Alexander Smith Barr Chalmers b 1892

[brd43]

Hi, just getting started with my Scottish research. Thanks to all who may help me along the way.
This is my wife's grandfather. He was born 1 Oct 1891 at 8 Cameron St, Hillington Park, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland. He came to Canada 26 Feb 1910 and travelled back 6 Oct 1932 and again 16 May 1957. His destination in '32 was listed as 12 Winton Ave, Kilwinning. He died 16 Jul 1969 in Victoria, BC, Canada. His parents were Alexander James Chalmers b 1856 and Isabella Barr b 1858 married July 1880 in Camlechie Dist. Glasgow. He married Stephanie Dautriche b 1900 d 1980 in Lillers, Pas de Calais, France 24 Apr 1917.

I have recently found the siblings for Alex S B Chalmers. They are Agnes b1881, James b1883, Annie b1886, Isabella b1890 and Janet b1894. These relatives are very interesting as they will very likely give us the names of living relatives. My wife's father, Alex Douglas b1918, (Alex S B's only son), mentioned two first cousins Betty Owen (his age) and Tom. Tom is living in Kilwinning and is the grandson of one of Alex S B's sisters. His family name might be McRorie and he might be in his seventies now.

Any info in addition to what I have above would be great. I am looking for info on his siblings, death dates, marriages, spouse details, children... I love details, details, details.

Happy hunting. Best regards
Brian Davis, Edmonton, AB, Canada (married to a Chalmers for 43 years!)

[LesleyB]

Hi Brian

And welcome to Talking Scot.

First, I would like birth records and a marriage record if anybody can find them. I also have no record of a trip back to Canada after 1932. I would love to have full birth details on his parents with death info and even their marriage info.

Scottish birth, marriage and death records can be found at http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
You need to sign up for a free account, but to see results you need to buy credits - it is a pay-per-view site, but is the only source of original Scots records online.

Best wishes
Lesley

[eilthireach]

No birth on ScotlandsPeople of an Alexander S Chalmers in 1892, but an Alexander Smith Chalmers (the entry form online doesn't allow for more letters in the forename box. The full name will be given when you select View Search Results) who might be your Alexander in 1891, and there is an Alexander Chalmers marrying an Isabella Barr in 1880, who may be his parents, but only by finding and viewing the entry for his birth (which will include a date for his parents' marriage, which will be as accurate as the informant remembered or knew!) will you be sure that this is the right entry for his parents' marriage.

This looks like Alexander's parents in the 1881 Census returns with their first child:


At 5 Shandon Place, Old Kilpatrick, Dunbartonshire in 1881:

1881 Census returns for the Registration District of Old Kilpatrick, Dunbartonshire (RD 501, Enum. Dist. 8, Page 10)

Alexr. CHALMERS 24 b. Uddingston, Lanark, Scotland Occupation: Engine fitter at works
Isabella CHALMERS 22 b. Glasgow, Scotland
Agnes S. CHALMERS 1 month b. Yoker, Dunbarton, Scotland
Annie D. BARR 14 b. Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland Relationship: Visitor Occup: Home domestic

The Annie D. Barr seems to be the Anne Drummond Bar b. 12 June 1865 in Glasgow to an Alexander Smith Barr and Agnes Stevenson. She is described in these returns only as a visitor, but she must surely be a relative of Isabella's? However, only by working backwards from your Alexander's birth and his parents' marriage can you be sure that this is indeed the right entry in this census.
Once you find Alexander's birth on ScotlandsPeople you will also be able to find him in the 1901 Census returns (also on that site) and get his parents and siblings ...

[nelmit]

Here's the same family in 1901 with an Alexander of the right age living at Stevenson, Ayrshire which isn't too far from Kilwinning.

Alexander Chalmer 45 born Uddingston, Chemical Manager
Isabella Chalmer 43
Agnes Chalmer 20
James Chalmer 18
Annie Chalmer 15
Isabella Chalmer 11
Alexander Chalmer 9 born Clydebank
Janet Chalmer 7

This website has loads of info about area - http://threetowners.com/

Regards,
Annette

[joette]

As a fellow born Bankie I couldn't resist a peek & I think this is your man-born at 8 Cameron St Oct 1st 1891.
Parents marriage is given as July 1880 in Camlechie.His full name is as you stated.Mother's maiden name is Barr.
I would have a look at the marriage to see parents of bride/groom & any witnesses & where they were living at the time.
I don't recognise Cameron St so maybe one of the many long gone streets but I will ask my Mum tonight when I phone if she has heard of it.

Good luck & my first look would be the marriage of his parents in 1880.

[Montrose Budie]

.......snipped.......

I have recently found the siblings for Alex S B Chalmers. They are Agnes b1881, James b1883, Annie b1886, Isabella b1890 and Janet b1894. These relatives are very interesting as they will very likely give us the names of living relatives. My wife's father, Alex Douglas b1918, (Alex S B's only son), mentioned two first cousins Betty Owen (his age) and Tom. Tom is living in Kilwinning and is the grandson of one of Alex S B's sisters. His family name might be McRorie and he might be in his seventies now.

.......snipped......

Hi Brian

Tracing forward in the Scottish records is straightforward from your own computer using http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk .

CHALMERS is quite a frequently occurring surname so that the first step I'd recommend here is to look up the birth records for the siblings of Alexander Smith Barr CHALMERS to see if they had middle names. You don't even need to view the full records. You have the place of birth from the 1901 census.

Most often the census records don't give a middle name or an initial.

Searching for death records with a middle name for a surname such as CHALMERS is much easier, always, assuming, of course, that the middle name was reported by the informant.

It looks like you have lucked out as it appears that all the siblings were given middle names.

It looks like both Isabella and Janet stayed in Ayrshire as there are very promising looking matching death records in 1974 and 1979. In both cases they were married. Unfortunately images of these records are not yet on line, and won't come on line for many years. But you are in contact with a descendant already as Isabella's married surname was McCRORIE.

So you either have to bite the bullet and take the risk of ordering the £10 copy via ScotlandsPeople or get someone in Edinburgh to arrange a transcription. The latter can often be less expensive.

mb

[Dennis]

Hi. That address 5 Shandon Place, Old Kilpatrick, Dunbartonshire; I just found a person on my tree born there in 1900 Sarah Ann Crawley, a coincidence?

[Currie]

Hello Dennis,

I can’t seem to find anything very useful at all about this property. In Google Books there’s a 1901 Annual Report of the Shipconstructors’ and Shipwrights’ Association in which there's a William Law listed, who’s address is given as 5, Shandon-place, Yoker. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=XIJ ... CCwQ6AEwAA

Here’s a Georgina George b1882 at 1 Shandon Place, Yoker, Old Kilpatrick, so I suppose that’s where it was. http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/us ... -0328.html

Maybe 5 Shandon place was a tenement, housing a number of families, probably with a gradual turnover of tenants. I can’t find the place on Google Earth to see whether it was an old building still standing, but if you have the census info and the header it may give a clue as to where and what it was.

All the best,
Alan