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I am having a problem verifyinh the parents of my gg gransfather James Bowie borm in 1826 Schotts Lanarkshire, Scotland. He married Madlane or Madeline Beith in 1849 Whitburn Scotland. He sailed to Australia with her and her daughter Jane Gardner in 1852 aboard the Medina.

In the 1841 census I think I can find him at 15 yers of age with father George aged 40, mother Janet age 35

1861 Census shows George 60 with sister Janet 60. Could Janet have been Georges sister and James mother.? or had his mother died and the sister come to live with George

If I could find a copy of James marriage certificate to Madlane then I could verify his parents names.

James later married Elizabeth Harrison my gg grandmother in Australia. in 1860 after Madlane died in a ship disaster. The marriage certificate says father Jekin Paris. James death certificate lists mother as Margaret and no father named.

I would appreciate any help to solve this mystery.
regards Sandra (Nee Bowie)

How do you know he married in 1849 if you have not got the certificate?
Thank-you

Hi
You say James was born in Lanarkshire.
There are lots of Bowies in Lanarkshire.
The James living with George and Janet in 1841 was born in West Lothian, not Lanarkshire.
Where does your info about place of birth and parents come from?

Piece: SCT1841/669 Place: Livingstone -West Lothian Enumeration District: 4
Civil Parish: Livingstone Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island: -
Folio: 4 Page: 7
Address: Blackburn

BOWIE George M 40 Shoemaker West Lothian
BOWIE Janet F 35 West Lothian
BOWIE James M 15 Shoemaker Apprentice West Lothian

George Bowie was born in 1797 in Livingstone and Janet his sister in 1799. They also have a sister Margaret born in 1805 who doesn't appear to have married. So it could be that Margaret was his mother and he was with his Uncle and Aunt learning his trade as a shoemaker.

But in 1851 prior to going to Australia he is a blacksmith

Name: James Bowie
Age: 25
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1826
Relationship: Head
Spouse's Name: Madlane Bowie
Gender: Male
Where born: Livingstone, Linlithgow
Parish Number: 673
Civil parish: Whitburn
County: West Lothian
Address: Greenburn
Occupation: Blacksmith
ED: 6
Page: 50 (click to see others on page)
Household schedule number: 174
Line: 13
Roll: CSSCT1851_174
Household Members:
Name Age
James Bowie 25
Madlane Bowie 31
Jane Gardner 6
Jane Beath 67

groom's name: James Bowie
groom's birth date:
groom's birthplace:
groom's age:
bride's name: Madlane Beith <<<<<<<
bride's birth date:
bride's birthplace:
bride's age:
marriage date: 30 Apr 1849
marriage place: Whitburn,West Lothian,Scotland
groom's father's name:

Note Jane BEATH living with them in 1851.

You will find the marriage cert. on ScotlandsPeople and you need to buy credits to see it, but you would be very fortunate if the certificate showed his father's name.

I had a PM from Sandra to say thanks for posting above but she has it. I have replied that she should reply on the thread.

However, re-reading everything....on the assumption that Sandra's James is the one who married Madlane, then according to that 1851 census he was born in Livingstone not Shotts which is 17 miles away. This then would fit with the 1841 family albeit that he appears to have changed from an apprentice shoemaker to a blacksmith in 10 years!

So George's sister Margaret could indeed be his mother.

If Margaret Bowie was his mother then it would seem likely that his parents were not married

Sandra do you have the marriage certificate to Elizabeth? Does it have Jekin Paris' occupation?

Jude

I'm wondering about this one.
Never heard of a name anything like Jekin.

Piece: SCT1841/669 Place: Livingstone <<<<<<<<
West Lothian Enumeration District: 2
Civil Parish: Livingstone Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island: -
Folio: 2 Page: 8
Address: Dechmont Roadside

Surname First name(s) Sex Age Occupation Where Born
PARIS James M 49 Labourer West Lothian

Children of Thomas Bowie & Margaret Duncan in Livingston, West Lothian:

BOWIE, George Bir 1797 Scot WeLo Living
Fa: Thomas BOWIE
Mo: Margaret DUNCAN
BOWIE, Jannet Bir 1799 Scot WeLo Living
Fa: Thomas BOWIE
Mo: Margaret DUNCAN
BOWIE, James Bir 1802 Scot WeLo Living
Fa: Thomas BOWIE
Mo: Margaret DUNCAN
BOWIE, Margaret Bir 1805 Scot WeLo Living
Fa: Thomas BOWIE
Mo: Margaret DUNCAN
BOWIE, Jean Bir 1808 Scot WeLo Living
Fa: Thomas BOWIE
Mo: Margaret DUNCAN

Hi Thank you all so very much for some very realistic answers to the puzzle of James. I will answer hereunder in order of your replies. I think I have now realised how to post to the threads.

Beverly I purchased credits but could not find the James and Madlanes marriage entry on Scotlands People. Maybe I am doing something wrong because I am just new to using it.

Hey Jude response James death certificate says he was born in Schotts but the people do make mistakes on death certificates, especially as my g grandfather was born in Australia.
I also dont think it is strange that he changed his employment to gain assisted passage to Australia in 1852. He did work as a miner when in Australia.

James and Elizabeth's marriage certificate in South Australia 1860 shows father as Jekin Paris no occupation. I also note that the Bowie's had a funny sense of humour and it could be a made up name. No mother mentioned on marriage cert. Although I thought maybe Jekin was Gaelic for either James or George.

Margee you certainly have given me someting to ponder as I have been feeling for awhile that James may be the son of Margaret, Georges sister. His grave stone also does not mention his family in Scotland and there is no family folk lore that mentions them much. All my family from my gg down lived and still live in the same area, Minmi, Newcastle Aus. However, just thinkiing that my g grandfather was Thomas James Bowie and that fits with who we think is Georges fathers name. Also Thomas first son was called George and second Stanley from his first marriage to Emily Milgate. After she died he married Eleanor Newcomb and my grand father Thomas Harrison, Jack, James and Annie from the birth of 4 children to the second marriage.

I cant thank you all enough
regards Sandra

Sandra, re. ScotlandsPeople

Pre - 1855 Banns and Marriages
Surname .Bowie (exact only)
Forename - James (exact only)
Date from - 1/1/1849
Date to - 31/12/1849
County/city - West Lothian

Brings up 1 match.

To countercheck:
Surname - Beith (traditional soundex)
Forename - Madeline (traditional soundex)
Dates and county the same as above

Also brings up 1 match.

????

name: James Bowie
gender: Male
baptism/christening date: 12 Jul 1829
baptism/christening place: BARONY,LANARK,SCOTLAND
birth date: 22 Nov 1827
birthplace:
death date:
name note:
race:
father's name: William Bowie
father's birthplace:
father's age:
mother's name: Jean Fairley
mother's birthplace:
mother's age:
indexing project (batch) number: C11966-4
system origin: Scotland-ODM
source film number: 1041478

Had another thought this morning that he may not have been baptised as Bowie.
and here it is!

parent Jedan Paris, Margaret Bowie
name James Paris
gender Male
birth date 25 May 1825
birthplace , WHITBURN, WEST LOTHIAN, SCOTLAND
father's name Jedan Paris
mother's name Margaret Bowie
indexing project (batch) number C11673-4
system origin Scotland-ODM
source film number 102998, 1066639, 1066640

Wondering about this man

parent James Paris, Agnes Anthony
name Gideon Paris
gender Male
baptism/christening date 02 Mar 1806
baptism/christening place BATHGATE, WEST LOTHIAN, SCOTLAND
father's name James Paris
mother's name Agnes Anthony
indexing project (batch) number C11662-4
system origin Scotland-ODM
source film number 102976, 1066612, 0102975

Good find Astra!!

Jude

Thanks Jude.

Hi Astra, I think you have solved my puzzle. Wow I didnt think clearly enough when James Marriage cert to Elizabeth said what I though was Jekin but could be Jeden Paris that Paris was the surname. Looking closer it does say forename and surname and Elizabeth's father is shown correctly as John Harrison.

I could jump for joy and now the answer must be that Jedan Paris is his father but Margaret Bowie was not married and he took the name James Bowie and lived with his mother and uncle George and Aunty Janet. It sounds so plausable.

Another quirk is that sometimes we have a tie to family with out realising it. As one of my grand daughter's is named Ava Paris (Forename). No reason for the Paris. My grandson is Jasset and I know I am stretching a long bow but it is so unusual and not that far from Jedan.

Another question for the group. Have you found that your childrens and grand childrens birth dates line up with birth and death dates of ancestors. I have about 10 times that this has happened and incidently I was married on the 19th October the same and James and Elizabeth but I didn't know at the time of planning my marriage.

All the best to you and all who helped. Good luck to you in your searces.
Cheers Sandra