PS In my previous reply I wrote FamilySearch lists several other William Lawson/Lauson/Lowson/Lousons born in Angus between 1796 and 1802 Son of John L and Margaret Edward, baptised Dundee 5 January 1796 Son of Robert L and May Ogilvy, baptised Lintrathen 1 March 1800 Son of William L and Mary Mill, baptised Maryton 12 October 1800 Son of James L and Jean Mitchell, baptised Barry 23 August 1801 Son of Peter L and Margaret Stroke, baptised Barry, 21 December 1801 I have since had a look at FreeCEN, and there are William L*sons listed as born in Angus, living in Angus and aged 35 or 40 1. William Lowson, 35, mason, Well Brae, Forfar 2. William Lawson, 40, flaxdresser, Dundee 3. William Lawson, 40, carpenter, Barry 4. William Lowson, 40, wright, Inverarity and Meathie 5. William Lawson, 40, tailor, Lintrathen 6. William Louson, 35, yarn cleaner, Arbroath 7. William Lawson, 40, agricultural labourer, Forfar 8. William Lowson, 35, tinsmith, Kirriemuir No 1 is living with, or next door to, a widowed Catherine Kyd, so it is reasonable to suppose that he is the son of Patrick Lowson and Katharine Kyd, baptised in Forfar on 25 March 1804. There is a death certificate of a William Lowson, 74, in Forfar in 1878 which would probably confirm this. No 2 is at Dudhope Crescent with Susan, 40 and six children; Robert, James, Betsey, Mary Ann, Alexander. No 3 is in Carnoustie with Janet, 35. There is a death certificate of a William, aged 78, in Barry in 1877, who is possibly this one. No 4 is in Corbie, with Catherine, 40 and four children; Catherine, David, Elizabeth, Margaret. No 5 is in a household at Newton with David, 50; Euphemia, 45; John, Isabella, David, Peter, Barbara. Note that the name Barbara is in the family of Robert L and May Ogilvy, though there is a baptism of David Lawson to James L and Eliza Guthrie in Lintrathen in 1797. There is a death of a William Lawson in Kirriemuir in 1872 who could be this one. No 6 is in a household in North Grimsby, Arbroath with Betty,  35 and Ann Louson, 20. I speculate that this is the son of William Lowson/Louson and Janet Cramond, who had a son William baptised 27 July 1805 and a daughter Ann baptised on 11 October 1811 in Panbride. No 7 is yours, of course. No 8 is in Back Wynd with Jean, 40 and Alexander, 9. I also note that the SP index lists the death in 1868 of one William Lawson, age 74, in Kirriemuir, **with mother's surname Fotheringham** which very strongly suggests that whoever your William was, he was not the son of Alexander L and Ann Fotheringham. You might want to look at that death certificate just to be 100% certain. SP lists eight deaths in Angus of William L*sons born 1800 plus or minus 5 years. You really need to take a look at all of these if you have not already done so in order to eliminate them from your search. 1 1866 LAWSON WILLIAM EASTON   M 70 ARBROATH /ANGUS 272/00 0085 2 1868 LAWSON WILLIAM FOTHERINGHAM   M 71 KIRRIEMUIR /ANGUS 299/00 0117 3 1872 LAWSON WILLIAM     M 72 KIRRIEMUIR /ANGUS 299/00 0097 4 1876 LAWSON WILLIAM     M 78 ST MARY DUNDEE CITY/ANGUS 282/02 0386 5 1877 LAWSON WILLIAM     M 75 MONTROSE /ANGUS 312/00 0175 6 1877 LOWSON WILLIAM     M 74 ST CLEMENT DUNDEE CITY/ANGUS 282/03 0088 7 1877 LOWSON WILLIAM     M 78 BARRY /ANGUS 274/00 0011 8 1878 LOWSON WILLIAM     M 74 FORFAR /ANGUS 288/00 0145 The one in Arbroath with mother Easton is not in the baptism records, so you probably don't need to consider him. One of the two in Dundee will be No 2 above, and the other may be No 4. The one in Montrose is possibly the son of William L and Mary Mill, baptised Maryton 12 October 1800, but you'd need to see the certificate to confirm this. Anne