--- Lynn Seamark <Lmseamark@newhudson.com> wrote: > I could look them up for you on Ancestry. I did do a > quick look in the 1910 > census (the index is head of household only) and > there are 3 D. Head in New > York - none born in Scotland. Can you give me a > little more info to query > on? Thanks Lynn, as I suspected, D Head just did'nt fit, but the family are quite clearly going to an address in NY. I think the head of the household should be another Neil B~1863 in Paisley (son of Neil Head/Eads/Heads born Torabus 1817). However, by 1910 I suspect they may be in Westchester county. What about 1900 data? Since they all seem to have become US citizens by 1904? Here's the document, sorry for the size of the link http://www.ellisisland.org/search/shipManifest.asp?MID=20253409030233529472&FNM=NEIL&LNM=HEAD&PLNM=HEAD&first_kind=1&last_kind=0&RF=2&pID=102576020266& __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

> I think the head of the household should be > another Neil B~1863 in Paisley (son of Neil > Head/Eads/Heads born Torabus 1817). Sorry wrong farm, should be Persabus, Torabus is the next door one (coincidentally my Aunt & uncle's hence the mistake) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

Handfasting Much has been made of the revival of the custom called handfasting, perhaps too much. In some places and times (Medieval Scotland, Northern England and perhaps Ireland) it seems to mean betrothal and in others genuine marriage. Many interpret it as a trial marriage or a step beyond betrothal but not nearly as permanent as marriage. It is often repeated that this handfasting is for a year and a day. Appealing as the "trial marriage" concept of handfasting is to many, the "revival" of the practice is a case of life imitating fiction. The literary source for the "year and a day" originally comes from Sir Walter Scott. The popular Outlander series by Diane Gabeldon is just one of more recent examples of ideas about handfasting entering the popular imagination through historical novels. A year and a day was the period that a couple must be married for a spouse to have claim to a share of inheritable property in case of the death of the other spouse. Misunderstanding of this fact combined with confusion about the celebration of betrothals in medieval times lead to the modern myth of the Celtic trial marriage. Never-the-less the mythical "trial marriage" handfasting is now pretty well established in some circles. Handfasting, according to the historical novel tradition would normally lead to regular permanent and valid marriage but if either parties chose to leave, the relationship was null. Even if children had been brought forth these children were considered lawful offspring of both parents. Neither would be prevented from seeking marriage to another after the handfasting was dissolved. Handfasting in a manner reminiscent of marriage by declaration is advocated by modern pagans and historical reenactment enthusiasts, sometimes as an off-the-books substitute for legal marriage, sometimes as a supplement to a legal wedding. Handfasting, it is claimed is a holdover from pre-Christian Celtic marriage laws. It should not be surprising that in this day and age when sexual partnerships often avoid the commitment of permanent monogamy, that a fantasy state of non-marriage should appear. If trial marriages existed in medieval times as it is claimed, they were just the sort of unregistered, off-the-books affairs that would be impossible to document historically. Thus the possibility that such arrangements once may have been is used to justify arrangements that are made to order for lovers wishing to live together in a partnership recognized by like-minded friends but without the blessing of church or state. Handfasting can be part of the religious or civil wedding ceremony. The hands of the bride and groom are joined as in the familiar scene as the person officiating the ceremony asks "Who gives this woman to be wed?" and then takes her hand from her father or whoever is giving away the bride and clasps it to the hand of the groom. In olden days the priest or minister would wrap the clasped hands in the end of his stole to symbolize the trinity of marriage; man and woman joined by God. With God’s grace in time another trinity would be manifest; mother, father and child. The Celts have always been good at seeing things in threes. This symbolic binding together in marriage evolved into a the practice of wrapping the clasped hands with a cord or an embroidered cloth, usually made especially for that purpose. Handfasting in this manner is a legitimate part of a legally valid marriage, rather than a substitute for it. More articles about Handfasting It should be cautioned that while brides and grooms can be very creative with their vows, clothes, locations, music and religious content of their weddings, laws of the state and church still apply. It is a crime for clergy to knowingly perform marriages that would not be legally binding or to perform marriages and not record them properly with the state. If you ask a real ordained minister, who is licensed by the state to perform marriages, to bless a handfasting that you do not want to record as a legal wedding you are on very thin ice unless you make it very clear that it is a betrothal. Religious sects have rules about what they allow as well. Maverick pastors can be de-frocked for going against church teachings about marriage. Bigamy is a crime and so is marrying your brother or your mother or your dog or your hamster. There are two reasons when it is OK and even advisable to have a second informal wedding ceremony that would not be registered with the state. When a couple joins or returns to active fellowship in religious faith after having been married outside that church they may be wed again according to the form and tradition of the sect they wish to have bless their marriage. This commonly happens when a couple wants their existing marriage to be recognized by the Roman Catholic Church, but they may desire to reaffirm their vows in a religious ceremony in any faith, either because they are just now converting to it or for some other reason they did not have a religious ceremony at the time they first wed. This wedding is usually done privately. It need not be recorded with the state since as far as the state is concerned the marriage already exists. It is increasingly popular to renew wedding vows, usually on an anniversary. This can be a very touching ceremony and again there is no need to record the event with the state or comply with any of the legal requirements of a regular wedding as the marriage is already recorded. source: http://www.celtarts.com/WEDDING/traditions.htm ===================================== From: "John Gillies" <john.gillies@bigpond.com> Subject: Re: [SCT-ISLAY] Scotland marriage Date: Fri, 14 Apr 2006 00:02:33 +1000 References: <443DC4FA.2080901@netsync.net> According to Margaret Bennett in her book "Scottish Customs - From the Cradle to the Grave", handfasting was abolished in the Highlands by the Statues of Icolmkill in 1609 - this was in an effort to bring all Scotland under the control of the Scottish Parliament. It took a while however, and was fairly common all over Scotland until the eighteenth century. It was eventually wiped out by the pressure from the Church, and dated to an era when remote communities had only one or two visits a year from a Cleric. John Gillies ----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard F. Sheil" <sheil@netsync.net> To: <SCT-ISLAY-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2006 1:26 PM Subject: [SCT-ISLAY] Scotland marriage >Greetings - >Does anyonw know how common was a "handfasating" marriage in the >early 19th century? > >-- >Any day above ground is a good day! >sheil@netsync.net > > > >==== SCT-ISLAY Mailing List ==== >FOR QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS MAILING LIST - HOW TO UNSUBSCRIBE - HOW TO CHANGE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, ETC, ETC...: >http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~steve/islay/maillist.htm >