Dear Eunice, None of the children born before 1855 had to be registered - if this couple had any children born after 1855 then finding that child's birth certificate (on Scotlandspeople) will give you the mother's maiden surname. However if their child bearing days were over then there are a number of routes to try. William S Kay did not make it to 1855 so his death wont help you, unless he left a will. If Janet Kay made it to 1855 then her age and location may help you find her death certificate. If she did not make it to 1855 then you need to follow the children - if you know any of the later children's spouses then you can find the childrens marriage certificate and in Scotland after 1855 this gives you both parents including maiden surname and a date of marriage (of the parents. However you may only know of marriages which took place in England and then you are scuppered. If you dont know any of the childrens spouses then you are going to have to find a likely Kay marriage in Lasswade at around the right time and take a punt... the fathers occupation is given so if the father is william Key miller - you have it sorted. Moira --- On Mon, 30/11/09, Eunice Wilson <eunicewilson@btinternet.com> wrote: > From: Eunice Wilson <eunicewilson@btinternet.com> > Subject: [MIDLOTHIAN] Kay family Lasswade > To: MIDLOTHIAN@rootsweb.com > Date: Monday, 30 November, 2009, 15:19 > Hi > > Thanks to Mary for pointing out this marriage and baptisms > could have been non conformist.  Had it been England I > might have known about it,but it never passed my mind.  > I know little or nothing about church and chapel in > Scotland.  The 1851 census has all the family born > Lasswade.  On the 1911 census the James of the family > is in Cheshire, still says born Lasswade, > Midlothian.   The whole point of the exercise > is to find which Janet married William Kay. > > Eunice Wilson > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MIDLOTHIAN-request@rootsweb.com > with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the > subject and the body of the message >