Case 5 - Tracing the descendants of Amelia Russell, died 1846

My client wanted to trace the parents of her ancestor, Amelia Russell

Amelia married Alexander Morrison in 1835 at Saline, Fife.
He came from Clackmannan, where they lived and had 3 sons between 1838 and 1843.
Amelia died in 1846, before death certificates came in.
Her age is givcen as 30 on the 1841 census, but ages are not given accurately there.
There were a number of Amelia Russells (of various spelling) baptised in the area around 1811 - and probably a good few more who were not registered.

Amelia's eldest son John had 9 sons, only 3 of whom have middle names.
These three (her 4th, 5th and 6th sons) were named
James Bryce Morrison
Lewis McBeth Morrison
David Russell Morrison

As the first 3 sons were named after the grandfathers and the father, it is reasonable to assume that the family followed the child-naming traditions, and that further sons would have been named after uncles and uncles by marriage, (particularly those who did not have any children).
David Russell was evidently an uncle on the Russell side - possibly Amelia's brother.
James Bryce was an uncle of the childrens' mother.
That left Lewis McBeth, which was not a common name in that area.
The only Lewis McBeth living in the area had married Catherine Russell in Dunfermline in 1834.
Evidently an ancestor of his had moved down from further north.
This couple do not appear to have had any children, and their death certificates were registered by nephews.

Catherine died in 1894 at the age of 81.
On her death certificate, her parents are given as
John Russell, farm servant and Margaret m/s Keir
This couple had 3 children: David (1805), Emilia (1811) and Catherine (1814).

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