Reduced Prices on 1841, 1851, 1861 Census Transcriptions at Borders Family History Society and Northumberland & Durham Family History Society

There was little welfare available before the 20th century, so people had to find work and that might have entailed moving.

Agricultural workers were usually hired at a hiring fair for 6 months, re-hiring by the same farmer could not be relied upon.

Workers might hear that a different farmer was a better employer or they might discover that the parish they lived in was an ungenerous provider of welfare so it made sense to move, if they could.

If you have ancestors in Berwick or North Northumberland, they may well have lived or worked in Scotland, too, most probably in the Scottish Borders, with Berwickshire and Roxburghshire being the most likely counties.

Borders Family History Society have a special offer on most of the 1841, 1851, 1861 Census Transcription booklets they sell but extremely limited stocks at the special offer reduced prices.

More details on their Publications Sales List.

Northumberland & Durham Family History Society are also advertising special offers on Northumberland and County Durham Census Indexes.

Use FindMyPast for Free this Weekend

From 12pm BST on Friday, 18 September  to 12pm BST on Monday, 21 September, you can access lots of family history records and historic newspaper pages at FindMyPast for free.

Access includes:

• Ireland census records from 1821, 1831, 1841, 1851 and 1911
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FindMyPast is Free, this Weekend

I hope you're making good use of FindMyPast's free weekend.

Find My Past is offering you the opportunity of almost all its records until midday on Monday, March 9th (GMT).

It does include parish records, censuses, military records, newspapers.

You'll need to register and sign in.

Records not included are the UK Electoral Registers (2002-2014) and the UK Companies House Directors (2002-2014), however that's no drawback for most of us.

Search on the free weekend offer.

Use Find My Past for Free to Search the Ireland Census 1821 to 1851

It's not clear how long this is for but you can search the census for Ireland 1821 to 1851 for free on Find My Past.

That may seem great but it's not as marvellous as you might think.

The records are only for a few counties and some counties aren't complete:
1821: Antrim, Carlow, Cavan, Dublin, Fermanagh, Galway, Kilkenny, King's, Limerick, Mayo, Meath.
1831: Londonderry (Derry).
1841: Killeshandra, County Cavan.
1851: Parts of County Antrim

Most of these won't give you much useful information except to help you confirm that a person of that name lived there.

There's more information further down the search page (hint - click the chevron or arrow next to the census year).

You'll need to register if you don't have an account and sign in.

Thomas Fraser's Neighbour, Dr Philip Whiteside MacLagan

My previous post (Did Agnes Aitchison's Son Survive ?) mentioned Dr Thomas Fraser who lived at 58 Ravensdowne, Berwick on Tweed.

Dr McLagan and his family lived next door at 54 and 56 Ravensdowne.
In the 1881 Census, 54 Ravensdowne is named Dr McLagan's Sick Entrance and 56 is named Dr Fraser's Sick Door. Both were occupied by Dr Phillip McLagan from Edinbro (Edinburgh), a widower aged 62 and his children: Jane 30; Margaret 28; Georgina Johnson 24, Charles George 21, a student of medicine;.Euphemia 16,  Patrick Johnson 15 (scholar). There's also Jessie Mace McLagan 27 (born Berwick), their cook and domestic servant and Margery Gladstone McLagan 15 (born Newcastle on Lyne), a housemaid.

There's a statue of Hygeia (the ancient Greek goddess of health, daughter of Asklepios, the god of medicine. Her godly charge was cleanliness and how to live a long life) in Infirmary Square, Berwick on Tweed.

On the side of this statue is a weathered bronze plaque with Dr McLagan's head facing right and a memorial below:
PHILIP WHITESIDE MACLAGAN
M.D.
BORN 9TH OCTOBER 1818
DIED 23RD MAY 1892
IN AFFECTIONATE AND GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE
OF A NOBLE LIFE SPENT UNGRUDGINGLY
IN PROMOTING THE HIGHEST INTERESTS
OF HUMANITY
"THE BELOVED PHYSICIAN"

Philip McLagan was the son of David McLagan and Jane Whiteside.
He married Margaret Johnston, second daughter of Dr George Johnston, in quarter 1, 1847 in Berwick. According to the 1861 Census, she was born about 1824 in Berwick. That census also shows other children not on the 1881 Census: Katharine C born about 1848, Susannah R, born about 1855; Philip S, born about 1859.
In the 1871 Census,  the doctor, his wife, Katharine Charlotte, Margaret, Georgina,  Euphemia,  Patrick Johnson are present but Jane, Charles George, Susannah R (appears to have died quarter 4 1861) and Philip S are not.
Margaret Johnston (MacLagan) died quarter 2 1874 in Berwick.
Philip is named as a joint Great Western Railway shareholder with John Renton Dunlop who died 18 April 1869.

I find it interesting that Jane and Margaret were born in Canada, and the remaining children born in Berwick.
When did Philip and his wife go to Canada, and was it while he was an army surgeon ?
Are Jessie Mace and Margery Gladstone Phillip's nieces ?
Did Susannah R McLagan and Philip S McLagan die before the 1871 census ?
It's interesting that in some records the surname is McLagan and in others, MacLagan.

If you're related to this McLagan family or Philip's mother, Jane Whiteside, or you can answer my questions, please leave a comment.

Did Agnes Aitchison's Son Survive ?

In the Hawick Heritage Hub, I found a letter (SC/B/33/2/29) from Agnes Aitchison of 68 Church Street, Berwick on Tweed. The addressee isn't stated but from the following letter, I surmise that it was sent to George Tweedie, Inspector of the Poor at Swinton.

October 2th (sic) 1882
Berwick upon Tweed
Sir
I write a few lines to let you know that my boy has fallen into bad health with the dregs of the mesles and we took him to the docter and he said he would have to paint his throat in the inside but he would not touch him and if you would two or three lines by return of post to try and save my child I had docter Fraser when they had the mesles Please write by return of post
Agnes Aitchison
68 Church Street
Berwick on Tweed


This letter (SC/B/33/2/31), in the same bundle, is from Dr Thomas Fraser to George Tweedie, Inspector of the Poor at Swinton.

Ravensdowne Berwick on Tweed 4th Oct 1882
Sir,
A woman named Aitchison residing in Church Street Berwick, called on me today and asked me to attend her child stating that your parish would pay me for attendance and medicine supplied.  In July and August I attended the child when suffering from measles on the strength of the Same statement wd you now oblige me by letting me know whether you will authorise me to attend the child as well as pay me for past attendance.

I am Yours truly
Thomas Fraser, MD

George Tweedie Esq,
Inspr of Poor
Swinton
Duns

It's odd that Agnes fails to mention the boy's name but we can presume she has only one son.
Measles was a real killer in Victorian Britain and no doubt she was very worried.
I haven't found her on the 1881 census yet but she doesn't seem to have been in Berwick.
I haven't looked at the Poor Law records for Swinton, however I think that would provide the name of her son and possibly her husband and thus will enable more of her history to be discovered.

Do you know whether her son survived ?

I have found Thomas Fraser on the 1881 census, though.

58 Ravensdowne, Berwick on Tweed

58 Ravensdowne, Berwick was occupied by Thomas Fraser, 31, a general medical practitioner, Edinburgh University, born Scotland.
He was single and the other occupants were 2 unmarried servants: Jane Robertson, 17, born Horncliff and Susan Davidson, 49, born Scotland.

If you're related to Agnes Aitchison, George Tweedie, Jane Robertson, Susan Davidson or Thomas Fraser, please leave a comment.

Ancestry Offers Free Access at Easter between 18 April and 21 April

To celebrate Easter, Ancestry are offering free access to some of their collections at Easter (from 00:00 on 18 April until 23:59 on 21 April).

You'll need to be registered to take advantage of the offer and be signed in when you search.

The collections are:

    1901 Scotland Census
    1901 Wales Census
    1911 Channel Islands Census
    1911 Channel Islands Census Summary Books
    1911 England Census
    1911 England Census Summary Books
    1911 Isle of Man Census
    1911 Isle of Man Census Summary Books
    1911 Wales Census Updated!
    1911 Wales Census Summary Books Free Index
    British Army WWI Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920
    British Army WWI Pension Records 1914-1920
    British Army WWI Service Records, 1914-1920
    England & Wales, Birth Index, 1916-2005
    England & Wales, Death Index, 1916-2007
    England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915 Free Index
    England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index, 1837-1915 Free Index
    England & Wales, FreeBMD Marriage Index, 1837-1915 Free Index
    England & Wales, Marriage Index, 1916-2005
    England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966

Access Ancestry's Easter offer and find your Berwick-upon-Tweed, Tweedmouth and Spittal connections !