In a message dated 10/6/2007 2:34:45 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [email protected] writes: I would be pleased to here from anyone else researching this branch of the Nisbet family or any information about Catharine Nisbet? Since you knew the marriage date of Catharine NISBET and John MacKAY, I almost didn't look at my file for the entry. But then I did, and noted that the OPR entry said that Catherine was the 2nd daughter of James Nisbet, brassfounder. I went through all my James Nisbets looking for brassfounders, and, although this isn't absolute proof, it looks promising. 1861 census/Midlothian (Newington 685-5)/enum. dist. 21, pg 3, schedule #18 Pleasance 177 James Nisbet, head, married, 56, brassfounder, b. East Lothian _____ Berwick Elizabeth Nisbet, wife, 58, b. " " Ann Nisbet, daughter, unmarried, age (couldn't read it clearly) either 7 or 17, b. Edinburgh (from the age of the mother, I would guess 17) 1871 census/Midlothian/Edinburgh 685-5)/enum. dist. 22, page 3, household #18, 177 Pleasance James Nisbet, hea, married, 66, brassfounder, b. Haddington/West Barns Elizabeth Nisbet, wife, married, 68, b. Haddington/Nor Berwick Death registration #293 for 1874 in Edinburgh (Newington & Grange) James Nisbet, brassfounder, married 1) Elizabeth MASON, 2) Elizabeth MASON [sic] Died - 16 April 1874, no. 177 Pleasance, Edinburgh Age - 69 Father - Andrew Nisbet, deceased Mother - Ann Nisbet MS Dickson, deceased Cause - paralysis complicated, 3 wks Informant - Adam TURNBULL, son in law, 2 coachman Terrace [Adam Turnbull married Ann Nisbet in 1868] Hmmm. Some kind of mistake listing James possible 2 marriages. I looked in the IGI for either of them, and found only his marriage to an Elizabeth Mason on 13 November 1853 in St. Cuthberts. So Elizabeth Mason would be correct for his second wife (since your Catherine also married in 1853). So who was his first wife? I went to Free Cen and found this: St. Cuthberts/enum. dist. 32, page 7 13 Simon Square Nisbet, James, male, 35, brass founder journeyman, b. outside the census county Nisbet, Cathern, female, 35, b. outside the census county Nisbet, Andrew, male, 12, b. Midlothian Nisbet, Agnes, female, 10, b. Midlothian Nisbet, Cathern, female, 8, b. Midlothian Nisbet, James, male, 3, b. Midlothian Nisbet, Elizabeth, female, 8 months, b. Midlothian Catherine appears to be a second daughter to a brassfounder, and about the correct age to be getting married in 1853. So it would appear that the first wife of James, the brassfounder, was Catherine. I tried the IGI for the births of the children. Found Andrew, b. 30 Nov 1828 in South Leith to James Nisbet and Catherine MAVOR. I tried for any other children born to a couple by this name, but only Andrew came up. I then checked the IGI for any marriages of a James Nisbet to a Catherine in Midlothian or East Lothian and found only two, both in October 1827 in Leith. A James married a Catherine MASON in Oct. 1827 in South Leith, and a James married a Catherine GRAME 1 Oct 1827 in North Leith. A search for children to either of these marriages brought up only a son, David, in 1828 to the Grame marriage. So my best guess is that your Catherine Nisbet was b. ca 1833 to James Nisbet, brassfounder, and his first wife Catherine MASON. And since James, Catherine, and Elizabeth were all born outside of Midlothian, I am willing to bet that Catherine and Elizabeth could have been sisters or cousins. Unfortunately the first Catherine must have died before 1855 civil registration, so there will be no nice death record with her parents' names on it. Sigh. It might be possible to get Elizabeth Mason Nisbet's death certificate just to see who her parents are--but it wouldn't be proof as to whether or not she was first Catherine's sister. Elizabeth Mason Nisbet, according to the index to estates (LDS film #0990448) died 21 April 1883 in Edinburgh, leaving an estate of 85 pounds. If you did get her death registration from Scotlandspeople you could at least check out if her parents had a child named Catherine. You could also download the marriage of Ann Nisbet to Adam Turnbull in 1868, to confirm that her parents (and thus your Catherine's) were indeed James Nisbet and Catherine MASON. Good luck! Hope this helps a bit. Irene, in Michigan ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com