Also - Because men seem to think they are entitled to younger wives, women often take years off their age. My stepfather thought my mother was ten years younger - she performed a little sleight of hand with her birth cert., changing the year from 1906 to 1916, and got a passport and other documents based on it - when she died at 86, her doctor thought she was 76. One of my husband's GGgrandmothers had the fountain of youth. She aged 12 years over 3 censuses - from 1850 to 1880 in the U.S., she aged twelve years in thirty, went from being 28 (truth) to being 40! Happy hunting, Sonia -----Original Message----- From: Sally Taylor [mailto:taylor.sally@comcast.net] Sent: Wednesday, March 23, 2005 4:56 PM To: MIDLOTHIAN-L@rootsweb.com Subject: RE: [MLN] Clutching at straws I don't think paying the GRO to search a pre-1855 death will be of any use, since there was no official death registration in Scotland prior to 1855. The 1801-1806 range for year of birth is likely acceptable. People did not always know exactly when they were born, and sometimes only gave their children an inkling of their age. Bear in mind that the information on the death certificate is given by whoever registered the death, and in many cases, Yes even in those of a child of the deceased- they did not always know the precise info. My Maternal Grandmother was born to James Davidson and Annie Chalmers, but her death certificate has her born to Alexander Davidson and Agnes Pollack and she was put down as 3 years younger than she would have actually been at death! My father- born 1920 in England, never knew his parents dates of birth or where they were born even. In 1960 my father applied for life insurance and put down his fathers age as 70, however at that time my grandfather was actually 75. Sally Taylor Boxborough MA USA For what are we but reflections of our masters- those that came before us and whose blood flows in our veins- the ancestors who don't wish to be forgotten surname interests: ADAMS, BOOKER, DAVIDSON, DONALDSON, DUCKETT, FREELAND, GRAY, MacARTHUR, MacGREGOR, PRIDE, SKINNER, WESTCOTT England and Scotland http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=SHOW&db=n0055504 -----Original Message----- From: Kylie [mailto:wencheh@optusnet.com.au] Sent: Wednesday, March 23, 2005 4:44 PM To: MIDLOTHIAN-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [MLN] Clutching at straws I'm starting to think its time to throw a tanty! I thought that maybe I could get more clues to finding my William Noble's (Pilot in Leith) death by finding his wife's death certificate. Her name is Janet Edmonstone and on their marriage certificate it said daughter of John Edmonstone (Porter in Leith) so following that I found that she was born approx 1806. I found a certificate that has a Janet Noble, widow of James Noble, Pilot. She lived in Yardheads, Leith (which is the last area I can find my Janet residing in) and her father is listed as James Edmonstone. The age at death and the year would make her born in 1801 and to a different set of parents. The informant is listed as nephew and is the son of another of James Edmonstone's daughters. I have looked up marriages and cannot find a Janet Edmonstone married to a James Noble. It is SO so close with all the information but if I took it as gospel its not her. Can I assume that they got her fathers name wrong on her marriage certificate and her husbands wrong on her death certificate? There are no Johns in the family until Janet and Williams son Alexander had a son but John Logan Noble is named after Alexander's wifes family. I am stumped on both William AND Janets deaths. To top it off Scotlands People doesnt have death records before 1855, I suppose I will have to bite the bullet and pay a fee to the GRO for them to search for it. If anyone would like to impart genealogical wisdom on this I would be oh so grateful. Pulling my hair out, Kylie

Sonia - here's another one, and of Midlothian origins at that, where the lady gets a younger man and with a vengeance. . In Melbourne in 1854, Agnes Georgina SWAYNE, a widow, married my widowed and rather rich ggggrandfather James CONNELL (b. Newton near Edinburgh abt.1796) stating that she was 47. The wedding was witnessed by her (we think) niece, Jean HILL nee YOUNG. Five years later, having inherited from James, Agnes Georgina died and was stated to be 67, the informant just happening to be niece's husband, who inherited all. A rapid ageing of 15 years in 5. The truly astounding thing to discover was that Agnes Georgina was in fact 71 when she married James. She had been christened at St. Cuthberts, Edinburgh, in 1783, daughter of James Lieutenant PEDDIE and Elizabeth YOUNG, married John WRIGHT in 1810, John SWAYNE in 1825, and came out to Australia (stated age 50) with daughter Christiana in 1857. I wondered if I had missed another Agnes Georgina Peddie but the names of parents, place of birth, and number of children as given on her marriage certificate all accord with the above. Only the DOB/age is 24 years out! My cousin, a barrister, always thought there was something fishy about Agnes and the inheritance, but he didn't know that the discrepancy in age was 24 years not 15. How did she do it!!! What was going on? If anyone on the list has connections to any of the above, I would love to get in touch. To confuse things even further, there is the birth of a James Connell in Jan.1827 at Neilston, Renfrew, son of James Connell and Mary Young. In 1826, James may well have been in Scotland as he had contracted varicose veins "on the long march in Ireland" with his regiment, the 42nd, and was en route with first wife Mary SHINE of Adare Co. Limerick and daughter Mary Ann to Gibraltar where the rest of his regiment had already arrived. This may, of course, be sheer coincidence, but after unravelling the foregoing I don't know! Helen Australia. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gil & Sonia Murray" <happyman70@bellsouth.net> To: <MIDLOTHIAN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, March 24, 2005 10:48 AM Subject: RE: [MLN] Clutching at straws > Also - Because men seem to think they are entitled to younger wives, women > often take years off their age. My stepfather thought my mother was ten > years younger - she performed a little sleight of hand with her birth > cert., > changing the year from 1906 to 1916, and got a passport and other > documents > based on it - when she died at 86, her doctor thought she was 76. One of > my > husband's GGgrandmothers had the fountain of youth. She aged 12 years > over > 3 censuses - from 1850 to 1880 in the U.S., she aged twelve years in > thirty, > went from being 28 (truth) to being 40! > > Happy hunting, > Sonia > > -----Original Message----- > From: Sally Taylor [mailto:taylor.sally@comcast.net] > Sent: Wednesday, March 23, 2005 4:56 PM > To: MIDLOTHIAN-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: RE: [MLN] Clutching at straws > > I don't think paying the GRO to search a pre-1855 death will be of any > use, > since there was no official death registration in Scotland prior to 1855. > > The 1801-1806 range for year of birth is likely acceptable. People did not > always know exactly when they were born, and sometimes only gave their > children an inkling of their age. Bear in mind that the information on the > death certificate is given by whoever registered the death, and in many > cases, Yes even in those of a child of the deceased- they did not always > know the precise info. > > My Maternal Grandmother was born to James Davidson and Annie Chalmers, but > her death certificate has her born to Alexander Davidson and Agnes Pollack > and she was put down as 3 years younger than she would have actually been > at > death! > > My father- born 1920 in England, never knew his parents dates of birth or > where they were born even. In 1960 my father applied for life insurance > and > put down his fathers age as 70, however at that time my grandfather was > actually 75. > > Sally Taylor > Boxborough MA USA > > For what are we but reflections of our masters- those that came before us > and whose blood flows in our veins- the ancestors who don't wish to be > forgotten > > surname interests: ADAMS, BOOKER, DAVIDSON, DONALDSON, DUCKETT, FREELAND, > GRAY, MacARTHUR, MacGREGOR, PRIDE, SKINNER, WESTCOTT England and Scotland > http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=SHOW&db=n0055504 > > -----Original Message----- > From: Kylie [mailto:wencheh@optusnet.com.au] > Sent: Wednesday, March 23, 2005 4:44 PM > To: MIDLOTHIAN-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: [MLN] Clutching at straws > > I'm starting to think its time to throw a tanty! I thought that maybe I > could get more clues to finding my William Noble's (Pilot in Leith) death > by > finding his wife's death certificate. Her name is Janet Edmonstone and on > their marriage certificate it said daughter of John Edmonstone (Porter in > Leith) so following that I found that she was born approx 1806. I found a > certificate that has a Janet Noble, widow of James Noble, Pilot. She lived > in Yardheads, Leith (which is the last area I can find my Janet residing > in) > and her father is listed as James Edmonstone. The age at death and the > year > would make her born in 1801 and to a different set of parents. The > informant > is listed as nephew and is the son of another of James Edmonstone's > daughters. > I have looked up marriages and cannot find a Janet Edmonstone married to a > James Noble. > > It is SO so close with all the information but if I took it as gospel its > not her. Can I assume that they got her fathers name wrong on her marriage > certificate and her husbands wrong on her death certificate? There are no > Johns in the family until Janet and Williams son Alexander had a son but > John Logan Noble is named after Alexander's wifes family. > > I am stumped on both William AND Janets deaths. To top it off Scotlands > People doesnt have death records before 1855, I suppose I will have to > bite > the bullet and pay a fee to the GRO for them to search for it. > > If anyone would like to impart genealogical wisdom on this I would be oh > so > grateful. > > Pulling my hair out, > Kylie > > > > >