Use of 'adopted' in the 1851 census

[Shona]

When I posted the details of William Williamson on the 4x thread today, it reminded me of the use of the word adopted in the 1851 Scottish census. I have always found this a little odd.

The entry reads:

Tavit Mill, Ceres

Margaret Williamson, head, 35, factory worker, born Monimail
Mary Williamson, 25, adopted, factory worker, born Abdie
Euphemia Williamson, 20, adopted, factory worker, born Dunbog
Ann Williamson, 18, adopted, factory worker, born Cutts
Catherine Williamson, 13, adopted, factory worker, born Leslie

Mary and Euphemia are William Williamson's daughters. I have assumed Margaret is, too. William's eldest daughter was named Margaret. The age is about right. I have her born in Falkland, but Monimal is a couple of miles away.

Why wasn't sister used to describe the relationship? Would it be usual to 'adopt' your sisters?

A brother of the sisters also lived in Tavit Mill in 1851.

If I could sort this puzzle out, it may help me find out when William Williamson died.

[kiterunner]

If that is what it says on the image, then it doesn't say adopted what, so couldn't it be short for adopted sister? Sorry, just realised you are saying they weren't adopted by Margaret's father. Yes, I think people could adopt their siblings if the parents died when the siblings were young, i.e. the older sister became their guardian.

[Merry]

Perhaps she brought them up from a young age? I presume there was no legal adoption in Scotland at this time? (I only know about England/Wales!) The word probably had a much wider definition than it does today.

[kiterunner]

The National Archives of Scotland website states that "Adoptions before 1930
Before 1930 adoptions were arranged on a private basis, either by individuals or by one of a number of charitable adoption agencies. NAS currently holds no records for adoptions before 1930."

[maggie_4_7]

I had one of my 'Young' families with two children with a different surname listed as adopted and they were with them for two census and I had no idea where they had come from they just appeared on a census but as I padded the family out and looked at the female daughters of females that had married I put it together they were illegitimate children (boy and a girl born within 5 years of each other) of a female cousin of the Head/Man of the family.

Not sure why they would use the term 'adopted' for adults but I assumed they used it on census for children so the enumerator knew they were dependents of that family rather than visitors.

[Shona]

Thanks for the replies. I haven't been able to confirm the death of the parents William and Mary Williamson. I suspect that Ann and Catherine are also daughters of William and Mary, but again haven't been able to confirm it. While I can find the offspring of William and Mary in 1851 and subsequent censuses, I can't find the family in 1841.

[Merry]

I'm not familiar with Scottish searching, but I did notice that Ceres, where they were living in 1851, doesn't appear on the drop down list of parishes on Ancestry in 1841. Leslie, where Catherine was said to be born, does appear on that parish list, but there are no results at all (for any name) if that parish is selected. EDIT, possibly because there's (another?) Leslie in Aberdeenshire, for which there are results! I presume therefore the census records are lost/missing for these places in Fife?

I did try FMP too (but not SP), with no luck.

[Merry]

The original copies of many Fife 1841 census records were lost in transit to Edinburgh and are therefore unavailable. The parishes are: Abdie, Auchtermuchty, Balmerino, Ceres, Collessie, Creich, Cults, Cupar, Dairsie, Dunbog, Kinghorn, Kinglassie, Kirkcaldy and Leslie.

The above is quoted from this GENUKI page:

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/sct/FIF/

[Shona]

Problem solved - thanks Merry. Seven of those parishes are where the Williamson family lived at some point. Kicking myself for not checking - and using up credits on Scotland's People.