My wife is an Ainslie, her grandfather was George Birnie Esslemont Ainslie ( quite a mouthful ).
Civil records, a copy of his birth certificate showed his father as Thomas Barclay Ainslie and mother as Isa Bella Williamson Bain.
So far, so good.
A little more investigative work on the internet reveals that Thomas was born " Thomas AINSLIE " on 26.08.1880 (Illegitimate) Is that the right spelling ?
his mother was MARY AINSLIE born about 1863, but his father is the million dollar question.
I know from the 1881 census that Mary was living with a "Pedlar" called Robert Barclay ( born about 1869 ) who she later married and that Thomas was at this time 7 months old.
On Thomas' birth certificate the father is marked as unknown!
When Thomas married he had changed his name to take on his step fathers surname and became "Thomas Ainslie Barclay" 04.01.1906.On his marriage certificate his fathers name is struck through-------------
Thomas' first child Thomas died as an infant 7/12 but by this time Thomas had changed his name again to presumably carry on his mothers maiden name, and became Thomas Barclay Ainslie as detailed on his second sons birth certificate, ( George Birnie Esslemont Ainslie).
But why name your son George Birnie Esslemont ?
Is it because Thomas' true father was indeed George Birnie Esslemont 1860~1917, seems a great coincidence.
G.B. Esslemont was born and bred in Old Machar, Aberdeen married a Clementina MacDonald (b. 1890 Old Machar, Aberdeen) and had six children first born when George was 31 yrs. old ?He was an Ex M.P. for the Rubislaw district of Aberdeen, his father and grandfather were prominent people.
So the question is, how do I prove or disprove Thomas Barclay Ainslie paternal line was Esslemont ?
Would it show on his death certificate which I have not yet traced ? Is there an obscure will or document/ memoirs to prove my theory or have I just reached a brick wall?
Can anyone help
?