Isabella's sister.

He later took the surname McBeath when his mother Elizabeth married William McBeath.


Secondly, the record I found first. My 2x-great-grandmother had another illegitimate daughter in 1870 - Anne or Annie. https://www.oldscottish.com/grange.html

I clicked to order this but also put a query about my great-grandmother Isabella, and they replied to that but not Anne. I suspect her father's surname was Cameron as she was given as Annie R Cameron on one census.

Ooh, how exciting! I can still remember my disbelief and excitement when I found, quite accidentally, a bastardy order for my illegitimate 2 x ggf. Followed by my further disbelief and excitement when the lady at the RO asked me if I realised there were further follow on removal and settlement orders!

I have a theory that we only come across these documents once we have given up all hope, lol. It's as if our ancestors come out of hiding once they realise we aren't playing hide and seek any more.

OC

I now know the name of my great-great-grandfather.
He admitted paternity of my great-grandmother Isabella Richardson.

His name was JAMES SIM.

Now to trace him!

I do love the sound of brick walls tumbling. I'm so pleased for you, Elizabeth.

Elizabeth, I know Sim is a fairly common name in Scotland, but should your research wander into Aberdeen or Gamrie, Banff, let me know, I have two married-in Sim females. Associated names are Urquhart, Milne, Moir, Morrison etc.

OC

One of the possibles is from Gamrie, OC.

There is no indication of his age or residence, just the fact that he admitted paternity, which makes tracing him like looking for a needle in a haystack!

There's a JAMES SIM at Gamrie in 1871. Born c. 1840.
My great-great-grandmother (the mother of the illegitimate child) was born in 1845.

He is living at Montbletton, Gamrie, Banffshire, Scotland. He is married with children.

This looks like his marriage:

SIM JAMES
LORIMER HELEN
1861
149/ 3
Boyndie

James died 14 March 1919, Helen died 25 Feb 1918, burial Kirkyard Marnoch, stone 635.

My Elizabeth Sim was born about 1835 in Aberdour maybe, she married there in 1855 to William Urquhart. I haven't investigated her very hard as I couldn't get a handle on her. She lived in Gamrie after marriage.

OC

Thanks, OC.

DNA isn't helping either.

Great news, only us family tree researchers would understand the joy.

Thanks, Maggie.

It looks like my Elizabeth Sim is not closely related to the James Sim at Montbletton. My Elizabeth did indeed have a brother James, but he was born in 1835. Her parents were James Sim and Helen Watt, for your reference.

OC

Thanks, OC. I'm going to compile a list of the possibles and your information will help.

The question is, did Isabella have a relationship/fling with a man of roughly her own age or was she seduced by an older man, possibly married? How did they meet and where?
I assume James Sim didn't live in the parish of Grange as he wasn't summoned but sent a letter. On the same page, another father appeared in person.

Yes, I thought it a bit odd that he didn't have to appear in person. The fact that he wrote a letter suggests a degree of education. And I wonder why there was nothing in the register of corrected 3ntries as there was a written admission of paternity.

Thankyou for this, though! It has given me something to do, my own research is at a standstill these days and this has helped push a branch back a couple of generations.

OC

OC, I'm pleased this is helping your research.

The other cases on the same two pages are interesting reading.
Where possible, the father appeared. One girl named a chap but didn't know where he was, other couples appeared together. One chap admitted he had been with the girl but denied paternity - I don't know how he would know!

That reminds me, many years ago the local rag used to report with relish the proceedings of paternity cases in the Sheriff Court. One has stuck in my mind and still makes me laugh to this day. A young woman who had claimed paternity against a man, was horrified and extremely upset when the said man appeared in his best suit and a few of his mates, all swearing on the bible that they had all many times enjoyed her favours. The Sheriff grinned apparently and said that they would all have to have blood tests and in the meantime, would ALL have to pay the young woman 30 shillings a week, haha! Uproar in court and the Sheriff pointed out the penalties for perverting the course of justice and perjury.

OC

https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui...=successSource


Did you notice his son is a writer? So he learnt to write.

I did think, after I posted above, that there was no.proof he actually wrote the letter himself, he could have got someone to write it for him, lol. But - I have found that most of my humble scots could read and write, more so than their contemporary English counterparts.

ETA - isn't a writer the archaic Scots for a solicitor or am I confused?

OC

Maggie, I saw that and thought it was interesting. Perhaps he was intended for better things if he were the father!

Re. wills.

Isabella Richardson's (the mother, not the illegitimate child) mother was Jane Archibald. She was the illegitimate daughter of William Archibald and Jane Mallice and was born c. 1816 in Glass, Aberdeenshire. William Archibald married Janet Richardson in 1820. When William died he stipulated: "I appoint my said Executors
to pay to my natural daughter Jean Arch=
ibald the sum of Ten pounds Sterling, and
also to pay to my natural son William
Archibald an equal sum of Ten pounds
Sterling, ..."

He also made provision for his illegitimate son William Archibald by the same mother.

The one born 1840 is a Labourer but someone needed to teach the son, I would not think school was a regular thing that was attended then and he was only 17.

Very interesting.

https://www.rootschat.com/forum/inde...topic=197646.0