Admiral David Peat - which parents are correct?

Question

I’m wondering if anyone can help clear up some confusion with the parents of Admiral David Peat.  Wikipedia states that “he was born in Kirkcaldy on 21 June 1793. He was the son of Robert Peat (1773-1848) and Isobell Coushat” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Peat_(Royal_Navy_officer) . Find a Grave also has the same parents listed (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/122369071/david-peat ). However, I can’t find any birth records to support Robert and Isobell being his parents.

Family search has a birth record for a David Peat born on the same day with parents listed as James Peat and Margaret Tillos (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XY89-9M4 ).

The headstone on Find a Grave lists two sisters for David, namely Anne and Catherine. James Peat and Margaret Tillos also had daughters with these names with matching birth dates.

Any help clearing up which parents should be attached to David would be great.

Answer 1

Just an observation - the only citation provided by the Wikipedia article for his parents being Robert and Isobel is http://www.markinchchurch.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/MarkinchBurials1799to1854.pdf.   

That document is a list of burials at Markinch from 1789 to 1843.

While there are several references to Robert and Isobel, there is nothing in that document to support that David is their son,

Comments

Thanks Roger. Yes, I had noticed that and thought that someone was clutching at straws trying to use that reference to prove David's parentage!

Answer 2

You'll find his death record on https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/

The index entry gives his mother's maiden name as "Tullis".

Comments

Thanks Jacqueline. Between the birth and marriage records there have been a number of variations of the spelling for "Margaret Tillos" and I wonder if "Tullis" is yet another variation? It's a shame the index didn't also have the fathers name.

I don't have any other information for Margaret so will try and find a birth record for her.

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The full record is available to purchase on ScotlandsPeople. It should contain more information than the free index. Information about charges is here: ScotlandsPeople

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Thanks Jacqueline. I found a grandson for Margaret and David by the name of James Tullis Peat, so I think it's a pretty sure bet that Margaret's maiden name was Tullis. I might purchase the marriage record to see if it has any information on her parents.