Death Certificate

Recently, I wrote that I was pretty sure I'd located records of my McPherson ancestors in Scotland.  I found two birth records and a marriage record that fit the names and ages of the four that originally emigrated.  The records showed that Mary McPherson had been Mary Johnston before marriage and that they lived in Paisley.  Since all the names were so common, though, I wanted to locate a record to corroborate what I had found.  Mary's US death record, I suggested, would indicate her maiden name and confirm the connection.

I managed to track down a death record, but it was lacking the information I needed.  Apparently the person who reported the death did not know Mary's parents' names.

Death Record:  11 June 1887

This was quite disappointing because it can't confirm what I had hoped it would.  Of course, it doesn't refute it either.  In fact, there's nothing on the death record to know that is actually the correct Mary McPherson either (it's not signed by John or any of the children and the address isn't the one that shows up on the US census records, although it is just around the corner).  An obituary for the same date would have more information, but I haven't located one yet.  All I managed to find was a Report of Death that is rather unhelpful for such common names.

Report of Death:  11 June 1887

On further consideration of the Scottish birth and marriage records, however, I am fairly certain they are the correct ones.  The names and ages of 4 people match, which despite the common names would be rather unusual.  I'm confident it's them, so I'll pursue it further, but I'll still keep trying to find more evidence to support it.

As just a start, I've already found John and Mary on Scotland's 1851 census.  John was a "Draper's Assistant" and born in Linlithgow, not 20 miles from where I currently live in Edinburgh.  He must have moved to the Glasgow area and met Mary because the census puts them at 25 Gauze St in Paisley.

1851 Census