BAFFLED .....

[AnnetteR]

Hi All

I have just located an ancestor on the 1881 census for Pittenweem, Fife dwelling : Mid Shore Street. It reads as follows:

Alexr Parker Head Married 21 M Fisherman Born Anstruther
Anne Parker Wife Married 19 F Fisherman Pittenweem
Betsy Parker Wife Married 23 F Pittenweem

Thereafter a couple of kids are listed.

My problem is (1) - how could Anne Parker be a fisherman and (2) how come Alexr is living with 2 wives?

Do you think the enumerator had visited the pub on his rounds or is there another explanation. What is making me more suspicious is that although Anne(Lindsay) and Alexander got married in 1880 they had an illegitimate child in 1877. Was Alexander not free to marry in 1877? His marriage certificate notes him as bachelor. I looked for a marriage of Alxr Parker to a Betsy(or Elizabeth) and found one but the parents names were different.

Any suggestions will be gratefully appreciated.

Cheers

Annette R

[sporran]

Hello Annette,


(1) Fisherman is used in the generic sense of man, as in mankind;

(2) I reckon that 2 brothers and their wives lived in the same house. Betsy should have been termed "sister-in-law", but it may be that the enumerator thought that wife of someone who was not present was an adequate decription. It is possible that the husband was omitted in transcribing from the original forms to the books or in transcribing from the books to the database.


Regards,

John

[AnnetteR]

Hi Sporran

Thanks for that - makes sense but I still think the enumerator popped in for a 'hauf'

Cheers

Annette

[LesleyB]

Hi Annette
My LDS disk has:
1881
Dwelling: Mid Shore Street
Census Place: Pittenweem, Fife, Scotland
Source: FHL Film 0203530 GRO Ref Volume 452 EnumDist 1 Page 27
Alexr. PARKER M 21 M Anstruther, Fife, Scotland
Rel: Head
Occ: Fisherman
Anne PARKER M 19 F Pittenweem, Fife, Scotland
Rel: Wife
Alexr. PARKER M 28 M Pittenweem, Fife, Scotland
Rel: Head
Occ: Fisherman
Betsy PARKER M 23 F Pittenweem, Fife, Scotland
Rel: Wife
David PARKER 2 M Pittenweem, Fife, Scotland
Rel: Son
Eliza PARKER 6 m F Pittenweem, Fife, Scotland
Rel: Daur

So looks like two heads (quite how that works I don't know - 2 households sharing one flat/house??) both Alexanders, but different ages and born different villages and two wives i.e. one each! (just thought I'd better make that bit clear!)

best wishes
Lesley

[LesleyB]

There are more Parkers close nearby:

Dwelling: Mid Shore Street
Census Place: Pittenweem, Fife, Scotland
Source: FHL Film 0203530 GRO Ref Volume 452 EnumDist 1 Page 26
David PARKER M 49 M Pittenweem, Fife, Scotland
Rel: Head
Occ: Fisherman
Isabella PARKER M 50 F Anstruther, Fife, Scotland
Rel: Wife
John PARKER U 19 M Pittenweem, Fife, Scotland
Rel: Son
Occ: Fisherman


Dwelling: West Shore Bruces Wynd
Census Place: Pittenweem, Fife, Scotland
Source: FHL Film 0203530 GRO Ref Volume 452 EnumDist 1 Page 15
David PARKER M 35 M Pittenweem, Fife, Scotland
Rel: Head
Occ: Fisherman
Margaret PARKER M 24 F Pittenweem, Fife, Scotland
Rel: Wife
Jane PARKER 5 F Pittenweem, Fife, Scotland
Rel: Daur
Occ: Scholar
Isabella PARKER 1 m F Pittenweem, Fife, Scotland
Rel: Daur
Thos. WATSON U 21 M Pittenweem, Fife, Scotland
Rel: Boarder
Occ: Fisherman

Dwelling: WestShore Still Park
Census Place: Pittenweem, Fife, Scotland
Source: FHL Film 0203530 GRO Ref Volume 452 EnumDist 1 Page 8
Alexr. MENTIPLAY M 53 M Pittenweem, Fife, Scotland
Rel: Head
Occ: Fisherman
Elspeth MENTIPLAY M 50 F Cellar Dyke, Fife, Scotland
Rel: Wife
Christian MENTIPLAY U 30 F Pittenweem, Fife, Scotland
Rel: Daur
Occ: Net Worker
William MENTIPLAY U 22 M Pittenweem, Fife, Scotland
Rel: Son
Occ: Fisherman
Jessie MENTIPLAY U 18 F Pittenweem, Fife, Scotland
Rel: Daur
Occ: Net Worker
Anderson MENTIPLAY 16 M Pittenweem, Fife, Scotland
Rel: Son
Occ: Fisherman
Thomas MENTIPLAY 13 M Pittenweem, Fife, Scotland
Rel: Son
Occ: Message Boy
Alexr. MENTIPLAY 10 M Cellar Dyke, Fife, Scotland
Rel: Son
Occ: Scholar
Alexr. PARKER 5 M Pittenweem, Fife, Scotland
Rel: Grandson
Occ: Scholar
Christina PARKER 2 F Pittenweem, Fife, Scotland
Rel: Grand Daur

I think thats ALL the Parkers in Pittenweem
Best wishes
Lesley

[DavidWW]

Annette

Given some of the mixups I've seen on the 1881 CDs, - with people reularly getting incorrectly moved from one household to another, - I'd council a check of the original microfilm before you make any assumptions about problems that there could be

One of my Montrose ancestors had two wives according to the LDS CD. He didn't, - No.2 belonged to the household next door.

David

[AnnetteR]

Hi Lesley and David

Thanks for all that info and yes Davie I think I should check it out. What I can't understand is why the info on the LDS census (I loaned mine out to a friend for a week about 6 weeks ago - i'll never learn) differs from the SP census which is where I got the information from and there was no mention of a second Alexander - the one aged 28. Is that quite normal?

Thanks again

Annette R