Can’t find a marriage, birth or death certificate

[Seoras]

Hello, I’m new to both the forum and family research so please bear with me! I’ve successfully traced the male line in my family back to 1862 but now I’m stuck. On my great, great grandfather’s marriage certificate it lists both of his parents, his mother is also mentioned in his death certificate so that’s definite. Problem is, I can’t find any information on either his mother or father. I’ve looked at births, marriages, death and census records but nope, nada. I wondered if anyone can offer me some advice on how to get past this blockage? The female line is proving much easier because some other family members have already done the heavy lifting. BTW, the family lived in North East Fife for many generations which has made it both more difficult and easier depending on the individual being researched,

Thanks in advance, Seoras

[BC Wench]

Welcome to the forum Seoras.

If you could give us the names of the people and any info you have we will try and help.

[Seoras]

Hi, BC Wench, thanks very much for your reply. I’m researching the male line of the Low family, I didn’t realise it was such a common name in the East of Scotland. I’ve managed to confirm the line as follows:
Father- Frederick Low, 1935 - 1991
Grandfather- Alexander Low, 1895 - 1959 married Janet Ritchie in 1914 then my gran Elizabeth Scott Ingram in 1918
G Grandfather- James Low, 1862 - 1921 married Mary Gough in 1888
G G Grandfather- James Low, about 1810 (can’t find birth info) - 1909 married Margaret Redpath in 1862
G G G Grandfather- James Low, can’t find any info except he was widowed when he married my G G G Grandmother Christina Stewart who is also proving difficult to find. She’s mentioned in the 1909 death register and the 1862 marriage register as James’s mother but that’s all I can find. All of these people lived around St. Andrews in North East Fife and the men were ploughmen apart from the James married to Christina Stewart who was a meal and grain miller (common in that area).

I hope this isn’t too garbled and makes some kind of sense!

Thanks again for helping,
Seoras

[BC Wench]

G G Grandfather- James Low, about 1810 (can’t find birth info) - 1909 married Margaret Redpath in 1862

According to census info, your 2xGreat Grandfather James Low was born about 1837, if I have the correct James Low.

I have searched on Ancestry, FMP, Familysearch and touched on Scotlandspeople which is a subscription site which I don't have access to. Unfortunately I haven't been able to get back any further with James Low who married Christian/Christina Stewart.

I presume that you have the following on James Low & Margaret Redpath

Marriage: 24 May 1862 St Andrews, Fife, Scotland
James Low & Margrat Redpath

1871 Census: Stirton Cottage, Kilmany, Fife
James Low, Head, 34, Farm Servant, Abdie, Fifeshire 1837
Margaret R Low, Wife, 32 1839
James Low, Son, 8 1862
Anne Low, Dau, 7 1864
Robt R Low, Son, 5 1866
Alexander Low, Son, 3 1868
David Low, Son, 1 1870

1881 Census: Parbroath Cotton, Creich, Fife
James Low, Head, 44, Ag. Lab, Abdie, Fifeshire
Margaret Low, Wife, 42
Alexander Low, Son, 13 1868
David Low, Son, 11 1870
Margaret Low, Dau, 8 1873
George Low, Son, 4 1877
William Low, Son, 1 1880

1891 Census: Teuchats Cothouse, Largo, Fife
James Low, Head, 54, Lime Work's Lab, Abdie, Fifeshire
Margaret Low, Wife, 52, St Monans, Fifeshire
Alexr Low, Son, 23, Kingsbarns, Fife 1868
George Low, Son, 14, Ceres, Fife 1877
William R Low, Son, 11, Criech, Fife 1880
John Low, Son, 8, Abdie, Fife 1883

1901 Census: 5 Door W Middle Row, Leslie, Fife
Margaret Low, Head, 62, St Monans, Fife
George Low, Son, 24, Traction Engine Driver, Ceres, Fife 1877
William Low, Son, 21, Ploughman, Creich, Fife 1880
John Low, Son 18, Ploughman, Abdie, Fife 1883
Alex Low, Grandson, 6, Cameron, Fife 1895
George Low, Grandson, 4, Cameron, Fife 1897
William Low, Grandson, 3, Ceres, Fife 1898

I also found this on the Find A Grave web site if you haven't already got it.

Margaret (Redpath) Low, her son James Low (1862-1922) and his son James Low (about1899-1911)

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/195 ... rgaret-low

I hope you manage to get back further.

[Seoras]

Hi BC Wench, thanks very much for this. Although I did have some of that info I seem to have missed the 1901 census, probably too focused on James and Christina. I didn’t have the Find A Grave info either and that may unlock some of my family tree that I was having difficulty with. The fact that the 1901 census shows the family in Leslie will enable me to connect a large chunk of Low’s (that’s the collective term for us ) to the male line, fleshing it out a bit. That in turn may lead to connections and discoveries that will help me get beyond the 1837 James.

The picture of Margaret Redpath’s grave is very emotive for me as I used to live in that village and sit in the churchyard looking at the sea. Little did I know that I was sitting feet away from my ancestor’s headstone. I’m hoping that in the summer I’ll be able to travel around Fife and find more of these graves.

I really appreciate you taking the time to look at this for me, you’ve been a great help and have renewed my enthusiasm, I was starting to think I wouldn’t find anything else but now I’m looking forward to getting back into it. If you want I’ll post back here once I progress a bit further to let you know how it’s going. I’m so glad I found the forum and I’m looking forward to engaging more with it.

Sorry for the long story

Take and thanks again, Seoras

[BC Wench]

Let's hope that the Find A Grave web site proves some help and renews your interest in genealogy.

The one thing that I love about the headstones in Scotland is that they inscribe a married woman's maiden name rather than her married name. When we first went to Sweetheart Abbey in Dumfries & Galloway we had a look around the graveyard, as you do, and I remember on one of the headstones there were 4 generations named on one headstone and I remember commenting to my husband how far you could get back with your ancestors plus the female's maiden name by looking at just one headstone.

Lovely story about you already knowing the village where Margaret's grave is.

Please do post back to let us know if you manage to make any progress with James Low and Christina Stewart.

[Seoras]

Hi B C Wench, I thought I’d be posting to say I’d managed to find James Low or Christina Stewart but I keep coming up empty so I’m back to ask if you can recommend a strategy to get past these two . I’ve searched Ancestry, Scotland’s People and Family Search but the only mention of either of them is on their son’s wedding record. Obviously this doesn’t give me any information about their birth, marriage or death. Something I did wonder about is there is a family rumour that one of my ancestors belonged to the Traveling community and Stewart is a very common name in the Scottish Traveling community. Is it possible that James and Christina were not married in the traditional sense and Christina’s birth or death would not have been recorded? I’m probably clutching at straws but I don’t know what else to think. Again, any help would be greatly appreciated,
Seoras

[BC Wench]

Hello Seoras, I've been having another look, but I haven't found anything new to what you already have.

On the 1862 marriage certificate of James Low & Margaret Redpath on some Ancestry family trees, it states that both James's parents, James Low & Christina Stewart are deceased, so where you say "She's mentioned in the 1909 death register" it can't be the same Christina (Stewart) Low.

I did find this censuses

1841 Census: Baxburn/Bucksburn, Newhills, Aberdeenshire
Alexander Caithaell, 40
Mary Caithaell, 40
William Caithaell, 5
Alexander Caithaell, 2
Peter Mcintyre, 30
Isabella Mcintyre, 30
James Bachanan, 85
James Low, 27, occupation: J(ourneyman) Flour Miller 1814
Christian Low, 22 1819
Elisabeth Davidson, 18

but if your James Low was born about 1837, why isn't he on this census.

1851 Census: 54 Kelvin St., Glasgow St George, Glasgow, Lanarkshire
James Low, 34, Head, Miller, born Kerrymuir, Forfar 1817
Christian Low, Wife, 32, born Aberdeen 1819
Alexander Low, Son, 8 1843
James Low, Son, 6 1845
William Low, Son, 2 1849
Margaret Low, Dau, 10 1841

but the James Low here is born c1845 whereas your James should be born c1837.

This could be your James (1837) in the 1861 census before his marriage to Margaret Redpath.

1861 Census: Kinkell, St Andrews, Fife Reg Dist (St Andrews & St Leonards)
James Low, Head, 24, Ploughman, Fifeshire 1837
Robert Pattison, 20, Servant
George Duncan, 19, Servant

I can't think of any other way to go back further to what we have both already been doing. Have you tried contacting the people on Ancestry who have made their family trees private as they may have the info you are looking for?
I'm sorry, but I can't help on the Travelling Community, as I've never gone down this route.

[Seoras]

Hi BC Wench, sorry I took a while to get back to you, I wrote a big story then deleted it by mistake somehow, another senior moment! This new info from the censuses is useful, the Glasgow one looks like it could be one of my James’s as one was listed as a miller on his son’s wedding record. The ages are a mystery, I have about 3 different ages for James but don’t know which one is right. Anyway, thanks for your input, I’ll keep working….
Regards Seoras

[BC Wench]

Good Luck.