If this is them and their family in 1841, you have at least the county of birth: Piece: SCT1841/494 Place: Cardross -Dunbartonshire Enumeration District: 7 Civil Parish: Cardross Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island: Cardross Folio: 7 Page: 2 Address: Renton Main Street Surname First name(s) Sex Age Occupation Where Born Remarks STRACHAN Thomas M 45 Navey Dunbartonshire STRACHAN Mary F 42 Dunbartonshire STRACHAN Daniel M 20 Navey Dunbartonshire STRACHAN James M 18 Calico Printer Dunbartonshire STRACHAN Marey F 15 Public Worker Dunbartonshire STRACHAN Janet F 13 Public Worker Dunbartonshire STRACHAN Robert M 11 Public Worker Dunbartonshire STRACHAN John M 9 Public Worker Dunbartonshire (Navey is spelling of Navvy, or labourer, just as "Marey" is Mary) Remember that in 1841 ages were rounded down to the nearest 5 years, so Thomas was aged between 45 and 49, so was born between 1792/3 and 1796/7 (the actual years vary according to his month of birth in relation to the census date.) Finding his birth and marriage probably depends on how his name was spelled in the register - Strachan has loads of variant spellings! There are also gaps in many of the church registers due to failings of recording or custody. Another factor is religion. Mostly the pre-1855 online indexes are of Church of Scotland registers, so if the family were Roman Catholic, etc. and did not want to have their marriage banns declared in the Church of Scotland, the marriage evidence would only be in the R.C. register, and not indexed. ----------------------- Assuming your difficulty with the marriage and birth continues, try another route. This MAY be the son James in 1851, living with his uncle Charles: Piece: SCT1851/493 Place: Bonhill -Dunbartonshire Enumeration District: 7 Civil Parish: Bonhill Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island: Bonhill Folio: 0 Page: 25 Schedule: 106 Address: Bonhill Village Surname First name(s) Rel Status Sex Age Occupation Where Born Remarks STRACHAN Charles Head M M 33 Engravers Labourer Dunbartonshire - Bonhill STRACHAN Cathrine Wife M F 38 Argyllshire - Ardchattan STRACHAN Charles Son - M 10 Scholar Dunbartonshire - Bonhill STRACHAN Duncan Son - M 9 Scholar Dunbartonshire - Bonhill STRACHAN Agness Dau - F 4 Dunbartonshire - Bonhill STRACHAN Magdalane Dau - F 2 Dunbartonshire - Bonhill Page: 0/26 STRACHAN Cathrine Dau - F 6m Dunbartonshire - Bonhill STRACHAN James Nephew U M 26 Printfield Labourer Dunbartonshire - Cardross ------------------ In which case, you can look for Charles' birth in Bonhill, as he will have the same parents as Thomas. Charles married Catherine MacIntyre in Bonhill on 25 May 1839. Their son Charles Robertson Strachan was born in Bonhill 21 June 1840. Good luck! Gordon. Janet said: > > Would like to be in touch with anyone who has or is doing research on the > Thomas STRACHAN and Mary McLEAN family who lived in Old Kilpatrick and > Dumbartonshire, in the early 1800's. > > His birth and their marriage seems to be the best kept secret and I > suspect it may be that it was never registered unless both took place in another > county or country, Ireland or England. If anyone has any information on > these two or I would be happy to exchange my work with them. > > Have much information on this family and their descendants but have hit a > brick wall with Thomas and Mary and could use some help. Would appreciate > any. > > Janet

I am looking for the death/burial of Farquhar McLeay. His last child Colin was born in 1836 in Urray, Ross and his wife Ann Campbell in 1841 is a crofters widow,Breachachy,Kilmorack,Inverness. Elizabeth