Semple

[scottishMist]

Hi All

I am looking for help I am trying to find a Alexander Semple Married a Jane Cadwell
They had a daughter Hellen Born 1838 Houston Renfrewshire she Married Robert Whyte in 1870 in Houston
I Have found Hellen and Jane in Kilmalcolm Renfrwshire1841 but she is using her maiden name and Alexander is nowhere to be found Occupation surgeon
I thought with Alexander being a surgeon he would be easy to find but I have had no luck
any help I would be so greatful
Cheers Jan

[Georgette]

I've moved this for Jan from General in the hope that someone may be able to help

[scottishMist]

Hi Georgette

I thought I put in the wrong place
I hope someone can help me I am at a lost with Alexander Semple Can't fidn him anywhere the only info is his daughter marriage cert
Cheers Jan

[Uncle John]

Hi Jan

Please can you say what you know for definite (working backwards from the 1870 marriage).

As you know, civil registration didn't start in Scotland until 1855, so where did you find evidence of Hellen's birth in 1838? Have you looked in the Old Parochial Records (OPRs) on ScotlandsPeople or in the IGI?

[KiteRunner]

Was Jane's surname Cadwell or Caldwell? It says Caldwell on the ancestry transcription but of course that could be wrong. I see Helen is going by the surname Semple on that census and it says age 3 months on ancestry, but again, you would need to check the image on Scotland's People if you haven't already, in case it really says 3 years! Anyway, Scottish married women did often use their maiden name after marriage.

[KiteRunner]

Ooh, I see that the IGI has a Helen Caldwell christened 25 Jul 1837 at Kilmalcolm, mother Jean Caldwell, but it is a "submitted" entry so you would need to check it. Jean and Jane seem to have been interchangeable names in Scotland.

[scottishMist]

Hi All
I have Hellen Semple Marriage cert that's were I got her year of birth and her parents Alexander and Jane Cadwell and Alexander being a surgeon
I think the census is wrong giving Hellen age 3 months and should be 3 years
I have try to find Alexander on IGI and scotlands people with no luck
Cheers Jan

[KiteRunner]

The 1851 and 1861 censuses both give Helen's birthplace as Kilmalcolm, not Houston, according to ancestry, so I would think that baptism on the IGI is likely to be correct.

In 1851 the mother is Jean Caldwell age 41 born Kilmalcolm, and she has a son William Caldwell age 1. Helen's surname is given as Caldwell too. Ancestry says she has a middle initial T but I bet if you look at the image it will be S for Semple! In 1861 Helen's surname is Semple but Jane and William are both Caldwell. It looks likely to me that Jane didn't marry Alexander Semple because you would expect William's surname to be Semple in that case.

The IGI has a "submitted" baptism and "extracted" birth record for William Caldwell at Kilmalcolm in 1849, mother Jean. I would think it should be worth looking at the image of the OPR entry for this on Scotland's People to see what details are given.

As for Alexander Semple, surgeon, I haven't managed to find him at all. Have you found an OPR birth / baptism for Helen Caldwell on Scotland's People? I wonder whether Alexander Semple could have died or emigrated soon after her birth and before the 1841 census.

[Uncle John]

Kite, Kilmacolm (no middle "l") and Houston are not too far apart.

[scottishMist]

Hi all

I will have to go back and look again
On her Marriage cert she has her mother down as Semple
I think with Alexander not being anywhere to be found
KiteRunner is right .......so have to do more digging
Hellen named one of her sons Alexander Semple Whyte so must have been fond of her father
If I find any more I will let everyone that has help me
Cheers Jan

[Janet]

This Alexander Semple has come up with my own Scottish genealogy and I think you may find him practising as a surgeon in Edinburgh at the school of medecine there. I will have to google search for this information as I am only speaking from memory at present.

Have you already posted something on Rootschat and all the corresondence on there re this family or is that someone else who has posted similar info?

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=63f927fc273ac44efef8746843c49c9d&topic=359551.15

Tried googling without much luck but it would seem that the name Alexander Semple is quite common.

Janet

[scottishMist]

Hi Janet

yes I posted on roots that how I got the info about the whyte and then got the Marriage cert with Alexander and Jane (jean) Caldwell.
and now looking for info on Alexander
I have looked on Scotlands people with no luck finding Hellen Birth cert with using Caldwell and Semple
cheers Jan

[scottishMist]

Hi All

Just a update
I found Jean(Jane) Caldwell Death Cert says she was single so she was never married to Alexander Semple so and other cert on my list is William Caldwell to see who his father was.
Thanks again for all your help
Cheers Jan

[KiteRunner]

Oh, thanks for letting us know that, Jan. That was what I suspected!