Alexander Mc Bain C1852 Scotland

[carolegibson57]

I am looking for information on my great grandfather, Alexander McBain who was born in Scotland and later went to England. He married Phoebe De Sola in London. His father was Alexander McBain, who at the time of Alexander juniors marriage, had died. He was a Seaman.

Has anyone got any information to help my search.

[Uncle John]

Got the marriage ( a lucky stab!)

Mile End Old Town, Apr-Jun 1893 (vol 1c page 803)

Desola is indexed as one word. On the image it looks like vol 1a.

[Uncle John]

Poor Phoebe didn't last long. By 1901 Alexander is a widower
57 Globe Road, Mile End:
Alexander, wid., 51, tinned foods preserver born Aberdeen
William (son), 14 born Brighton
James (son) 12 born Mile End
Clara (dau) 5 born Mile End
Elizabeth B Hewitt (housekeeper) born Leamington

So it looks as if Alexander might have been married before.

[Uncle John]

Can't see a death for Phoebe on Ancestry FreeBMD, so she is either mistranscribed, not yet transcribed or known by another name.

[KiteRunner]

Or not really dead!

[KiteRunner]

Anyway, it looks as though what you want to do is trace Alexander's family back? Given the place of birth is Aberdeen (i.e. Aberdeenshire) on that 1901 census entry, there are two possibilities listed for his birth on the IGI, both with fathers named Alexander:

Alexander McBain born 30 Feb 1852, christened 16 Nov 1852 Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, parents Alexander McBain and Mary Soutter.

Alexander McBain born 12 Sep 1853, christened 2 Oct 1853 St Nicholas, Aberdeen, parents Alexander McBain and Henrietta Munro.

There are some others born in different years.

So we need to get some more info on your Alexander to work out which is the right one. For instance, if one of his children was given Soutter or Munro as a middle name, or Henrietta as a first name, it would be a good indication. If one was named Mary then it might not mean much!

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Or not really dead!

Exactly!!

This is Phoebe and Alexander in 1901 in St George in the East, transcribed as McBaie!!

RG13; Piece: 310; Folio: 17; Page: 28

Alexander head m 46 Bricklayers Labourer b Scotland
Phoebe wife m 33 b St Geo in the East
Samuel son 6 ditto
Betsy dau 4 ditto
Amelia dau 1 ditto

at 16 Mary St, St Geo in the East, London

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Phoebe's birth (just to confirm I have the right couple!):

Births Dec 1867
De Sola Phoebe Whitechapel 1c 388

But it's Alexander you want info on. Hmmmm......

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

There's a family of McBain's in London in 1891 headed by widow Jane McBain 60 and a son called Alex, roughly the right age (b Ayrshire) but that's not him, because back in 1861 Jane's husband was Peter McBain, house decorator. :(

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

His father was Alexander McBain, who at the time of Alexander juniors marriage, had died. He was a Seaman.

I'm not sure from the above whether Alex was a seaman or his dec'd father was a seaman.

However, there is an Alex McBain occ seaman (mate) aged 26 on the Scottish 1881 census born Peterhead, Aberdeenshire.

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

PLease ignore this post and the next few and proceed to post 24!!! lol



Or if it's the dad who was a seaman, there's this one (best fit!!):

1861

Alexander McBain 33 Ship's carpenter b St Nicholas, Aberdeen
Barbra McBain 31 b Old Machar, Aberdeen
Alexander McBain 7 St Nicholas, Aberdeen
John Lewis bro-in-law 20 Ships carpenter b Old Machar, Aberdeen

but if dad was a seaman, then he might not have been at home for the census.

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Oh EURIKA! lol

If John LEWIS is bro-in-law in the last post, then Lewis is that Alexander's mother's maiden name.

Then we have the birth reg is Alexander's son, Samuel:

Births Dec 1894
McBain Samuel Lewis Bethnal G. 1c 219

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

I don't think we need worry too much about Samuel's birth reg not being in ST George in the East (as per 1901 census page) as Betsy's isn't there either - hers is Whitechapel! lol Amelia's is in St Geo in the East District.

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Marriage of Alex's parents from the IGI:

ALEXANDER MCBAIN
Marriages:
Spouse: BARBARA LEWIS
Marriage: 17 JUN 1859 Saint Nicholas, Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland
Messages: Extracted marriage record for locality listed in the record.

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Oooh that was after he was born!!

*tuts* lol

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Now I'm not so sure...........was Lewis only Alex's step mother (why can't things be straightforward?)

ALEXANDER MCBAIN
Event(s):
Birth: 12 SEP 1853

Christening: 02 OCT 1853 Saint Nicholas, Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland

Parents:
Father: ALEXANDER MCBAIN
Mother: HENRIETTA MUNRO
Messages:
Extracted birth or christening record for the locality listed in the record.

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Alex had a sister who isn't on the 1861 census:

CATHARINE DUFF MC BAIN
Event(s):
Birth: 31 JUL 1855 Saint Nicholas, Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland
Parents:
Father: ALEXANDER MC BAIN
Mother: HENRIETTA MUNRO
Messages:
Extracted birth or christening record for the locality listed in the record.

Would Alexander have named his son Lewis after his step-mother?? I have no idea. Of course it might turn out that "Lewis" is elsewhere in the family too.....

[KiteRunner]

If that 1901 census entry with the Alexander who was a widower isn't the right one (since you've found the one where he has Phoebe with him, Merry), we don't know whether he came from Aberdeenshire now, do we? The 1901 entry you found just says Scotland. I think there were quite a lot of Alexander McBains from various counties when I looked at the IGI. And I'm not sure if ship's carpenter is the same as seaman... so we need to be careful not to go wrong.

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

By playing with the Scotands people index I can see there's a death for a Henrietta McBain in 1856.

[Merry Monty Montgomery]

Oooh I don't know if they are the right ones.........*moves forward nervously*

1871 father and son are both ships carpenters.