So You're Not A Jock?
The belief, and driving force behind my research, has always been that my Great Granny came down from the Scottish low-lands. Leaving a reasonably well to do family to marry a wee geordie boy. My initial research turned up their marriage registry entry and I subsequently got a copy of the marriage certificate from the records office believing this would tell me where she had been born and and be my holy grail.
The certificate did not tell me where she had been born but using the ages on it and the names of the fathers I tracked her down in the census information to discover not only was she not a jock but neither were her parents.
So far the only link with Scotland has been with my Great Great Granddad Blacklock who came from Kirkoswald, Cumberland. What has this to do with Scotland? There is a Kirkoswald in South Ayshire!
That said, the name Blacklock is supposed to be an old Scottish name meaning 'black hair' so I will not give up my quest and hold onto that McTadger nickname.