Mary Although it's implied in Katie's message, it's perhaps worth making the point explicitly, The dates in Scotlands People are years of registration, not the years of the events. It's therefore entirely possible - even probable - that an event on 25 December would not be registered and recorded until the following year. Martyn> From: gallorosso@home.nl> To: sct-argyll@rootsweb.com; em.paton86@iinet.net.au> Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2008 07:08:21 +0200> Subject: Re: [ARGYLL] McPHAIL Duncan (+McNeill, Paterson) - missing death records?> > Hello Mary,> > You say Duncan's mother's 25th December death is not showing up on > Scotland's People. I'm sure you've probably thought of this already but, > just in case, have you checked 1859 as well?> > It was a long time before I found my great great grandmother's death, even > knowing the name and date and place. She is one of the few ancestors of > mine for whom there is a monumental inscription and so I "knew" Duncan > McCallum's wife Mary Munro died at Melvich, Sutherland, in December 1814. > Still, no sign of her on Scotland's People until, in one of those rare > flashes of inspiration that carry our research way forward - or rather, > backward - I eventually stumbled upon her down the road in Strathy, > registered three weeks later in Reay (Caithness), in January 1915!> > So, a different month, year and even a different county from where I'd been > looking but hardly surprising in retrospect, given shifting administrative > boundaries and the bleak winter conditions on the northern coast.> > Good luck!> Katie de Haan> The Netherlands