Carruthers mystery

[Jcarruthers]

Hi
I have been researching my branch of the Carruthers family for nearly 10 years. Initially it was simply to discover what happened to my grandfathers sister, but then grew from there to me being able to build a family tree as far back as 1744. As it turned out my grandfathers sister was actually an adopted child, something I learnt from a fellow forum user from Canada - one mystery solved. Although I have face value family information about my grandfather and his (assumed) parents that has led me back to 1744, the other mystery for me, and something which would lend authenticity to the tree, is being unable to track his birth certificate through the various genealogy forums and UK birth records. He does appear in a number of census records though. I now wonder if in fact he too was an adopted child. Adoption records in Scotland, I understand, were not kept at that time. My grandfather is George Frederick CARRUTHERS, born 1898 Midlothian, Edinburgh, Scotland. He emigrated with his new wife Mary Annie McMillan (née) RUSSELL to Australia in about 1922. His (assumed) parents were George Russell CARRUTHERS (born 1871) and Maud Jane Glencairn Muir (née) FITZSIMMONDS. Any suggestions or anybody with knowledge about him would be appreciated.

[Sue Mackay]

Hallo Jcarruthers and a warm welcome to British Genealogy. As your post is more of a query, I have moved it from the Introduce Yourself forum, in the hope that it will attract more views.

[Jcarruthers]

With the help of a genealogist I have now discovered that my grandfather (George Frederick Carruthers) was in fact adopted. He was actually born George Fotheringham Carruthers to biological parents Frederick Lockwood Logan Carruthers and Annie Reddie Carruthers (née Banks) but adopted by George Russell Carruthers and Maud Carruthers.
Frederick and Annie had other sons - Frederick, Thomas, Angus and Christopher. Any contact by descendants of these people would be welcome. Strangely it would seem that my grandfather and his brothers were unaware of each other’s existence.

[grisel]

Hello there
Yes it is a bit of a mystery but a few things don't add up for me. Although George Fotheringham Carruthers is not with his family in 1901, he does seem to go on to marry Isabella Slorance in Dunfermline in 1920(from Scotland's people) and Family Search appear to have a record of his death in Durham. As his mother Annie Banks was from Dunfermline I wonder if he could be the George Carruthers in Dunfermline in 1901. You would need to check those records to confirm.
If he is not your George that takes you back to square one I'm afraid.
Either his parents did not register him or he was indeed adopted.
Was his sister renamed on adoption? Could he be one of the other George Fredericks born then? Or if you have an exact birth date he could be any of the males born on that date.....

[christanel]

Marriage
Fred Carruthers to Annie Reddie Banks 1881 ref 685/1 240 St George


So no middle names for Fred on the marriage index and definitely none on the birth certificate for his son Frederick Fotheringham in 1898 as I have viewed the original on Scotlandspeople.
Christina

[christanel]

Hello there
Yes it is a bit of a mystery but a few things don't add up for me. Although George Fotheringham Carruthers is not with his family in 1901, he does seem to go on to marry Isabella Slorance in Dunfermline in 1920(from Scotland's people) and Family Search appear to have a record of his death in Durham. As his mother Annie Banks was from Dunfermline I wonder if he could be the George Carruthers in Dunfermline in 1901. You would need to check those records to confirm.
If he is not your George that takes you back to square one I'm afraid.
Either his parents did not register him or he was indeed adopted.
Was his sister renamed on adoption? Could he be one of the other George Fredericks born then? Or if you have an exact birth date he could be any of the males born on that date.....

I have had some credits floating around for months so used them to look at this marriage image. Frederick Fotheringham Carruthers names his parents as Frederick Carruthers, Groom, deceased and Annie Reddie Carruthers nee Banks. Groom fits in with the occupation of stable hand on George Fotheringham's birth reg

A Joan? Fotheringham was a witness to the marriage

Christina

[grisel]

FS have a baptism 1892 of Fred Lockwood Logan Carruthers, father Fred Lockwood Logan Carruthers, mother Ann Reddi Banks.

[christanel]

Hi grisel
I noticed those entries on familysearch.org. One of them has a tree attached. it looks as thought he middle names were given at baptism but not on the birth reg?
Christina

[Jcarruthers]

Thanks grisel
Another spanner in the works! Was half expecting it though. My grandfather is not the George Carruthers from Dunfermline. We know that he was living with George and Maud Carruthers, and his adopted sister, in Midlothian in 1901.
No George Frederick Carruthers records match either - exhaustive searches have ruled them all out. His adopted sister - Christina Carruthers - was born Elizabeth Miller McEwan in 1896. All we have to go on for my grandfather are two dates of birth he had given during his life here in Perth Australia - March 1, 1898 and March 1, 1899. He did not have a birth document of any kind.
It would seem that his birth was either not registered, or he was born under a completely different name which as you say puts us back to square one - researching all males born on those dates would be near impossible.

[christanel]

by grisel
Although George Fotheringham Carruthers is not with his family in 1901, he does seem to go on to marry Isabella Slorance in Dunfermline in 1920(from Scotland's people) and Family Search appear to have a record of his death in Durham. As his mother Annie Banks was from Dunfermline I wonder if he could be the George Carruthers in Dunfermline in 1901.

1901 census
63 New Row Dunfermline
George Fotheringham 26 Coal Miner (Hewer) born Dunfermline, Fife
Jeanie Fotheringham Wife 22 West Calder, Midlothian
George Carruthers Nephew 2 Edinburgh Midlothian

So I would say this is the George Fotheringham Carruthers especially as a witness to his marriage was a Jean Fotheringham as above and as I posted previously

I have had some credits floating around for months so used them to look at this marriage image. Frederick Fotheringham Carruthers names his parents as Frederick Carruthers, Groom, deceased and Annie Reddie Carruthers nee Banks. Groom fits in with the occupation of stable hand on George Fotheringham's birth reg

A Joan? Fotheringham was a witness to the marriage

Which seems to indicate that the George F with George and Maud in 1901 is actually their birth/adopted son.
What do you think grisel? My head is spinning with Carruthers/ Georges/ F's etc.

Another thing I noticed whilst searching is that George Frederick Carruthers father George Russel Carruthers has the same middle name as George Frederick's wife's surname - Mary Annie McMillan Russell.

Christina