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Going back to your original question about the Douglas line, the marriage between Mary Douglas and James Chirnside, which Gins posted on page 1, will give you Mary's parents' names and when they married.

Then from her parents' marriage record, you can go back to the previous generation, and so on, until perhaps you'll be lucky enough to find the link with Tantallon Castle!
If you don't find it, but are really obsessed, then once you get back before 1855, you can also search for siblings, in case the link is through one of them. For births before 1855 you can include mother's maiden name in the search, which makes it easier.

Although, to find the link, you'd have to go back to before 1699:

Tantallon Castle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tantallon Castle is a semi-ruined mid-14th-century fortress, located 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) east of North Berwick, in East Lothian, Scotland. It sits atop a promontory opposite the Bass Rock, looking out onto the Firth of Forth. The last medieval curtain wall castle to be constructed in Scotland,[1] Tantallon comprises a single wall blocking off the headland, with the other three sides naturally protected by sea cliffs.

Tantallon was built in the mid 14th century by William Douglas, 1st Earl of Douglas. It was passed to his illegitimate son, George Douglas, later created Earl of Angus, and despite several sieges, it remained the property of his descendants for much of its history. It was besieged by King James IV in 1491, and again by his successor James V in 1528, when extensive damage was done. Tantallon saw action in the First Bishops' War in 1639, and again during Oliver Cromwell's invasion of Scotland in 1651, when it was once more severely damaged. It was sold by the Marquis of Douglas in 1699 to Hew Dalrymple, Lord North Berwick and the ruin is today in the care of Historic Scotland.

No reason why John Currie Smart shouldn't be Katherine's son. She married in 1894, and the census was 1901.

The marriage record image would tell you if James had been married before, but there's no reason to think so from the 1901 census.

If you want to hunt for him in 1901, you'll have his age on the marriage record.

It states Katherine Smart is the head of the house and married.

I am wondering if the 5 year old boy john currie was from James smarts previous marriage , if there was one ?

Thanking you so much for your time

http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/SCOTLAND-GENWEB/1999-04/0923252790

(James and Mary mentioned on above)


http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=NA19130701.2.11

(could above case relate?)



23 April 1913 - Evening Telegraph - Dundee, Angus, Scotland

Mary Douglas (21), Chirnside, Mrs Saunder's niece

(same case, but above name)

Chris :)

(not too familiar with Scotland, apologies if misleading!)

The marriage shows Catherine as Mary's mother no father listed :0

If you look at that 1901 census on SP, credits will let you see the image, and you can see if she was widowed or not.

If she was, here are a couple of possible deaths of James (I would favour the first one). :

1900 SMART JAMES M 54 CANONGATE EDINBURGH CITY/MIDLOTHIAN 685/03 0391

1901 SMART JAMES (Other surname BISSET) M 46
ST ANDREW (EDINBURGH) EDINBURGH CITY/MIDLOTHIAN 685/02 0266

I don't see Catherine/Katherine Chirnside as such in 1901. Looks like she married:-

1894 SMART JAMES
CHIRNSIDE CATHERINE
EDDLESTON /PEEBLES 760/00 0002


1901 Scotland Census about Katherine Smart
Name: Katherine Smart
Age: 32
Estimated birth year: abt 1869
Relationship: Head
Gender: Female
Where born: Gladsmuir, Haddingtonshire
Registration Number: 702
Registration district: Aberlady
Civil Parish: Aberlady
County: East Lothian
Address: Wynd (restaurant)
ED: 1
Household schedule number: 30
LINE: 16
Roll: CSSCT1901_407
Household Members:
Name Age
Katherine Smart 32
John Currie Smart 5
Margaret Smart 4
James Smart 2
Flora Smart 11mo

Rootgatherer has already posted 1881 & 1891 re Katherine's family.
Here's 1901, with mistranscription of middle initial:


1901 Scotland Census about Mary B Chirnside
Name: Mary B Chirnside
Age: 9
Estimated birth year: abt 1892
Relationship: Grand-daur (Granddaughter)
Gender: Female
Where born: Gladsmuir, Haddingtonshire
Registration Number: 702
Registration district: Aberlady
Civil Parish: Aberlady
County: East Lothian
Address: Kierpindie
Occupation: Scholar
ED: 2
Household schedule number: 10a
LINE: 24
Roll: CSSCT1901_407
Household Members:
Name Age
James Chirnside 61
Mary B Chirnside 53
David B Chirnside 33
James G Chirnside 26
Lizzie Chirnside 24
Mary B Chirnside 9

There are three births, any of which could be Mary, but presumably it's the Gladsmuir one, which rootgatherer has already posted from another site. The ScotlandsPeople ( GROS) ref nos. are below.:

1891 CHIRNSIDE MARY DOUGALS F GLADSMUIR /EAST LOTHIAN 708/00 0046

1897 CHIRNSIDE MARY DOUGLAS F ST GEORGE EDINBURGH CITY/MIDLOTHIAN 685/01 2332

1893 CHIRNSIDE MARY DUGLASS F CANONGATE EDINBURGH CITY/MIDLOTHIAN 685/03 0855

Re Alexander's mother, that will be Mary Lyle - ms (maiden surname) Benzie.

Maybe this marriage:
1886 LYLE ALEXANDER
BENZIE MARY ANN
ST GEORGE EDINBURGH CITY/MIDLOTHIAN 685/01 0375

Again, some credits will let you view the image to see their parents' names.

Yes, Mary Chirnside would have been illegitimate.

I did that and the Groom: Alexander Lyles father was Alexander Lyle Game Keeper and Mother seems to be Mary Lyle the writing is difficult to read but it might be written underneath Mary Lyle - M F Benzie



The Bride: Mary Douglas Chirnside only has her mother Katherine Chrirnside Listed and the fact that Katherine is a domestic servant - House Maid

Could this mean that she is the illegitimate child that Root Gatherer had found ?

This is the marriage of Mary Chirnside and Alexander Lyle.

If you buy credits on ScotlandsPeople you can view the image of the record, and see who their parents were. (Much cheaper than actually buying the marriage cert. You can also print the image.)

1914 LYLE ALEXANDER
CHIRNSIDE MARY DOUGLAS
EDDLESTON /PEEBLES 760/00 0001

So the two Mary Douglas Chirnsides found are first cousins. One is the daughter of George and his wife Alice and the other the illegitimate daughter of George's sister Katherine / Catherine. You need to buy the marriage certificate for your Mary Douglas Chirnside to know her parents.

1851

Name: Mary Douglas
Age: 14
Estimated birth year: abt 1837
Relationship: Daughter
Father: David Douglas
Mother: Catherine Douglas
Gender: Female
Where born: Gladsmuir, east lothian
Parish Number: 708
Civil Parish: Gladsmuir
Phillimore Ecclesiastical Parish Maps:
View related Ecclesiastical Parish
Town: Redcoll
County: East Lothian
Address: Redcoll
Occupation: Ag Lab
ED: 6
Page: 7
Household schedule number: 23
LINE: 15
Roll: CSSCT1851_192
Household Members:
Name Age
David Douglas 47
Catherine Douglas 55
Mary Douglas 14
Elizabeth Douglas 10


1841

Name: Mary Douglas
Age: 5
Estimated birth year: abt 1836
Gender: Female
Where born: East Lothian, Scotland
Civil Parish: Gladsmuir
County: East Lothian
Address: Redcoll
Parish Number: 708
Household Members:
Name Age
David Douglas 35
Cathrine Douglas 37
Marrion Douglas 12
Mary Douglas 5
Elisabeth Douglas 1
Petter Redden 16

1881

Name: James Chirnside
Age: 41
Estimated birth year: abt 1840
Relationship: Head
Spouse's name : Mary Chirnside
Gender: Male
Where born: Gladsmuir, East Lothian
Registration Number: 708
Registration district: Gladsmuir
Civil Parish: Gladsmuir
County: East Lothian
Address: Boglehill
Occupation: Mason
ED: 5
Household schedule number: 69
LINE: 1
Roll: cssct1881_304
Household Members:
Name Age
James Chirnside 41
Mary Chirnside 43, b. Gladsmuir
George Chirnside 17
David Chirnside 16
Catherine Chirnside 14
Andrew Chirnside 13
Flora Mc Leod Chirnside 11
James Chirnside 8
Elizabeth Chirnside 6

Name: Katherine Chirnside
Gender: Female
Birth Date: 9 Aug 1866
Birth Place: Gladsmuir,East Lothian,Scotland
Father: James Chirnside
Mother: Mary Douglas
FHL Film Number: 6035516

You really need to get the marriage registration from Scotlandspeople to confirm her parents names and her age when she married.

There is this birth

Name: Mary-Douglas Chirnside
Gender: Female
Birth Date: 7 Jul 1891
Birth Place: Gladsmuir, Haddington, Scotland
Mother: Catherine Chirnside
FHL Film Number: 255158
Reference ID: v 708 p 16



.??

1891

Name: Katherine Chirnside
Age: 24
Estimated birth year: abt 1867
Relationship: Daur (Daughter)
Father's Name: James Chirnside
Mother's name: Mary Chirnside
Gender: Female
Where born: Gladsmuir, Haddn
Registration Number: 708
Registration district: Gladsmuir
Civil Parish: Gladsmuir
County: East Lothian
Address: Harelaw Lane Kilus Cottage No 2
Occupation: Housemaid (Dome Servt Unemp Coyed)
ED: 5
Household schedule number: 59
LINE: 3
Roll: CSSCT1891_372
Household Members:
Name Age
James Chirnside 51
Mary Chirnside 54
Katherine Chirnside 24
James Chirnside 18
Elizabeth Chirnside 15
James Chirnside 1 Grandson, b. Edinburgh

Do you think the first family is wrong from Midlothian and that the second family is more like it :)

It's like a big jigsaw puzzle with lots if bits , I just wish I had your expertise . It is frustrating . But thank you for your time :)

Looks like Douglas came from the mothers side



Scotland, Select Marriages, 1561-1910

Name:James Chirnside

Gender:Male

Marriage Date:3 Jul 1863

Marriage Place:Gladsmuir,East Lothian,Scotland

Spouse:
Mary Douglas

FHL Film Number:6035516


Edit: This family maybe related?