Am I on the right track?

[Kingfisher]

Hi everybody
Further to my last posting on the subject of my g/g/granpappy's D.O.B, I have had a new thought, which I'd like to "bounce off you all" - I've plotted my family tree back to my g/g/grandfather William McKay (born Scotland 1817): however, on the 1851 census, in Liverpool where the family were living then, they were spelling their name MacKay. I also have William's marriage cert (Chester 1849, to Eliza Jones, my g/g/grandmother.), which shows his father as being named Robert.

On Scotlands people I found a Robert MacKay who sired a son, to Janet Davidson, who was born in Caithness on the 4th December 1817, and christened William MacKay, on 23rd December 1817. I also have William's death cert (Liverpool 1871). (My problem is that, I can't find any verification of my g/g/granpappy's actual date of birth, back in 1817, in Victorian Liverpool!)

(NB, NEW INFO:I've now noticed that, on his death cert, dated 28th Nov 1871, he is stated as being 54 years old when he died; therefore, as he was born in 1817, he can not yet have had a birthday in 1871, the year that he died; otherwise he would have been shown as aged 55 at death!! This strongly suggests that he might well have been that boy, who was born on 4th December, of 1817.) Any thoughts anyone?

Best
Ian

 

[jojo21again]

Hi everybody
Further to my last posting on the subject of my g/g/granpappy's D.O.B, I have had a new thought, which I'd like to "bounce off you all" - I've plotted my family tree back to my g/g/grandfather William McKay (born Scotland 1817): however, on the 1851 census, in Liverpool where the family were living then, they were spelling their name MacKay. I also have William's marriage cert (Chester 1849, to Eliza Jones, my g/g/grandmother.), which shows his father as being named Robert.

On Scotlands people I found a Robert MacKay who sired a son, to Janet Davidson, who was born in Caithness on the 4th December 1817, and christened William MacKay, on 23rd December 1817. I also have William's death cert (Liverpool 1871). (My problem is that, I can't find any verification of my g/g/granpappy's actual date of birth, back in 1817, in Victorian Liverpool!)

(NB, NEW INFO:I've now noticed that, on his death cert, dated 28th Nov 1871, he is stated as being 54 years old when he died; therefore, as he was born in 1817, he can not yet have had a birthday in 1871, the year that he died; otherwise he would have been shown as aged 55 at death!! This strongly suggests that he might well have been that boy, who was born on 4th December, of 1817.) Any thoughts anyone?

Best
Ian

you probably have the right one, have you searched parish records for his Baptism?

 

[jojo21again]

what age is he on the marriage certificate?

 

[Kingfisher]

Hi Jo
The marriage certificate, of my g/g/grandfather, and mother, simply says "Of age", as was often the case with lazy local government officials; however, if I take his year of birth, 1817, as being accurate; and, as I know that in the year he died (1871) he had not had a birthday by the 28th November, he must have been aged 32 when they married, on 13th July 1849. Hope you can help?
Best
Ian

 

[jojo21again]

Hi Ian, was Eliza still living when William died? who registered thee death of William? the info will be on the death certificate
Joanne

 

[Kingfisher]

Hi Joanne
Eliza was present at William's death, (She was 12 years younger anyway!) Also, the information on the death certificate doesn't show the date of birth only the "age at death!!
Best
Ian

 

[jojo21again]

1841 Scotland Census
Janet Mackay 60 Ind Scotland
Janet Mackay 30 F S Scotland
William Mackay 30 M S Caithness, Scotland
Barbara Mackay 15 Caithness, Scotland

 

[jojo21again]

1851 England Census
Wm Mackay Head Mar 34 Scotland
Eliza Mackay Wife Mar 23 Gresford, Denbigshire,Wales
John Robert Mackay Son 4mnths Gresford,Denbigshire, Wales
Wm Jones visitor 31 Gresford,Denbigshire,Wales

 

[jojo21again]

1861 England Census
William Mackay Head 44 Scotland
Eliza Mackay wife 32 Gesford,Denbigshire,Wales
John R Mackay Son 10 Gresford,Denbigshire,Wales
Walter Mackay Son 9mnths Liverpool,Lancs
William E. Mackay Son 8 Liverpool,Lancs
Alexander Mackay Son 6 Liverpool,Lancs
James A Mackay Son 3 Liverpool,Lancs

 

[jojo21again]

1871 England Census
William Mckay Head 54 Scotland
Eliza Mckay Wife 42 Gresford,Denbigshire,Wales
John R Mckay Son 20 Gresford,Denbigshire,Wales
William Mckay Son 18 Liverpool,Lancs
Alexander Mckay Son 16 Liverpool,Lancs
James A Mckay Son 13 Liverpool,lancs
Walter Mckay Son 10 Liverpool,Lancs
Agnes Mckay Daug 7 Liverpool,Lancs

 

[jojo21again]

1901 England Census
Eliza Mckay Head 73 Gresford,Denbigshire,Wales
Alexander Mckay Son 46 Liverpool,Lancs
Walter Mckay Son 46 Liverpool,Lancs

Living in Toxteth Park

Death:
Eliza Mckay 4th qtr, 1901, Toxteth Park, 8b 160

 

[jojo21again]

i can do some more searching if you want me to
jojo

 

[Kingfisher]

i can do some more searching if you want me to
jojo

Hi Jo
I owe you a big apology, and a bigger debt of gratitude; as, last year, when I was floundering around trying to build my family tree, you came to my rescue with some invaluable research. Unfortunately, I missed all of the postings you made on 7th June, and completely lost track of my own postings, because I was using sooo many forums in an attempt to research my family tree, I lost track of exactly where I had posted. As you will have guessed, I'm not very good at forums!

However, now I'm up and running and back on the trail again; and, largely due to your much appreciated help, I have got a much clearer idea of where I came from: see pasted below.

William (my g/g/grandfather) and all his children, here they are.

William McKay /MacKay (My g/g/Grandfather), (Born Scotland 1817)

Married Eliza Jones (I have the marriage Cert, Chester 13th July 1849)

Issue: John Robert MacKay (Born Gresford, North Wales, 1851)

William McKay (Born Liverpool 1853)

Alexander McKay ( Born Liverpool 1855)

James Archibald Mckay (My g/grandfather, born in Liverpool 1858 )

Walter McKay (Born Liverpool,1861)

Agnes Mckay (Born Liverpool 1864)

My grandfather was Archibald Nelson Mckay, the son of James Archibald McKay; and, his son, Bernard William Nelson Mckay, was my own father.

So, I'm 99.9999% certain that the Robert, shown as being William's father, on the 1849 marriage certificate is, in fact, the Robert Mackay who married Janet Davidson on 1st March 1817, and they are my g/g/g/grandparents, and that the son born to them on 4th December 1817, and christened William, is my g/g/grandfather.

Although I've been unable to find any record of William's actual date of birth, here in Liverpool, I now notice that, on William's death cert, dated 28th Nov 1871, he is stated as being 54 years old, at death; therefore, as he was born in 1817, he can not yet have had a birthday in 1871, the year that he died! Otherwise it would have shown the age at death as being 55!

This narrows it down considerably, as his birthday must have been either in the last two days of November; or, in the month of December, which strongly suggests that he might well have been born in the December of 1817; and, therefore, really is the boy child born to Robert Mackay and Janet Davidson, on 4th December 1817.

Slow progress; but, nevertheless, progress. And I suppose, like you say, only someone interested in the black arts of genealogy would call going backwards a step foward: and, therefore, progress!!

Once again Jo, I can't thank you enough for the help you gave me, back in June last year, and if there is anything else you can do to help me get back a little further, I would really appreciate it. I don't know if I mentioned it before, but in the 1851 census William and Eliza had moved to Liverpool; and they, and their first born child John Robert, were all listed as being spelled MacKay, and not McKay; and, very neatly matches the Robert MacKay I found up in Caithness, in the north of Scotland. Thanks again, and keep in touch Jo.
Best
Ian