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Searching for marriage records of a relative of mine in 1976 I found a James Kerr D****** ( name of my relative) and a James Kerr B***** marrying the same lady in the same year.I don't particularly want to order the certificate to find out if this is my relative, and live in Canada so don't have option of searching in person, but can anyone have an explanation why the use of two different surnames for apparently the same person? I would appreciate any input
David

I've come across this recently too.
Mainly it's the bride who goes by different surnames, her maiden name and her previous married name.
But it's also in the case of adopted children, or children who go by their step-father's name after their mother's remarriage.

It is possible your David Kerr ??? has been known by another surname in the past.

A search at SP shows the death of a Jemima Grant Kerr/Dunnett/Barnes died at the same place James married.

A Jemima Grant Kerr married a Robert Dunnett in 1934 and, although I can't find a marriage for her to a Mr Barnes in Scotland, I think this could be the mother of James.

Regards,
Annette

Thanks Wilma and Annette for your replies. You got the names right on Annette, I didn't realize until now that I could search using only first names, It really helps having two or more given names. You have confirmed for me that I was on the right track. Now if I can only track James down .
David

Hi David,

On James' first marriage, he goes by one surname (D). On his second marriage he goes by two surnames (B or D).

Assuming Jemima to be his mother (I've not viewed enough certificates to prove that); she was born Kerr in 1917 to parents John Kerr and Annie Boag Kerr (ms. Grant). John and Annie were married in 1908 (well before Jemima's birth). Annie's 1950 death gives only two surnames (Grant and Kerr) according to the index on SP (no signs of a Barnes surname attached to her).

Whatever the circumstances were that introduced the surname Barnes, it appears to have happened between James' two marriages. The possibility that I see is that Jemima re-married during that period, and James may have taken his step-father's surname. There is no sign of that marriage in the Scottish records.

Food for thought,

AndrewP

Thanks for your insight Andrew. I now think that this is "my" James. I wonder what happened to him after Cumnock.
David