Margaret Anderson

[AncesStory]

According to 1851 Scotland Census, Portobello, Margaret Anderson, wife of Robert Duffus, was born about 1791 in Haddington, East Lothian. This information tallies with her death certificate, naming her parents as William Anderson, saddler, and Margaret Wilson.

However, the only William Anderson, saddler, and Margaret Wilson union to provide a daughter Margaret, was 10 July 1805 in Edinburgh. Could someone look up the Midlothian and East Lothian records to see if there are any other possibilities?

[Hibee]

Hi

It was not unusual, for couples in the surrounding area at this time, to travel into Edinburgh to formalise an "irregular" marriage.  This would often follow as the result of pressure from their local community and church.  It's possible all your information relates to the same people.

Hibee

[AncesStory]

Margaret Duffus nee Anderson's death certificate (684/01 0042)and will give her parents as a William Anderson, saddler, and Margaret Wilson. According to her death in Portobello, 1864, she was aged 73. This tallies with the 1841, 1851 and 1861 censes for Scotland where she was resident in Portobello.

I cannot find her birth certificate for the East Lothian area from around 1791 with parents William Anderson and Margaret Wilson.

There is a Margaret Anderson born in 1805 to a William Anderson, saddler, and  Margaret Wilson, but this is 14 years later
:10/07/1805 ANDERSON MARGARET WILLIAM ANDERSON/MARGARET WILSON FR222 (FR222) F EDINBURGH EDINBURGH CITY CITY/MIDLOTHIAN 685/01 0400 0278

I have sometimes seen that families repeat the name of a child, usually following a death, but this doesn't make sense in this case.

I wondered if there is another couple who livedin East Lothian who had a child named Margaret Anderson - the father being a saddler, named William Anderson and the mother, a Margaret Wilson??

[JMStrachan]

Are you sure the 1805 entry in a parish register gives an actual birth date, and isn't the date for a baptism? It's not unknown for children to be baptised some years after they were born. I have an ancestor who had all their children baptised in one job lot on the one day!

Birth certificates did not come into being in Scotland until 1855, so prior to that you can only go on church baptism records, which are notoriously incomplete, unfortunately.

[anne_p]

Just had a look at the info on Familysearch and I can see 4 children born in Edinburgh  between 1799 and 1805 to William Anderson and Margaret Wilson
The odd thing is that all 4 children have a birth date only and there is no baptismal date for any?

[AncesStory]

Thanks for the help - all good suggestions. Annep5892, I agree, they are all birth dates and not baptisms for the children related to this couple which is part of the mystery of Margaret Duffus nee Anderson.
My dilemma: Margaret Duffus nee Anderson could not have been born on 1805, as she was the mother of 3 children prior to her marriage to Robert Duffus - all born about 1813-1816 (info obtained from her will in 1864). That would make her about 12 years of age when her first child was born if she is the Margaret Anderson born in 1805. Would her parents have had her in 1791, then married in 1794, then had another child named Margaret in 1805?

 If Margaret Anderson's parents are William Anderson and Margaret Wilson, then here are the documents relating to them. You will see they married 3 years after the birth of Margaret Duffus nee Anderson. Margaret Wilson(b  30 March 1769 in Edinburgh,Midlothian, Scotland)  was aged 34 when she married William Anderson:
Marriage
Midlothian (Edinburgh), Scotland, Extracted Parish Records Margaret Wilson, daughter of Richard Wilson, printer. married William Anderson saddler in the Canongate in Canongate Kirk 29 May 1794
Text:    Anderson, William, shoemaker, and Margarate Wilson, daughter of Richard Wilson, printer in Edinburgh 29 May 1794
Book:    Register of Marriages, 1564-1800. (Marriage)
Collection:    Midlothan: Edinburgh - Parish of Holyroodhouse or Canongate. Register of Marriages, 1564-1800

Births of children:
Martha Anderson
1797: 13/03/1797   ANDERSON   MARTHA   WILLIAM ANDERSON/MARGARET WILSON FR9990 (FR9990)   F   EDINBURGH   EDINBURGH CITY CITY/MIDLOTHIAN   685/01 0390 0222

Richard Anderson
Name:    Richard Anderson
Gender:    Male
Birth Date:    8 Oct 1799
Birth Place:    Edinburgh Parish, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland
Baptism Place:    Edinburgh Parish, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland
Father:    William Anderson
Mother:    Margaret Wilson
FHL Film Number:    1066687
Reference ID:    2:18K8V65

John Anderson
Name:    John Anderson
Gender:    Male
Birth Date:    31 Dec 1802
Birth Place:    Edinburgh Parish, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland
Baptism Place:    Edinburgh Parish, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland
Father:    William Anderson
Mother:    Margaret Wilson
FHL Film Number:    1066687
Reference ID:    2:18KBSWF

Margaret Anderson
10/07/1805 ANDERSON MARGARET WILLIAM ANDERSON/MARGARET WILSON FR222 (FR222) F EDINBURGH EDINBURGH CITY CITY/MIDLOTHIAN 685/01 0400 0278

This is why I am wondering if there is another couple, named Margaret Wilson and William Anderson, who was a saddler, who had a child named Margaret Anderson, about 1791 (according to Margaret's will) in the Haddingtonshire area?? If so, I cannot find it.

[bevj]

FreeReg has three Margaret Andersons born in the 1790's in East Lothian but none of them has the right parents.   

For info here is her marriage:
Name:    Robert Duffus
Spouse's Name:    Margaret Anderson
Event Date:    03 Aug 1823
Event Place:    Saint Cuthberts,Edinburgh,Midlothian,Scotland
Spouse's Father's Name:    William Anderson


I can't find any reference to three illegitimate children with mother Margaret Anderson. 

[AncesStory]

I know so much about Margaret Anderson, but her birth place and date remains a mystery. What is claimed to be correct on census returns, death certificate, wills, does not match up with the facts of her claimed paternity:

Yes, Bevj, you do have the correct marriage for Margaret Anderson and Robert Duffus. Here is the known documentation I have on Margaret, which shows that she must have been born about 1791, as census info for 1841, 1851 and 1861 show. Also, her death certificate of 1864 states her age as 73. There is no way she could be the Margaret Anderson, daughter of William Anderson, saddler and Margaret Wilson, born in 1805.
1st Relationship with issue:
MARGARET ANDERSON b Haddingtonshire.(1791-1864)
+ unknown relationship - probably clandestine/ mistress at least from 1812-15*
Joseph Cauvin W.S. of Edinburgh (c.(1753-1815)
Issue:
o   Joseph Avenal Cauvin LLD (1814-1875)sourced
o   Lewis Cauvin (1814-1887) sourced
o   Margaret Canvin or Cauvin (1815-1864)sourced

*Sources for information

1   DUFFUS   MARGARET   27/05/1864   MRS, ALIAS ANDERSON, RESIDING IN PORTOBELLO, WIDOW OF ROBERT DUFFUS, UPHOLSTERER   INVENTORY   EDINBURGH SHERIFF COURT INVENTORIES   SC70/1/121   
2   DUFFUS   MARGARET   27/05/1864   ALIAS ANDERSON,WIDOW OF ROBERT DUFFUS, UPHOLSTERER IN PORTOBELLO       EDINBURGH SHERIFF COURT WILLS   SC70/4/92   
3      Scotland Census: Parish: Duddingston and South Leith; ED: 4; Page: 17; Line: 370; Year: 1841.

2nd relationship w issue:
MARGARET ANDERSON b Haddingtonshire.(1791-1864)
marriage Aug 2rd 1823, Edinburgh.
•   ROBERT DUFFUS (1789-1856)
with issue
o   Helen Duffus (1825)
o   Robert Duffus (1826)
o   WILLIAM DUFFUS(1829)

Margaret Anderson was born about 1787/91, most likely in Haddington area.
Maybe this is my first case of ancestor identity fraud!
If anyone can help with this mystery, please let me know.

[bevj]

Just a thought.
If as you say her parents were married after her birth, have you looked for her under her mother's maiden surname?
It's certainly a puzzle, and one I have a particular interest in as I also have Andersons from Haddington in my tree