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Thread: Gold Miner

  1. #1
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    Default Gold Miner

    Hi,
    I have just seen a copy of my 2 x Great Grandmother's marriage certificate for her 2nd marriage.(she was illegitimate and I have been trying to find her father)
    She names her father as Peter Forsyth a Gold Miner who was deceased by August 1898.
    Her maiden name was Isabella Trotter and she was born in 1850 in Glendale workhouse. She was one of 3 Illegitimate children born to Isabella Trotter bc1811 whose parentsI have never been able to discover.
    How to I begin to search the records for Peter. Has anyone any ideas?
    Thank you

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    Are you sure he was a Gold Miner and not a Coal Miner? What is the name of her husband/s. As you think Peter had died by 1898, is this the date of a marriage and so stated on the marriage certificate that he was deceased?

    The only Peter Forsyth I have found so far was from Whitehaven, Cumberland and is listed on the Crew Lists. However there is Probate entry for a Peter Forsyth of County Durham, died 1892, left his effects to an Adam Forsyth, Chemical Works Forman.

    Could be Peter Forsyth Registration Dec 1892 Gateshead age 64. Perhaps Adam was a brother.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bunbury125 View Post
    Hi,
    I have just seen a copy of my 2 x Great Grandmother's marriage certificate for her 2nd marriage.(she was illegitimate and I have been trying to find her father)
    She names her father as Peter Forsyth a Gold Miner who was deceased by August 1898.
    Her maiden name was Isabella Trotter and she was born in 1850 in Glendale workhouse. She was one of 3 Illegitimate children born to Isabella Trotter bc1811 whose parentsI have never been able to discover.
    How to I begin to search the records for Peter. Has anyone any ideas?
    Thank you
    Do you have the names and dates of birth of the other three children? Any ideas on the father's name of these three?

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    Quote Originally Posted by suemalings View Post
    Are you sure he was a Gold Miner and not a Coal Miner? What is the name of her husband/s. As you think Peter had died by 1898, is this the date of a marriage and so stated on the marriage certificate that he was deceased?

    The only Peter Forsyth I have found so far was from Whitehaven, Cumberland and is listed on the Crew Lists. However there is Probate entry for a Peter Forsyth of County Durham, died 1892, left his effects to an Adam Forsyth, Chemical Works Forman.

    Could be Peter Forsyth Registration Dec 1892 Gateshead age 64. Perhaps Adam was a brother.
    Hi,
    Thank for your reply.
    Yes it definitely says Gold Miner not coal miner.Odd isn't it? I was surprised as she had a daughter named Matilda Gibson Key so I expected to find that she'd found out her father's family name was Gibson.
    I wondered if Peter had been transported and it was a gentle euphemism perhaps.
    Her 2nd Husband was John Williams a retired Policeman and they married in August 1898.
    In her Previous marriage she named her father as James Trotter, Shepherd. I know her birth was illegitimate so this was likely to be her grandfather's name and occupation.
    I will look into the Peter who died in 1892 and see if he appears in the 1891 census .
    Thanks
    B

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    Hi,
    Thank for your reply,
    I have some clues about her siblings.
    She had a half sister called Catherine born in 1839 whose father was named as James White, gardener.
    She had a half brother John born in 1843 whose father isn't named. He is with a family called Laidlaw in 1851 as a visitor and with the same family in 1861 but mistakenly listed as a son. In 1871 he is together with his mother and sister in Budle.
    I think Isabella senior's father was James Trotter but am only basing this on The fact that Isabella Junior named him as her father at her first wedding in 1874.

    Hope that makes sense.

    Thanks
    B

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    I am wondering if "gold miner" is something of a red herring and that somewhere along the line it was distorted from "coal miner".

    If I have the right person, in 1851 Isabella was living with her mother, shown as Annabel, in Ford. Ref HO107, 2422/170 page 7. Also living at Ford was a Peter Forsyth, b c 1829, together with brother Adam. Ref HO107 2422/120 page 7. (120/170 Possible mistranscription?). He is described as 'ag lab", but from his biography it seems he may have also been recorded in Scotland with his wife-to-be, working as a coal miner.
    In 1871 he was employed as a coal chemical foreman. He died on 22 Nov 1892.

    His detailed biography and his photograph can be found on "Find a Grave".
    I leave it up to you to decide if he might have been Isabella's father

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    Quote Originally Posted by brentor boy View Post
    I am wondering if "gold miner" is something of a red herring and that somewhere along the line it was distorted from "coal miner".

    If I have the right person, in 1851 Isabella was living with her mother, shown as Annabel, in Ford. Ref HO107, 2422/170 page 7. Also living at Ford was a Peter Forsyth, b c 1829, together with brother Adam. Ref HO107 2422/120 page 7. (120/170 Possible mistranscription?). He is described as 'ag lab", but from his biography it seems he may have also been recorded in Scotland with his wife-to-be, working as a coal miner.
    In 1871 he was employed as a coal chemical foreman. He died on 22 Nov 1892.

    His detailed biography and his photograph can be found on "Find a Grave".
    I leave it up to you to decide if he might have been Isabella's father
    I thought it was a coal miner too. I found the probate for a Peter Forsyth who was a Chemical Works Manager leaving everything to Adam (who we now know was a brother). He was also a Chemical Works Manager.

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    Quote Originally Posted by brentor boy View Post
    I am wondering if "gold miner" is something of a red herring and that somewhere along the line it was distorted from "coal miner".

    If I have the right person, in 1851 Isabella was living with her mother, shown as Annabel, in Ford. Ref HO107, 2422/170 page 7. Also living at Ford was a Peter Forsyth, b c 1829, together with brother Adam. Ref HO107 2422/120 page 7. (120/170 Possible mistranscription?). He is described as 'ag lab", but from his biography it seems he may have also been recorded in Scotland with his wife-to-be, working as a coal miner.
    In 1871 he was employed as a coal chemical foreman. He died on 22 Nov 1892.

    His detailed biography and his photograph can be found on "Find a Grave".
    I leave it up to you to decide if he might have been Isabella's father
    I have looked at the find a Grave entry and the picture. It's very interesting. I don't have any pictures of Isabella so I can't say if he was like her or not. I can say that I think you are probably right about the distortion from Coal miner or maybe her mother just wanted her to think he was far away.
    Also in the neighbourhood was one of Isabella senior's other children(listed as catherine White) living with the Scott family as a visitor. So it would seem as if that is the right Peter although his father was a better age for Isabella.
    Thank you for your time
    Kind Regards
    B

  9. #9
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    I think it is the right person given the location and the proximity to Isabella. As has been suggested I think that the fact it says Gold miner might be 50% Chinese whispers and 50% need/ wish to embellish or disguise the truth.
    Whatever the reason that's another piece of the puzzle in place.
    Now I just need to find who Isabella senior was. I know there was a connection with the Scott family in Ford but have never discovered any more.

    Thank you for the time you've spent on this. It's much appreciated.

    Kind Regards
    B

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    Glad to have been of help. I think that is as conclusive as you're likely to get unless you go down the DNA route

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