Scottish ancestors?

[tessie31082]

Hi all, I am researching the family of my Great Aunt who married into the family. I think one of her ancestors married in Scotland as I can't find a marriage in England/Wales and believe his wife was born in West Linton, Scotland? How would I go about searching for the marriage (I don't know his wife's maiden name).
Details are: James Douglass b. 1821, Bamborough/Warkworth, Northumberland, his wife's first name is Ellen/Eleanor/Elenor
Many thanks for any help received
Tessie

[Olde Crone Holden]

Hi tessie

As the names are quite common ones, can you narrow down the time when they probably married, for instance, which census do you have them as a married couple?

Scotland's People is the site for all Scottish research, pay per view, but Scottish records are much more informative than English ones, so you get very good value for money!

Some things are also on the IGI.

OC

[Olde Crone Holden]

Here's one which might fit, but you would need the birth cert of one of their children to confirm:

James Douglas to
Helen Couts
4 April 1847 West Linton Peebles, Scotland.

(IGI extracted marriage record)

OC

[tessie31082]

Hi, sorry forgot to put the year range!! Their first child was born in 1849 so 1847-1850 I guess would be a good range. O,C the one you have looks like a good bet. I will join Scotlands People and have a look around!
Tessie

[tessie31082]

Hi, found the record but no info? So, I guess I need to get one of the childrens birth certs! I can't seem to find them on either the english or scottish 1851 census so a bit stuck! Will do the census' after 1871 to see if either of her parents/siblings come and visit/live with them.
Thanks again
Tessie

[Uncle John]

You say you found the record. Do you mean you've located the IGI record or actually found the marriage on SP? If you can fork out £6 for 30 credits, it will cost you 1 credit to see one page of matching records plus 5 credits to see the actual marriage register entry. Thse are incredibly informative, since they give the bride and groom's fathers' and mothers' names (including maiden names) and occupations and whether deceased. They also give the place of marriage, which was often the house ofone of the families.

[Katherine]

JAMES DOUGLAS Pedigree
Male Family


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Event(s):
Birth:
Christening:
Death:
Burial:


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Marriages:
Spouse: HELEN COUTS Family
Marriage: 04 APR 1847 West Linton, Peebles, Scotland



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Messages:
Extracted marriage record for locality listed in the record. The source records are usually arranged chronologically by the marriage date.

HELEN COUTS Pedigree
Female


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Event(s):
Birth:
Christening: 18 OCT 1829 West Linton, Peebles, Scotland

Death:
Burial:


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Parents:
Father: DAVID COUTS Family
Mother: JANET MASON


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Messages:
Extracted birth or christening record for the locality listed in the record. The source records are usually arranged chronologically by the birth or christening date.

1861
Name: Elenor Douglass
Age: 31
Estimated birth year: abt 1830
Relation: Wife
Spouse's name: James Douglass
Gender: Female
Where born: Kilow, Northumberland, England
[Linton, Peeblesshire, Scotland]

Civil Parish: Hauxley
County/Island: Northumberland
Country: England

Street address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage: View image

Registration district: Alnwick
Sub-registration district: Warkworth
ED, institution, or vessel: 9e
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 19
Household Members: Name Age
James Douglass 40
Elenor Douglass 31
Jennet Douglass 12
John Douglass 11
George Douglass 9
Ellenor Douglass 5
David Douglass 3
Ann Douglass 1
David Partas 36

Katherine

[tessie31082]

Hi Katherine, thanks for the info. I have most of it. I paid £6 for the 30 credits and got the marriage (5 credits) but it has 5 or 6 marriages on the one page and only shows bride and groom names- nothing else!
Tessie

[Elderflower]

Hi Tessie

Civil registration in Scotland did not start until 1855 so there will not be a marriage certificate for a marriage before that date. What you have instead are the Old Parochial Records which are similar to English Parish Records. What you have got for your 5 credits is probably a scan of the OPR page where the marriage was recorded.

If one of their children was born on or after 1855 you will be able to get a scan of the birth cert for 5 credits. Those born in 1855 are very detailed and anyone lucky to have a child born in that year in their tree can get lots of info from one of these. They found filling in the many details quite onerous so those from 1856ish, while still having lots of details, are not quite the treasure trove of a 1855 cert. You might just get lucky with the birth of the child Ellenor who is 5 in the 1861 census.

Good luck.

[Uncle John]

Just to add that Scottish birth registers also give the date and place of marriage.

OPR marriage registers differ greatly in what they record. Sometimes the main use was to record the fees paid.

[tessie31082]

Hi Elderflower and UJ, unfortunately Ellenor was not born in Scotland but Northumberland, therefore I will need to send off for one of the childrens birth cert's to gain any information! All this info. is very helpful though in case I decide to branch out to other family members! Thank you for your help!
Tessie

[Olde Crone Holden]

Um, Ellen the mother (Helen Couts) was born in Scotland.....

OC

[tessie31082]

Hi OC, Ellen was born and married before 1855 though, which means the information isn't very good i.e doesn't give parents details on marriage although I could get Ellens info. from her birth register, now I think about it!!
Thanks OC
Tessie