Agnes Findlay - a huge mystery!

[Artognou]

Hi everyone,

I posted about this quite a few years ago on the old WDYTYA forum, I don't recall there being any conclusion, however.

This is a very long running brick wall regarding my 4th great grandmother, Agnes Findlay, I am descended via her youngest child, Mary Ann Beattie, who was born in Cumnock, Ayrshire, unlike her siblings who were all born in Rockliffe, Cumbria.
She was born supposedly circa 1792 in Northumberland, which is the only place name she gives on the census records, she married at Gretna Green in 1811 to Andrew Beattie (her name was written down as Ann Finly) and she was residing at Brampton by then, not far from the Northumberland border by the looks of it.
Her death was in 1871, New Cumnock, Ayrshire and her parents were recorded as being James Findlay and Margaret Hetherington, and I cannot for the life of me find a shred of any information about them, and there is the usual case of other family trees on ancestry seemingly inventing them, or finding the first people with these names and sticking them into their respective trees!

I would be incredibly grateful for any help at all with this impossible conundrum, or just a gentle push in the right direction!

Many thanks in advance,

Alex.

[VALLMO9]

...her parents were recorded as being James Findlay and Margaret Hetherington, and I cannot for the life of me find a shred of any information about them, and there is the usual case of other family trees on ancestry seemingly inventing them...

Question for clarity: Do Agnes' parents (James and Margaret) appear on her 1871 death record? Or do these names appear on various Ancestry trees?

Have you found (online) baptism records for the Beattie children born in Cumbria? Can you tell us the census records (with locations) Agnes appears in?

There is another 1811 marriage in Gretna, but the bride's name is different. Have you investigated this couple?
Name Andrew Beattie
Spouse's Name Agnes Ralton
Event Date 5 Aug 1811
Event Place Old Graitney, Dumfriesshire, Scotland

[Artognou]

The parent's names are on the death certificate of Agnes, but they appear to be on other family trees without any dates for marriage and birth (which is what has bothered me, without the necessary evidence, I can't make any decisions on who they could be, etc).
All the baptisms for the Beattie children are online, all born in Rockliffe, except Mary Ann, who was born in New Cumnock and Agnes appears in all census records in New Cumnock from 1841 to 1871.
I shall have a look at this couple, thank you

[VALLMO9]

Agnes appears in all census records in New Cumnock from 1841 to 1871.

My experience with Scotland census records is that it's unusual to see a specific English birthplace listed. Usually it's just "England". Are you sure Agnes' birthplace is "Northumberland" in each census record?

With her 1871 death record, the parents' names will only be as accurate as the informant knows them to be. I have an 1860 death record for one of my Scottish ancestors. The informant was the son-in-law, who was clearly muddled up with the parents' names of the deceased. He was muddled up the following year, when his mother-in-law passed away. He gave inaccurate variations on her parents' names, as well.

[Artognou]

It's actually only one of the census records, either 1861 or 1871, it's also in the same record where Andrew's place of birth is listed as being Cumberland. There was also an incorrect name used in Andrew's death certificate, his mother was named as Mary Graham and I have never been able to find anyone with her name, however there was a Mary Skelton/Shelton who had married an Andrew Beattie and that matched up very well, because a lot of their children's names were the same as the children of Andrew Jr.
I have been prepared just in case there was something slightly different regarding Agnes' parents.
I will go to my Scotland's People account and find these records, just to see if the same person provided witness.

[VALLMO9]

There's a Hetherington in my family tree. Born in Northumberland, lived off and on in Scotland, and died in Cumbria. He married my 1st cousin (3 x removed) in 1871. Interestingly, he names his Scottish father as Thomas Beatty Hetherington (file cutter) on the marriage record. TBH might not have been his biological father, though.

[Artognou]

Sorry for the very late reply - life and technical issues!

I did look up the Hetherington name and I noticed that it was very much a name from around the borderlands, it's just incredibly frustrating that nothing appears to be matching.

Hopefully something might appear along the way!