Many thanks again, Meg and Bruce for your help with the 1855 DC for Ann DOUGLAS nee DALRYMPLE. I appreciated receiving the transcriptions, images and all your comments about the information in the DC. Bruce, it certainly does look like Ann and William were following Scottish naming patterns, which is a good clue to finding William's parents. Meg, you pointed out that there should have been more information in the DC than there was, eg there were no ages of children, nothing to say whether parents were deceased etc. I took another close look at the second of the images you sent me and discovered two " + " , signs one under the other, in the narrow column immediately to the left of the column in which the informant was supposed to sign and give his/her relationship to the deceased. I cannot read the heading of the column to the left so I do not know what the " + " signs mean. The only thought I had was that these could have been the place where an illiterate informant would make their mark if s/he could not sign his own name in the next column. I am surprised if this was the case as my understanding is that the vast majority of people from the Wigtownshire area were literate. Perhaps he had a learning difficulty which also meant he did not know the ages of his siblings! Would you know what the " + " signs mean? Kind regards, Ailsa ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2013 21:59:31 +1100 From: Bruce McDowall <milldriggan@gmail.com> Subject: Re: [WIG LIST] Ann DOUGLAS nee DALRYMPLE died 1855 Kirkcowan To: ailsa158@optusnet.com.au Cc: Wig List <SCT-WIGTOWNSHIRE@rootsweb.com> Message-ID: <CAC1_HmUSMDnsX7=VisFoKqXtLudQTqYic+fpNkU148rRZ9ckvw@mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Hi Ailsa, *Kirckcowan Deaths 1855 No 14:* Ann Douglas F 62 years Glenluce, 13 years Thomas Dalrymple, Farmer, Isabella Dalrymple, maiden name Douglas William Douglas, Grieve Isabella, Jane, James, Margaret, Thomas, Mary Anne, William, John, Peter 1855, November 4th, 11 h A.M. Farm house of Drumwhirrie Erysipelas of Face and head, for eight days, as certified by James Gillespie Surgeon who saw deceased on 4th November 1855 Church Yard of Kirkcowan, as certified by James McKie, Sexton James Douglas, Son At Kirkcowan, November 12th, John McNaughton, Registrar >From the list of her children, her second son and first daughter were >named consistent with use of the naming tradition. Thus, it seems possible that the parents of her husband were named James and Jane. No guarantee, but something worth considering. Regards, Bruce ------------------------------ Message: 2 Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2013 13:15:00 -0500 From: "Meg Greenwood {scotquester@bartnet.net}" <scotquester@bartnet.net> Subject: [WIG LIST] 1855 Death, Ann Douglas, Kirkcowan To: sct-wigtownshire@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <514213A4.8040106@bartnet.net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Here is the data from that 1855 Death Registration, if you would like the 2 JPGs I have for this, write back, I'll send them. Every 1855 Registration had 2 pages as the Registrar wrote left to right across the completely open book, Kirkcowan Deaths, 1855 entry #14 - Ann DOUGLAS age 62 died Glenluce, had been in Kirkcowan 13 years. Daughter of Thomas DALRYMPLE, Farmer and Isabella DALRYMPLE maiden surname DOUGLAS. She had married William DOUGLAS, occupation Grieve and had the following children : Isabella, Jane, James, Margaret, Thomas, Mary Ann, William, John and Peter. She died November 4th, 11am at the Farm House of Drumwhirrie of 'Erysipelas' of Face and Head. Certified by James Gillespie, Surgeon who saw deceased 4th November. Buried in the Churchyard of Kirkcowan, certified by James McKie, Sexton. Informant was James DOUGLAS, son. Registered November 12th at Kirkcowan, John McNaughton, Registrar. Yes, she had same married surname as her mother's maiden surname [DOUGLAS]. Ages were supposed to be given for all children whether living or dead however the Registrar did not get them, he did on the very next Registration, #15. Even if the ages were Unknown, he was supposed to write that 'ages unknown'. You'd think the Informant as a SON of the deceased would have known the ages of his siblings. Also it seems that at age 62, her parents were most likely deceased however its not noted on the Registration. Instructions were to write 'deceased' by either parent who was no longer living. There is a lot of information here, but not as much as I'd have expected. MegG in OK =========================================== ---------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2013 17:09:36 +1100 From: "ailsa158" <ailsa158@optusnet.com.au> Subject: [WIG LIST] Ann DOUGLAS nee DALRYMPLE died 1855 Kirkcowan Hi Listers, I have a query about the parentage of Ann DALRYMPLE and her husband William DOUGLAS of Drumwherry in Kirkcowan. Ann's husband seems to be buried with a George DOUGLAS and Ann McKIE who might have been his parents. However I had thought his parents were William DOWGLAS and Jean McNAIRN of Two Mark, Old Luce. Fortunately Ann died on 4th November 1855 (at the age of 62). I checked the Wigtownshire Pages and found an Ann DOUGLAS who died in 1855 aged 62 but her death certificate has not yet been transcribed. I know the DC might not have much information about William but I thought it still might assist me to work out the relationship between William and the family he was buried with. Therefore could I ask Meg or Randy or whoever is now transcribing the 1855 death certificates to take a look at Ann DOUGLAS' DC for me? I would be very grateful to read the information it contains. With thanks, Ailsa