Any Suggestions?.....

Ted · Post by **Ted** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 5:59 pm

Hi Everyone

Could do with some help / suggestions with this puzzle - it's driving me nuts !!. With assistance provided on this forum (for which I am eternally grateful) I traced one of my line - Margaret Allan B 1883 at Huntly, Aberdeenshire. She is shown on the 1891 census with her parents (Robert Allan & Elsie Gordon) and her siblings living in Aberdeen. On the 1901 Census the rest of the family is still together in Aberdeen but Margaret is missing - I got her working as a farm servant in Premnay district, a bit west of Aberdeen. Then got her death cert in 1910 (aged 26) - living in Aberdeen and shown as being the wife of George Taylor. I traced back from there and found their marriage cert in 1902. Here comes the twist:-

On her birth cert she is shown as Margaret Cheyne Smith Allan - daughter of Robert Allan and Elspet Gordon - these parent details are correct as I have lots 'n' lots of documents on them. However on the marriage cert her details are as follows:-

Margarete Smith Geddes Allan, Daughter of William Allan and Elsie Allan, previously Geddes - MS Gordon. I am certain I have the correct cert for the marriage as they had a child (Annie Findlay Taylor) in 1903. George signed the birth register - also the death register for Margaret in 1910. He remarried in 1913 to Robina Fyvie - she died in 1923 - again George registered the death - the signature is quite distinctive and is identical on all three entries. There are no other Allan / Taylor marriages in Scotland in 1901 /2 /3 and I have also checked for marriages between a Geddes and Elsie Gordon - no trace whatever.

The only explanation I can come up with is that Elsie had a 'liason' with someone called Geddes (resulting in Margaret - she is the second daughter in the family - 1 older sister in 1881)and concealed this from Robert - but made Margaret aware of it in later life - pure speculation on my part. Also why is her father noted as William on the marriage cert.

Any suggestions gratefully received.

Ted

Alcluith · Post by **Alcluith** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 7:17 pm

Hi Ted

Was Elsie Gordon married to a William Geddes before she married Robert Allen. Maybe she was pregnant with Margaret when she married Robert.

Could the informant on Margaret wedding have got her facts mixed up transposing the William for Robert?

Ted · Post by **Ted** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 7:27 pm

Hi Drew

Thanks for the reply - Elsie was certainly not married to a Geddes before Robert Allan - I checked extensively for that - also she married Robert on 4 June 1880 at Huntly - she is shown as a spinster aged 20 on the entry (I have a copy), their 1st kid was Jane Ross Gordon Allan born 16/11/1881 at Huntly so she could not have been pregnant with Margaret when she married Robert.

Best regards & thanks again

Ted

Alcluith · Post by **Alcluith** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 7:55 pm

Hi Ted

Have you got them from the 1881 census?

Ted · Post by **Ted** » Mon Sep 05, 2005 10:34 pm

Hi Drew

Yep - got them on 1881 Census - Elspeth Allan at 45 Gordon St, Huntly (no one else in the house on Census day) and Robert working at Avochie Farm, Huntly, on the day of the Census. I am assuming that number 45 was their home address. Elsie would have been pregnant then with their 1st kid Jane - born Sept that year. They had moved to Castle Street, Huntly by the time Margaret was born in August 1883.

I still wonder if Robert was away on the farm the following year when Mr Geddes the milkman was doing his rounds in Huntly !!!

Keep the thought process going - 2 heads better than one.

Best regards

Ted