Stan, I have found sometimes that I've been able to take a color photograph of a document, take it into Photoshop and be able to deterimine what the letter in question may be. If I can be of help to you, let me know. I've got Photoshop and am willing to take a look at it for you. Cliff. Johnston "May the best you've ever seen, Be the worst you'll ever see;" from A Scots Toast by Allan Ramsay ----- Original Message ----- From: "S R Walker" <minnigaff@googlemail.com> To: <DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2010 1:21 PM Subject: Re: [DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY] Jane Lidderdale c1822 Gretna > Hi all > > > > Firstly, a very big thank you to all who replied to me on and off the > list, > including Marg McFarlane, Jody Allen, Irene Macleod, Audrey Render and Kay > McMeekin. Sorry for the delay but I have been discussing your findings, > and > exploring other avenues, with other family members off list. > > > > Secondly, in replying, I am also aware that I am recording these findings > for future researchers on the internet who may be investigating the same > family. > > > > It would appear that Jane Lidderdale was baptised 11 September 1822 at > Graitney, Dumfriesshire, and was the daughter of James Lidderdale and > Janet > Gordon. > > > > Various agencies transcribe the entry as "Janet," and some of you agree > that > this is the name, but I have personally examined a photocopy of the parish > record, which is ambiguous at best, but I am thinking the name is actually > Jane. > > > > The name is obscured by a frustrating smudge or blot which has been > interpreted by transcribers as a "t" but several of us off list with a > personal family interest are not convinced since the slant of the mark > under > the smudge does not look like that of the other "t"s on the parish record > page. > > > > Jane's family has been found at Gretna in the censuses of 1841 through > 1871, > but sometimes the family surname is recorded and/or transcribed as > Lauderdale or Liddesdale. The family now appears on the Lidderdale family > tree website here > > http://www.lidderdale.com/wig_003.html > > > > Which brings me to other evidence to support the name being Jane and not > Janet. > > > > In the 1851 census there is a daughter Janet Lidderdale aged 13 years > (born > c1838) which lines up exactly with the 3 years old Janet Lauderdale in the > 1841 census. It would appear that this is the Janet Lidderdale baptised > 20 > February 1842 at Graitney, Dumfriesshire. > > > > But in the 1841 census there is also a Jane Lauderdale aged 15 years but > we > must remember that the ages of those aged 15 and over were rounded down to > the nearest 5 years in this census, therefore this is probably the Jane > Lidderdale baptised 11 September 1822 at Graitney, Dumfriesshire. > > The point being made is that it is surely highly unlikely that there would > have been two daughters named Janet alive at the same time in 1841? > > I would appreciate some critical analysis or rebuttal of the points I have > made above, particularly from those who think the name is Janet, before I > move on to discuss the married identity of this Jane Lidderdale. > > At this point I need to declare my interest which could well cause me to > be > biased and not impartial. For several years I have been searching for an > elusive Jane Lidderdale in my family tree who is living in north > Cumberland, > bordering Scotland, just 14 miles from Gretna, in the 1861 through 1891 > censuses which frustratingly gives her birthplace as "Scotland". The only > other two Jane Lidderdales born in Scotland around this time are both > fully > accounted for, but are not mine. > > So, I could be desperate for a result and would appreciate some critical > input to keep me balanced. > > Finally, where do I need to go to physically inspect the original > baptismal > parish record with a magnifying glass? > > Kind regards > > Stan Walker > > > > ------------------------------- > > From: Stanley R Walker [mailto: minnigaff@googlemail.com] > Sent: 11 March 2010 11:00 AM > To: DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY] Jane Lidderdale c1824 Gretna > > > > I am a new kid on the block. My Galloway credentials are I was born > at Cresswell Maternity Hospital, Dumfries, whilst my parents were > resident at Gatehouse of Fleet. > > We also lived at Creebridge, Minnigaff. My mother and sister are > buried in Newton Stewart Cemetery, Saint Couan's Road, which I visit > regularly if anyone wants a gravestone checked. > > I need assistance in finding the birth/baptism record of Jane > Lidderdale/Lauderdale born circa 1823/1826 at Gretna/Graitney, > daughter of James Lidderdale/Lauderdale and Janet Gordon. > > Where should I start? > > Any assistance would be much appreciated. > > Kind regards > > Stan Walker > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > <mailto:DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY-request@rootsweb.com> > DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > > > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message