Starting family history research

Family History My-story Mystery

For those setting out in research for their family, they may have real hopes of finding some great story. This is likely but it can open a can of worms.

Why are you carrying out family history ?

In most cases is not to have al the names and dates for record purposes. More likely it to find a lost member of the family that older family have talked about or the hope of finding out a new story about a relation.

Most of all I suspect people are looking for themselves in the roots of their tree. Similarities, in genes behaviour looks etc. The reason might be to find “belonging”.

Researchers themselves are in an elite group of belonging. Yet most are solo researchers their goals  might be similar.

Names and dates

To record all “our names” is great and rewarding and helps as our memory deteriorates or distorts but getting all the names can become a giant task which can be either overwhelming or become a trap to find everybody. The church of the Latter-day Saints is probably better at finding everybody. At this point it is worth mentioning that we are all related to the largest family tree.!

So once the excitement dies down a bit have a plan that might focus your attention.

Have a few goals. That are specific

Why did so and so go to that place.

Examples I have had, and some which I am still working on were.

Where does Alan Pinkerton the detective join our family of Pinkertons ( if at all)?

Where does the two Murison from the North east  families met -If they do?

Is David Donald Murison related to our Murisons or the other family? No

Where does the Plant family link to the Pinkertons?  “Helen Davidson” Done and moving to a little deviation.!

How far back can we go with the Pinkertons, Robertson, Andersons, Murisons Mackays Corbetts and Fyvies?

Where was C Corbett from 1901 to 1916, she disappeared from the records completely? Found recently.

Is the Farquharsons related to the Robertsons as the Robertson family said?. Not so far?!

Surprises come!

Then again as we go along, we find little cul-de-sacs to venture into as we discover a second marriage, a change in occupation, or a house move. Knowing when to stop and turn back can be tricky!

Now with these goals you might also find that “leads” bring new excitements when others are tracing similar “lines” or you find a new branch of research opens up and a new discovery springs to your attention. Like an old family link that takes you back to Willian the Conqueror! As happened to me very recently. It was on the maiden name sign of a Pinkerton as I tried to find a link to Alan Pinkerton. Another  reason that you need to be flexible.

So, wishing you all well in your hunt for research gems that bring a smile to your face and as many as I have had recently.

Corbett connection

I remember it fine. It was lambing time in Sutherland,  and we were in Rogart just started our week or so help Frances’ dad with the annual lambing. We flicked through the paper and came across an advert looking for connections to a Corbett from Kinlochbervie area. I chipped up this person might be related to Anne, Frances’ mother. The conversation was weak and limited. Later I suggested to Frances we take a trip to the registrar office in Brora one afternoon  when off the lambing and we could do a little detective work.

So, sure enough one afternoon, we after having done the rounds drove up to Brora. We met Jackie Maclennan Scotland’s longest serving registrar (so he should know something).

Photograph by Allan Lannon, Caithness

It was a small office with a 1920s feel. The books and registers were tidy. The only thing that gave away the real time from the office equipment and the ledgers was the bundle of computer paper, cut offs Jackie produced and started writing down names. We were looking for Christina Bessie Corbett -spinster who had died with an estate, a small estate which the Edinburgh lawyers were trying to wind up.

 They were having difficulties finding the right people as the next of kin and there was no Will had been found.

These sheets of “off” colour computer paper were “tractor” holed on both sides with coloured line blocks, but best of all,  they were wide for writing manually a trees of sort.

Jackie got off to a start with the oldest person we could find in the story and started to pan out the relationships from there coming down. At the same time, he was writing names and details of similar named people on a list.

It was spring 1993 a warm spring and a cosy office to watch the master at work. Not only was he efficient in his approach but he knew some of the names from other researches and although slow to hand within hours we had lists of computer papers with names and rough family trees.

He bundled up the papers handed them over and implied all that was needed was there just sort it out.

It wasn’t until we got home from the lambing that  we were  able to see that Frances’ mum was related to the Christina B Corbett but also twice as she was a second cousin on one side and a third cousin on the other side of her grandparents.  We wrote to the Edinburgh lawyers with a rough tree and waited a reply.

Correspondence went back and forward we expanded the tree and discovered in consultation that there were around a dozen folks who would share in the estate. It must have been a good job as they asked for a fee note. But we were happy just doing the work and maybe Gran would get a few bobs as well.  The lawyers of the  estate were going back up the family tree and backdown another branch to find beneficiaries. Once done as I say around 12 folks got a wee cheque.

The estate was wound up and a few folks got a surprise in the post.

We have not done much more research on the Corbett side of the family  with the exception of Frances’ gran, which I am coming too now.

She was called Christina Keith Corbett  nee Fullerton, daughter of same name Christina Fullerton.

The family had said there was a Stonehaven connection but her life in school years and early teens was in Kinlochbervie. I found her at birth and her mother in Dunnottar living on a Farm. The Fullertons having farmed there for some time and originally from further north of Aberdeen.

James and Elizabeths Fullerton Hectors parents

  Hector Fullerton I am sure was a character with three wives -not at the same time! and several children. When we catch the Census, we discover baby Christina  to the age of three is in Stonehaven living with  other ladies in what might be a mini children’s home. I assume this was to free Christina senior to work as a milk maid on the farm. She was still in the farm on future census.

 Frances’ cousin last year did some research on site and came up with some good information.

He has a great speculation about the father of Christina which holds water so to speak.  Meanwhile in our research we wanted to know what happened to Christina from age 3 to age around 18. Family said she was adopted, and we looked at records to see if we could find Christina Keith Fullerton.  UK adoption those years ago was less formal and little paperwork. No, she disappears. Both in Stonehaven and Dunnottar and in the North West of Sutherland.

Last spring Frances’ cousin found her in the Kinlochbervie area with the adopted parents and using the family name of Corbett. The most recent find  by me in the last few months was finding her marriage to James Corbett in Edinburgh in 1916. James was in the Navy and a nephew of the family that adopted Christina.

Still some missing aspects but finding of family and lost memories or information is always rewarding. Dealing with the snapshots of the ups and downs of life too can make you wonder how people coped. All these people mentioned are in Frances and my family tree.

Alan Pinkerton...relation or not

My father many years ago told the family that in the past there were Pinkertons in our roots. He smarted, “it would be good to see if our Pinkertons were connected closely with Alan Pinkerton the Scottish Detective.” 
Recent TV programmes on the Pinkertons has really pushed the quest to find out if we are indeed related closely with the Pinkertons of Rutherglen who went to America.
The plan was to link into our Pinkertons and go back the tree and go down various branches to find a link.
I had tried a similar action with Murisons a relation group on my mothers side, in the north east coast and found that our Murisons (Rathen Fraserburgh) were lightly connected to the Murisons of New Deer Wellhowe farm through the marriage of Jessie Murison 1832 – 1906, Wellhowe family and a James Ironside 1816-1885.
The link itself is not as strong as going back and seeing the Murisons all coming together under one person be it a George or an Alexander.
This research is a bit like trying to complete an equation, tiding loose ends. There is a quest to complete. A conclusion to find.
Todate I have not managed to find a more direct link with both sets of Murisons.
One thing I did find recently I rediscovered an article from 1997 on the late David Donald Murison in the times and at that time wondered if David indeed you have guessed was part of our Murison stream.
Well recently I managed to trace back David and he is in the Murisons New Deer Wellhowe farm connection.
David Donald Murison was a Scottish lexicographer and well known in that circle and in the North East of Scotland.

The text of a similar article in the independent  can be read here.
Anyway Pinkertons, Alan was a detective who moved to the USA in 1842
Wikipedia can tell you about his roots.
I have gone back to 1650 in Alans family TO William Pinkerton. I have also gone back to 1626 on “our” Pinkerton side and as yet I have not got the link to him. Although Our David Pinkerton had 4 children around 1650’s and William mentioned above is around the same time.
Speculation  which it is asks are David’s children more than 4 and could the William be one of his?
The hunt continues.
Maybe someone can help!
Please share thank you.