Part 293s – Smith Robertson Genealogy – 1855 Death of Helen Smith, Daughter of James Smith, Junior, the Weaver

Afternoon,

And sometimes there’s a shred of evidence in the research of my Family Tree. Maybe?

(Image: Logie Old Churchyard, The Scottish War Graves Project)

In the search of the ancestry and genealogy of my ggg-grandfather James Smith I have been following a possible Smith connection at Logie, in Perth, in Scotland. In a couple of my previous Postings I have been able to get to that point on either side of a tremendous chasm. It is as if I can almost see and feel the tendrils of the opposing branches.

Back in January, in Part 178s, I transcribed a Record from the Grenada Registers of Records that introduced me to one James Smith, a Weaver from Logie. From the Document, James Smith appears to be searching for the estates of his brother, William and son, James. I also created a possible Descendant Chart that depicts that gap where at present I cannot confirm or not confirm.

The next stage of my search was to delve into the Smith family lines in Logie. From my research of the Old Parish Records of Logie in Perth I was able to recreate a Smith Family Descendant Chart. My issue here was that there were so many Jameses and Williams that I could not exactly pick up on which James or William were the ones corresponding to the Record in Part 178s. The one thing I do know is that the name James and William have been repeated throughout the generations of my Family Tree.

Well last night at ScotlandsPeople from the Statutory Registers I chanced upon the 1855 Death Registration of one Helen Smith who had passed away at the age of 74 in Logie. The Registration includes the information that her parents were James and Margaret Smith. It also includes that her mother’s maiden name was McFarlane.

And the occupation given for her father, James Smith, is Weaver. This is a possible match to the James Smith; a Weaver as noted in the Record entered and dated to the Grenada Registers of Records as 7 June 1803 that I transcribed in Part 178s.

Transcribed –

Page 13.

1855. DEATHS in the Parish of Logie In the County of Perth Registered by Robert Somers Registrar.
No. 38

DESCRIPTION OF THE DECEASED.
Name, Rank, Profession, or Occupation. – Smith Helen
Sex. – female
Age. – 74 yrs
Where born and how long in this District. – Logie all her lifetime
Parents’ Names, and Rank, Profession, or Occupation – James Smith Weaver, Margaret Smith McFarlane her maiden name
If Deceased was married,
To whom. –
Issue, In Order of Birth, their Names and Ages. –

PARTICULARS OF DEATH.
When died,
Year, Day of Month, Hour. – 1855 December Sixteenth 1 hr 20 m PM
Where died. – Logie
Cause of Death, and how long Disease? continued. Medical Attendant by whom certified, and when he last saw deceased – Old age – No Medical Attendant
Burial Place. Undertaker by whom certified. – Churchyard of Logie as certified by James Guthrie
Signature of Informant. – James Smith
When and where registered, and Signature of Registrar. – 1855 December twenty second Logie at her house Robert Somers

The issue is that the first name of Helen Smith’s mother is entered to the Statutory Death Register as Margaret. The Logie Parish Register of Helen Smith’s 19 October 1781 baptism records the parents as James Smith and Isable McFarlane.

The Baptism Registration was downloaded from the microfilm FHL [1040124].

My transcription –

1781
Octr. 19 – Baptized Helen lawfl Daughter to James Smith and Isable McFarlane in Logie.

And here’s the rub, both recordings of Helen Smith’s mother have the same maiden names. Both are recorded as McFarlane but there are different forenames; Isabel versus Margaret.

So, is this James Smith, Junior, the Weaver who is recorded as the father of the deceased Helen Smith the same as the James Smith the Weaver of the 1803 Record of the Grenada Registers of Records in Part 178s? Is Isable McFarlane also Margaret McFarlane? Does this bring me any closer to discovering ggg-grandfather James Smith’s ancestry? And who was the Informant James Smith?

Stay tune… I definitely have more.

Enjoy,

Jim