On 18/01/2008, at 9:00 PM, [email protected] wrote: > > 1881 census > > Family found, but no James the father. > Bridget and her sons are found living with a sister of Bridget's. > Bridget is listed as married, the sister is listed as widowed, which > was her true state in 1881. There is no sign of James Donnelly in > the 1881 that I can prove, but since Bridget is not listed as > widowed, I'm still searching for him. I know he was deceased by the > 1884 marriage of his son James, but I can't find a death certificate > for him anywhere either. > > Carnwath, Lanark, Scotland > Michael Donelly, son, 22, coal miner, Whitburn > Bridget, head, married, 39, housekeeper, Ireland > James, son, 19, coal miner, Linlithgow > John McLeish, son, 4, West Calder > Mary McLeish, wid, 34, Ireland > James McLeish, son, 9, Airdrie, Lanark > Unfortunately sometimes the marital status was not correct. If a wife had been deserted by a husband, she might sometimes claim to be married and other times to be widowed. If the son claims his father was deceased when he married, it may or may not be true - the father may simply have disappeared, possibly back to Ireland, and might still be living. I have one family where I searched in vain for the wife's death, since the husband was listed as a widower at his death, until I found her death some thirteen years later. In the 1881 census he was listed as widowed and she was listed as married, but living on her own several counties away Catherine

Good observations, Catherine, - thank you, I'll keep that in mind as I search on. Maybe I'll try looking for a death cert after 1884 and see if the real James Donnelly surfaces where I've never looked before! Brigid On Jan 19, 2008, at 5:39 AM, Catherine Fitchett wrote: > > On 18/01/2008, at 9:00 PM, [email protected] wrote: > > >> >> 1881 census >> >> Family found, but no James the father. >> Bridget and her sons are found living with a sister of Bridget's. >> Bridget is listed as married, the sister is listed as widowed, which >> was her true state in 1881. There is no sign of James Donnelly in >> the 1881 that I can prove, but since Bridget is not listed as >> widowed, I'm still searching for him. I know he was deceased by the >> 1884 marriage of his son James, but I can't find a death certificate >> for him anywhere either. >> >> Carnwath, Lanark, Scotland >> Michael Donelly, son, 22, coal miner, Whitburn >> Bridget, head, married, 39, housekeeper, Ireland >> James, son, 19, coal miner, Linlithgow >> John McLeish, son, 4, West Calder >> Mary McLeish, wid, 34, Ireland >> James McLeish, son, 9, Airdrie, Lanark >> > > Unfortunately sometimes the marital status was not correct. If a wife > had been deserted by a husband, she might sometimes claim to be > married and other times to be widowed. If the son claims his father > was deceased when he married, it may or may not be true - the father > may simply have disappeared, possibly back to Ireland, and might > still be living. > > I have one family where I searched in vain for the wife's death, > since the husband was listed as a widower at his death, until I found > her death some thirteen years later. In the 1881 census he was listed > as widowed and she was listed as married, but living on her own > several counties away > > Catherine > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MIDLOTHIAN- > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message