Deciphering Surname

[maggie_4_7]

Can anyone read this surname, it's the maiden surname of the mother of the groom. I think she is Scottish or Irish

Thank you

[Phoenix]

I think I'd need a larger sample, to be able to say with any certainty. Plus the period, and some hint as to whether the groom was literate.

It looks like Urilla or Ukilla. Which seems unlikely.

[kiterunner]

McAlla? Not that it looks much like it.

[maggie_4_7]

I think I'd need a larger sample, to be able to say with any certainty. Plus the period, and some hint as to whether the groom was literate.

It looks like Urilla or Ukilla. Which seems unlikely.

It's from a Scottish 1933 marriage certificate, written by the registrar, I can't upload it all, the file is too big and I don't have an online storage area that will hold the image.

The writing, strangely enough is pretty good overall except for that name but the rest of the writing was no help to me in working out this name.

[maggie_4_7]

McAlla? Not that it looks much like it.

I thought that at one point.

[Merry]

Can you find it by using the other names on the cert and ScotlandsPeople??

[maggie_4_7]

Can you find it by using the other names on the cert and ScotlandsPeople??

I already tried that, it's my father's oldest sister's marriage so I know of her and also her death and her her son and daughter and when they died but I was trying to find out what happened to her husband, that name is his mother's maiden name.

I was looking for a death but his name is very common in Scotland it is James McLaughlin, his father was John McLaughlin and his wife and James' mother was Margaret and what that name I can't read is.

[Tilly Mint]

Just squinting my eyes and it looks like Melia to me......with no dot on the "i"

[Merry]

I tried marrages for John McLaughlin to Margaret *a but no matches in Scotland or Ireland. Also, a death for James McLaughlin in Scotland with mmn *a, but again, nothing. Well, only O'Hara!

[Merry]

I then wondered if the last letter is an O with a full stop after it, but when I tried that search I got nothing!

[Olde Crone]

Edited again - ignore this post, it is Walls of course.

Neillo? (s/b Niello).
Or could it be someone's attempt at O'Neill?

OC

[Phoenix]

So you have McLaughlin, to see whether the first letter might be an M?

[maggie_4_7]

I tried marrages for John McLaughlin to Margaret *a but no matches in Scotland or Ireland. Also, a death for James McLaughlin in Scotland with mmn *a, but again, nothing. Well, only O'Hara!

Yes I looked, all combinations nothing.

[HarrysMum]

Willa? There are Willa families in US who came from Scotland.

[maggie_4_7]

So you have McLaughlin, to see whether the first letter might be an M?

I am looking for James McLaughlin's, born about 1908, death. James was married to my father's oldest sister, that text is the maiden name of James' mother Margaret. It's on James' marriage certificate his parents are John McLaughlin and Margaret?

[maggie_4_7]

Willa? There are Willa families in US who came from Scotland.

That's one I never thought of but it's hasn't brought up anything.

[Mary from Italy]

Wella or Walla?

[kiterunner]

There is a John McLaughlin / Margaret Walls marriage 1912 Blythswood.

[Mary from Italy]

That looks promising.

[Merry]

There is a John McLaughlin / Margaret Walls marriage 1912 Blythswood.

That could be it, though James might then be younger than expected.

[kiterunner]

According to a public tree on Ancestry, Margaret Walls had a son Joseph born in 1889 who took the surname McLaughlin, so if that is the right family, James could well have been born before the marriage too.

[Merry]

Oh, OK!

[maggie_4_7]

Just squinting my eyes and it looks like Melia to me......with no dot on the "i"

Neillo? (s/b Niello).
Or could it be someone's attempt at O'Neill?

OC

Wella or Walla?

Thanks for replying - can't check anything today Scotlands People down for maintenance.

[maggie_4_7]

There is a John McLaughlin / Margaret Walls marriage 1912 Blythswood.

According to a public tree on Ancestry, Margaret Walls had a son Joseph born in 1889 who took the surname McLaughlin, so if that is the right family, James could well have been born before the marriage too.

Thanks Kiterunner, of course Scotlands People down for maintenance today but will check when then are back up.

I will look for that tree.

[maggie_4_7]

There is a John McLaughlin / Margaret Walls marriage 1912 Blythswood.

That could be it, though James might then be younger than expected.


Found the tree and looking at that name again on certificate it could be Walls.

The tree has Margaret's birth 1867 which if James was born in 1908, worked out from marriage cert, would have made her 41 when he was born.

Maybe he took the name McLaughlin or John was his biological father.

It's funny, I thought I would tie up a few loose ends with my father's siblings and now I am like a dog with a bone, I have to find out. Just my luck Scotlands People is down today for maintenance.

[Merry]

I am like a dog with a bone, I have to find out. Just my luck Scotlands People is down today for maintenance.

Lol!!and just typical when you are desperate to sort something!

[maggie_4_7]

Lol!!and just typical when you are desperate to sort something!

Let's hope the maintenance is for something good, they only have one month left of 2022 and said the 1921 census would be available at the end of this year.

What I hope is they don't change the search facility to make it better for the user when in practice in makes it ten times worse, some sites are now awful to use, Family Search/LDS being the worst of all.

[Merry]

I see there's a family in Whitehaven, Cumberland using Walls as a middle name:

MCLAUGHLIN, JOHN WALLS STEVENS
GRO Reference: 1899 J Quarter in GATESHEAD Volume 10A Page 1030

The parents are William McLaughlin and Annie nee Stevens. I realise they are not the people you are looking for, but thought I should post anyway.

EDIT; Yes, fingers crossed for the 1921 census!

[maggie_4_7]

Found her on on 1891, no siting of her husband John McLaughlin, don't know where he was born or his age.

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/2043801:1108

Not sure of this one, no John but using the name McLaughlin but from Kiterunner's post didn't marry until 1912 so probably isn't her.

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/3023118:1101?ssrc=pt&tid=1310698&pid=6407012504


I have to say from memory I don't remember seeing a death of a James McLaughlin with mother's maiden surname of Walls but not all of them have them. His birth may be in the name Walls.

[maggie_4_7]

Actually what I would like them to change on Scotlands People is to make the mother's maiden name searchable in the Statutory Births, always supposing they are transcribed.

[maggie_4_7]

I see there's a family in Whitehaven, Cumberland using Walls as a middle name:

MCLAUGHLIN, JOHN WALLS STEVENS
GRO Reference: 1899 J Quarter in GATESHEAD Volume 10A Page 1030

The parents are William McLaughlin and Annie nee Stevens. I realise they are not the people you are looking for, but thought I should post anyway.

EDIT; Yes, fingers crossed for the 1921 census!

You're like me, any clue is good you never know what you will find at the end of the rabbit hole :d I go down some routes sometimes that leads me all over the World and a good percentage of the time I still don't find them :d

[Merry]

Actually what I would like them to change on Scotlands People is to make the mother's maiden name searchable in the Statutory Births, always supposing they are transcribed.

I totally agree. Especially after the most recent census.

[maggie_4_7]

Oh now Ancestry is playing up..

[maggie_4_7]

There is a John McLaughlin / Margaret Walls marriage 1912 Blythswood.

According to a public tree on Ancestry, Margaret Walls had a son Joseph born in 1889 who took the surname McLaughlin, so if that is the right family, James could well have been born before the marriage too.

Update.

Kiterunner, you were right it's Walls and I can now see the W merging with an A and the S is badly written.

Okay well James was registered under McLaughlin born 24 Nov 1907 in Blantyre, Lanarkshire for some reason on the birth John has stated that he married Margaret in 1883! They didn't, it was the marriage you found in 1912.

Joseph was registered under the name Walls born 10 Dec 1889 and illegitimate in Johnstone and Elderslie, Renfrewshire.

Two more children found under the name McLaughlin, Mary Jane b 21 Jan 1901 Shotts, Lanarkshire (Calderhead) and John b 27 Apr 1903 in West Calder, Midlothian.

They moved about it seems.

Still haven't confirmed James' death but I think it was in 1973 in Johnstone Renfrewshire but no MMN which is where Mary his wife died in 2003.

Edit: two more children found Margaret b 7 Jun 1905 in Hamilton, Lanarkshire and Janetta b 22 Jan 1899 in Beith, Ayrshire both in the name McLaughlin but on Janetta's both parent names are there but Margaret in her maiden name and it says illegitimate, they certainly moved around.

[JBee]

Have you tried looking for the birth of the groom

[maggie_4_7]

Have you tried looking for the birth of the groom It's okay sorted now see my last post.