I had got to a "brick wall" with the parents of Susan McTurk, an ancestor of my husband. Her death certificate gave parents as Hugh McTurk and Elspeth Patrick. There is a baptismal record for her born at Auchingee, New Cumnock in 1825.
I can find no marriage for the parents or other children, nor burials for them, nothing after 1825.
After a while I looked for McTurk matches in my husband's DNA results from ancestry. A few were descended from Hugh McTurk born 1778 and Ann Cameron. I had a closer look to see if they had a son Hugh. They did, born New Cumnock 1801and he married Elizabeth Murray in 1828, 3 years after Susan was born. Is it possible he is her father and was either married to Elspeth first or probably not married to her. I'm going with the latter.
As for Elspeth, assuming Susan was her first daughter, then Elspeth's mother should also be a Susan so I had another look for a birth and found an Eppie Patrick born in 1801 in New Cumnock to George Patrick and Susan Ranken. I think this is her as Eppie is a form of Elspeth.
Susan McTurk
One other piece of evidence Hugh McTurk the son of Hugh and Ann Cameron is on the same page of baptisms as Eppie Patrick 1801 in New Cumnock!
So DNA, naming patterns and a bit of lateral thinking has helped.
