Looking for William Scott from Gladsmuir

[gscott1]

I am trying to trace William Scott who was born in Gladsmuir East Lothian 9th August 1886. He had a brother George and a sister Margaret.
His father was Wilson Wilson Scott born 10th June 1833 in Gladsmuir.
His mother was Isabella Wilson born 4th April 1844 in Longniddry East Lothian.
They were married 13th February 1874.
I have traced William to the census of 1901 and 1911, still in Gladsmuir. (His age in the 1911 census is wrongly given as 21).
After that, I can find nothing, not even his death. It has occurred to me that he could have gone to war in
WW1 but I cannot find any information on this.
So if there is anyone out there who has any info, please reply.

George Scott

[Mutley]

I don't suppose you know if he had a middle name?

There is a record of a William K Scott, born Gadsmuir, Haddington.
Residence was Macmerry, East Lothian who died of wounds on 10 June 1917 at Flanders.
He enlisted at Tranent and was a Lance Corporal in the Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment, 16th Battalion).
Service number 29532

Sadly it does not give a birth date or age. Might be worth a look at the Commonwealth War Graves Site.

[Mutley]

I've just looked at the CWGC and W.K. is probably not your William as he is listed as the son of
James Scott, of West Bank, Macmerry, East Lothian.

Sorry

[Coromandel]

Do you know when William's parents died, George? If so you could investigate whether they left wills. These (if they exist!) might give some clue as to William's whereabouts and perhaps any family he had. Unfortunately the probate index on Scotland's People stops in 1901. For a guide to finding later Scottish wills and testaments, see

http://
www.nas.gov.uk/guides/wills.asp

[gscott1]

Thanks for your input Mutley. William had no middle name and the area around Gladsmuir is full of Scott's which does not help finding people.

[gscott1]

Coromandel, William's father died in 1918 in Gadsmuir, his mother died in1916 in Macmerry.
They were a family of coal miners so I doubt they had wills but I will have a look.
Thanks for helping.

[Mutley]

The William K who died in 1917 lived at Macmerry. You have stated that your William's mother died at Macmerry.
It is still possible that if William K is not your William, he was related in some way.

I have the death certificate of my uncle that was killed in WW2, the CWGC have given him the wrong parents. There are often mistakes in transcriptions of records so can be worth checking further.

I have no experience of searching for Scottish relatives but there are many mentions that Scotland's People is a very good site to use. I believe it is pay to view but apparently worth it. Perhaps it would have Parish Registers, though maybe you already use it because I could not find William on the 1911 at FMP and I think that record is probably on the Scotland's People site.

Your William had three older siblings (2 brothers and a sister) other than George and Margaret,
do you know what happened to them?

Could William have emigrated?

Sorry, I don't think I can help and am just throwing wild shots at you. I hope a member with more experience will be along soon.

[gscott1]

William actually had two half brothers, Andrew and Alexander, and a half sister Jane. Their mother was Jane King, William's fathers first wife.
Both Williams parents died in a place called Macmerry which is only a mile from Gladsmuir but the parish is Gladsmuir hence the confusion.
You mention the 1911 FMP, what is it?.

[t@nya]

It's the 1911 census at FindMyPast.

[gscott1]

Thanks for your input

[Kerrywood]

You mention the 1911 FMP, what is it?.
For those without a subscription to Find My Past, the 1911 census can be accessed as a paysite here

www.
1911census.co.uk

[grisel]

Looking at the free index on Scotlands People I think William K may possibly be William Kerr Scott b 1896 Gladsmuir.

Have you checked out the deaths in East Lothian on SP? There are 4 deaths in East Lothian of a William Scott b 1885 - 87 from 1911 - 1986. (Looking further all are after 1950) All with mother's maiden name not recorded. None in Gladsmuir though.

There are 109 deaths in Scotland altogether of that age between 1911 and 1986 so probably a bit too expensive to investigate all of them!

Mutley's suggestion to chase up the siblings may be useful.

Also William's father's death certificate could - possibly - be worth looking at to see who the informant was. But no guarantee that it would be William!

Also FMP's passenger list index has quite a number of William Scotts of the right age leaving the UK after 1911. So may be worth checking.

[grisel]

You may have this but there is also a marriage of a William Scott in 1912 in Gladsmuir reg district to a Jessie,

[gscott1]

I have gone back to Scotlands People and come up with a list of about a dozen William Scott's who died in WW1 .
Does anyone know how to get the parents names from these lists.

[grisel]

I have gone back to Scotlands People and come up with a list of about a dozen William Scott's who died in WW1 .
Does anyone know how to get the parents names from these lists.

Parents' names are normally but not always on the death certs in Scotland. You need to register and buy credits on SP. To try and save money you could try to eliminate the unlikely ones from identifying them as possibly on censuses or from baptisms in Family search. But time consuming. William Scott is such a common nname.

Another suggestion. There were 2 Williams age 15 - 35 in Gladsmuir in 1911, yours and William K - so I think it is likely that the 1912 marriage may have been your William (though no guarantee). Playing with the index her name was Jessie Chapple. I have found a death of a Jessie Scott other surname Chapple b 1889,. Death is in Dunblane, Stirlingshire. So if you have already got the 1912 marriage cert to check it is the right William ,that might be another cert worth getting. I can't see a death for William in Dunblane but there are some in Stirlingshire.

[grisel]

Another suggestion. There were 2 Williams age 15 - 35 in Gladsmuir in 1911, yours and William K - so I think it is likely that the 1912 marriage may have been your William (though no guarantee). Playing with the index her name was Jessie Chapple. I have found a death of a Jessie Scott other surname Chapple b 1889,. Death is in Dunblane, Stirlingshire. So if you have already got the 1912 marriage cert to check it is the right William ,that might be another cert worth getting. I can't see a death for William in Dunblane but there are some in Stirlingshire.

Forgot to say, Jessie's death was 1970.

[grisel]

Just found this photo of the war memorials in Gladsmuir church with both a William Scott and a William Kerr Scott (one on each plaque) So I am guessing that this is your William.

http://
warmemscot.s4.bizhat.com/warmemscot-post-40425.html

So he may be no 222 on the CWGC list of W Scotts on p 15

Private William Scott service no 12666 died 04/10/1915 age unknown Scots Guards Panel 8and 9 Loos Memorial

You would need to check more thoroughly - I may be mistaken, only looked quickly.
Very sad to see how many names there are.

[grisel]

So he may be no 222 on the CWGC list of W Scotts on p 15
.
Ignore these numbers - when I rechecked no 222 on p15 it had changed to an Able Seaman Scott! and then again to a Seaforth Highlander..... I know not why. But the one I found is in there somewhere. I only saw 2 from the Scots Guards in the list.

[gscott1]

Thanks to all for their input.
The William Scott who married Jessie Chapple is not the one I am looking for (different parents).
I have tried to crosscheck the Scottish war memorial records against the Commonwealth War Graves but there are too many without a place of birth to get an answer.
For the moment, I cannot see a path to an answer so I will put it on the back burner until something pop's up.

Cheers to all from Australia.

[grisel]

Thanks to all for their input.
The William Scott who married Jessie Chapple is not the one I am looking for (different parents).
I have tried to crosscheck the Scottish war memorial records against the Commonwealth War Graves but there are too many without a place of birth to get an answer.
For the moment, I cannot see a path to an answer so I will put it on the back burner until something pop's up.

Cheers to all from Australia.
Sorry that your William was not the one to marry Jessie. Do you think that the William who married Jessie was the same William Scott of 2nd Scots Guards on the Gladsmuir church war memorial - or is there still a chance that he is your William?

It might be worth contacting people in the area - in the BT residential numbers online there are 2 J Scotts and 1 S Scott listed in Macmerry (addresses and tel nos given) or perhaps a letter to Gladsmuir church asking for a mention in the parish newsletter.

Good luck!

[gscott1]

Grisel,
I will have another look at the 2nd Scot's Guards.
Macmerry and Gladsmuir area is full of Scott families and I do not know them all but the S.Scott you mention is my nephew and would know nothing of William.
Perhaps I might contact the church in Gladsmuir to see if there are more records of the burial. Last time I looked in Scotlands People the records only show the purchase of a mortcloth, no parental names etc.
Thanks for your help.

[grisel]

Grisel,
I will have another look at the 2nd Scot's Guards.
Macmerry and Gladsmuir area is full of Scott families and I do not know them all but the S.Scott you mention is my nephew and would know nothing of William.
Perhaps I might contact the church in Gladsmuir to see if there are more records of the burial. Last time I looked in Scotlands People the records only show the purchase of a mortcloth, no parental names etc.
Thanks for your help.

The Scots guards William Scott on the church memorial isn't buried in Gladsmuir as he died in battle. The other memorial to him I think is probably the one on the Loos memorial as the other Scots guard William Scott on the CWGC list had a different date of birth. But as you say there are a lot of William Scotts around Gladsmuir.