Mary Dowie

Mary Dowie was also recorded as Mary Downie which I would have considered a totally different surname.  I had originally noted her as Downie from the birth of her son Alexander but in his death notice and her own birth and marriage records the Dowie spelling predominates.  I have therefore assumed the first one was an error on the part of the clerk.  This is no bad thing as the Downies in Linlithgow when I was growing up in the town were considered less fragrant than the norm!  One of them, "Babe" Downie, was an unshaven, shambling character who wore the same dark suit every day in life it seemed.

Mary's parents were Ninian Dowie and Christian Matheson.  It was yet another irregular marriage in the Linlithgow registers but this one says they were married in Edinburgh as were a number of others from other parishes it appears.  Of course they may have been living in Edinburgh when they decided they were married but found it appropriate to record the fact when they moved to Linlithgow.

There is only one Ninian Dowie in the Scottish Church Records and he was born in Perth in 1733, an appropriate date, and with good parent names so I think we can consider it correct for us.  Why he would come to Linlithgow from Perth as a common workman I can't tell.  Maybe he was drawn firstly to Edinburgh then made his way to Linlithgow after that.  Christian's birth can't be found anywhere to corroborate.