Genealogy Chat

Hi all. I've been having a go at this for ages but I've finally decided to bite the bullet and ask for a bit of help from all you gurus out there. I've got a William Heron (my 3xg grandfather) who was born in Scotland (don't know where exactly) around 1820. He married Eliza Mannouch (1839) in 1858 in London. This is where my line comes from. On that marriage certificate, it says he was a widower, so was obviously married before. Question is, who to? Have searched Scotland's People but the returns are so many, I have no idea which one he is. And who knows, maybe his first marriage was in London too, not Scotland! What I want to know is: where in Scotland was William born; who was he married to before Eliza Mannouch; why did he come down to London? Anyway out there got any tips for me? I feel like I'm at a bit of a dead end with this one. Thanks, Katharina

Have you found him on the 1851 in either scotland or England.

This is the 1861 Dont know if you have already View Record Eliza Heron abt 1841 Faversham, Kent, England Niece Poplar All Saints Middlesex View Record William Heron abt 1830 Scotland Nephew Poplar All Saints Middlesex View Record James Jaffs abt 1851 Poplar, Middlesex, England Visitor Poplar All Saints Middlesex View Record Sarah Marsanach abt 1814 Faversham, Kent, England Wife Poplar All Saints Middlesex View Record Thomas Marsanach abt 1811 Faversham, Kent, England Head Poplar All Saints Middlesex

Well, my first tip would be to search for his birth / baptism and his first marriage on the IGI at FamilySearch rather than Scotland's People, because the IGI has much the same info as SP pre-1855 but the difference is you don't have to pay to use FamilySearch and you do to use SP! It is very likely indeed that he married before 1855 for the first time, isn't it? If his first wife died after 1855 in Scotland then her death should be on Scotland's People, but it probably won't be any good searching for that until you know her name! The only thing that I would suggest using Scotland's People for at the moment is the 1851 census - if he was in Scotland then - but I don't know how many William Herons you will find of the right age. If it is just a few then you could note down the details and see which of them you can also find on the 1861 to rule them out. If his first wife died before 1855 in Scotland it is going to be trickier to find her death because 'old parish register' burials are not available online yet, and apparently even when they are they will not be very comprehensive anyway. Scotland's People does have a free search for wills, inventories, etc. but again, unless you know her name I don't know what the chances are you will find her on there. I don't suppose you know of any children he had by his first wife? Kate.

Elizabeth Heron abt 1849 Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England Daughter Cirencester Gloucestershire View Record James Heron abt 1848 Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England Son Cirencester Gloucestershire View Record John Heron abt 1812 Scotland Head Cirencester Gloucestershire View Record John Heron abt 1850 Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England Son Cirencester Gloucestershire View Record Margaret Heron abt 1821 Scotland Wife Cirencester Gloucestershire View Record Thomas John Heron abt 1846 Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England Son Cirencester Gloucestershire I can't see them on any other census did they go back to Scotland. View Record William Heron abt 1831 Scotland Servant Cirencester Gloucestershire View Record William Heron abt 1850 Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England Son Cirencester Gloucestershire 1851 census for cirencestor. not much help Does the marriage certificate you have give a father's name?

Thanks for everything so far everyone. Yes, I do have that 1861 - that's pretty much all I have of him, other than his marriage cert to Eliza! It appears I was wrong about the age - it looks like he was born 1830 or so. Thanks I will look at Familysearch instead of SP for the moment. It does have the father's name on the marriage cert but I have to dig it out and check it as I can't for the life of me remember what it was - could well have been another William Heron, but not certain. No, I haven't found them on 1851 - I suspect he'd have been married to his first wife then, but again, can't be sure! And I don't even know if he'd still have been in Scotland! For all I know, he could have moved to London with his family as a boy. I don't know of any children by his first wife, the only thing that tells me he even had one is that he is a 'widower' on his marriage cert in 1858. He could well have gone back to Scotland after 1871, although all his children (by Eliza) were born in London, as far as I can see from later census records. I've found Eliza in 1891, remarried to Mark Cross (in 1886). I thought William may have died before 1871, but in 1891 his son Thomas is listed as having been born in 1874, so William must have been around to father him! So, I've got the whole family in 1861, as kindly posted above, then no sign of any of them in 1871 and 1881, then Eliza pops up again in 1891, remarried to Mark Cross, with two sons James and Thomas still living at home, and her older son William living next door. I'll dig out that marriage cert for William's father's name but at this stage that's all I've got to go on... this is a big mystery! Thanks for everything so far guys! Katharina

Hi Katharina What was your William's occupation? There's this guy on the 1881 - unfortunately no info as to marital state: Dwelling: 15 Gloucester St Census Place: Swindon, Wiltshire, England Source: FHL Film 1341487 PRO Ref RG11 Piece 2019 Folio 124 Page 40 Marr Age Sex Birthplace John L. HURSTED M 48 M London Rel: Head Martha HURSTED M 32 F Wallhealth, Stafford, England Rel: Wife Edwin J. HURSTED 8 M Somerton, Somerset, England Rel: Son Occ: Scholar Ada B. HURSTED 6 F Swindon, Wiltshire, England Rel: Daur Occ: Scholar Ernest M. HUSTED 4 M West Smethwick, Stafford, England Rel: Son Occ: Scholar William HERON 50 M Scotland Rel: Boarder Occ: Draper Regards Ellen.

Here is a William with a wife Jean, could it be him? 1851 Census 4 Records found Piece: SCT1851/589 Place: Dreghorn-Ayrshire Enumeration District: 2 Civil Parish: Dreghorn Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island: Dreghorn Folio: 0 Page: 2 Schedule: 4 Address: 4 Corsehill Square -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Surname First name(s) Rel Status Sex Age Occupation Where Born Remarks HERON William Head M M 28 Coal Miner Ayrshire - Dreghorn HERON Jean Wife M F 24 Ayrshire - Dreghorn HERON Janet - U F 4 Ayrshire - Dreghorn Relationship not enumerated HERON Elizabeth - U F 1m Ayrshire - Dreghorn Relationship not enumerated Marion Hello Ellen :)))