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Archiver > ABERDEEN > 2010-06 > 1277025558


From: Ray Forsberg <>
Subject: Re: [ABERDEEN] MEARNS
Date: Sun, 20 Jun 2010 19:19:18 +1000
References: <20100616153433.19024yevvyuio3g9@webmail.uniserve.com><SNT107-DS2184DCE08C9B0D34401554D8DE0@phx.gbl><0D270F87E52943F1BE8EC0DDC48CA4A5@UserPC1><AANLkTikBlmwcRJfFWEKbZBz9OhNBEhesClahM9VuCnYN@mail.gmail.com><AANLkTim5nd8Un3iLbGkwY3qmAgTYpOcX_o2ELEcEd_0P@mail.gmail.com><605F53AF1BA84B86901FF69413FC5A97@your8abc512da0>
In-Reply-To: <605F53AF1BA84B86901FF69413FC5A97@your8abc512da0>


Hi Sandy,

Thanks - an email is winging its way to Mr. Mitchell right now.
Hopefully we can identify who this soldier was.

Cheers,

Carol

On 20 June 2010 17:29, sandy mellis <> wrote:
> Hi Carol,
> I suggest that you get in contact with Stewart MITCHELL, Volunteer
> Researcher, Gordon Highlanders Museum, Viewfield Rd., Aberdeen.  I'm sure
> Stewart will be able to help you.  Their web site is
> www.gordonhighlanders.com.
> Regards,
> Sandy Mellis
> N.S.W.  Carol, in answer to one of your previous messages, I will be having
> a dram or two next month when I'm home in Aberdeenshire.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ray Forsberg" <>
> To: <>
> Sent: Sunday, June 20, 2010 1:14 PM
> Subject: Re: [ABERDEEN] MEARNS
>
>
>> Hi Fran,
>>
>> I have just managed to find the old flask - here is what is stamped on
>> it -
>>
>> S/43417 L. CPl. P. Mearns, Gordon Hdrs. 1916
>>
>> I hope this is one of yours.  Will try and get a decent photo of it
>> and send that to you offlist.  It is very dark and probably will not
>> come up too well, but I am loathe to clean it as I am not sure that
>> this is a good thing to do as it may damage it in some way.  It is
>> after all almost 100 years old!
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Carol
>>
>> On 17 June 2010 16:27, Tom Graham <> wrote:
>>> Fran,
>>> Andy's suggestion (that the 1864 birth date on the pass book is
>>> incorrect)
>>> sounds the right conclusion. All the other information points to the John
>>> born1861 as your grandfather.
>>> I believe the dates of birth claimed by men enlisting during WWI are
>>> frequently wrong though usually men (boys, really) who were too young
>>> making
>>> themselves older to be elegible. My wife had an uncle who lied about his
>>> age
>>> in this way to get into the army and, having then experienced the
>>> realities
>>> of life at the front, would say in later life that he had lied to get in
>>> and
>>> he would gladly have lied to get out again!
>>> In the case of the 1861 John Mearns there doesn't seem any obvious reason
>>> to us now why he would want to present himself in 1916 as 52 rather than
>>> 55
>>> but there may have been a motive at the time. Either of those ages sounds
>>> too old for active service so it obviously wasn't a routine enlistment.
>>> But
>>> an error seems much more likely, perhaps a transcription one.
>>> If his army records have survived (in London, I think) maybe a check
>>> there
>>> would resolve your quandry.
>>> Tom
>>>
>>> On 17 June 2010 01:24, Andy Candlish <> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi
>>>>
>>>> I think you will find that your John Mearns was born 20th Aug 1861 at
>>>> Auchterless and that the DOB on the 1916 document is simply incorrect.
>>>> John
>>>> is living with his parents John & Isabella in the 1901 census at
>>>> Strathorn,
>>>> Rayne and his age is shown as 36. Also in the household is his uncle
>>>> William
>>>> Peter.
>>>>
>>>> In the 1871 census John age 9, and his parents John & Isabella are
>>>> living
>>>> with Isabella's father & brother both named William Peter at Wester
>>>> Haughs
>>>> (sic) Auchterless. Mearns has been transcribed as MARUS on Ancestry.
>>>>
>>>> Its not uncommon for ages to be incorrect on censuses and other
>>>> documents.
>>>>
>>>> Andy
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: "Pat Carson" <>
>>>> To: <>
>>>> Sent: Thursday, June 17, 2010 9:04 AM
>>>> Subject: Re: [ABERDEEN] MEARNS
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> > Hi Fran,
>>>> >
>>>> > Just a thought - Isabella Peter may not be John's mother but his
>>>> > step-mother. His mother might indeed be Jane Reid, but if she died
>>>> > very
>>>> > soon
>>>> > after his birth and he never knew her, with Isabella bringing him up,
>>>> > he
>>>> > may
>>>> > think Isabella is his biological mother. When did John and Isabella
>>>> marry?
>>>> > Ditto John and Jane? Could be different men, could be the same one?
>>>> >
>>>> > Also when searching ScotlandsPeople, make use of the wildcard feature
>>>> > for
>>>> > the surname Mearns, as I suspect this could throw up some different
>>>> > spellings of the name.
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > Pat
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > "Here's tae us! Wha's like us? Damn few! - an' they're a' deid!" Old
>>>> Scots
>>>> > Toast
>>>> >
>>>> >
>>>> > -----Original Message-----
>>>> > From: [mailto:
>>>> ]
>>>> > On Behalf Of
>>>> > Sent: 16 June 2010 23:35
>>>> > To:
>>>> > Subject: [ABERDEEN] MEARNS
>>>> >
>>>> > Hello Keith and Carol,
>>>> >
>>>> > Many thanks for your responses. The only John Mearns' birth that
>>>> > appeared in LDS and Scotland's People for September 1864 was to John
>>>> > Mearns and Jane Reid in the District of Inverury, and on my
>>>> > grandfather's marriage certificate his parents are listed as John
>>>> > Mearns and Isabella Peter. What to do now? And, Carol, until I
>>>> > establish which John Mearns is mine, I can't say if the flask could be
>>>> > connected to my family. I do know that before he died, "Petersville",
>>>> > a house in Insch that belonged to his wife's family went to auction in
>>>> > 1926. Perhaps he was "liquidating" and some of his belongings went as
>>>> > well? How exciting it would if it was his! Please keep in touch.
>>>> >
>>>> > Kindest regards,
>>>> > Fran Hastie
>>>> > Agassiz, BC, Canada
>>>> > 15641
>>>> >
>>>> >
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