William Wotherspoon married Mary Cowan Waddell in New Monkland in May 1854. She was the daughter of George Cowan Waddell and Grace Douglas Meuros and I think he was the son of Gavin Wotherspoon and Elizabeth Thomson. In all the records I have found he is described as a baker.
William and Mary had three children, Grace, born 20 April 1855; Gavin, born 15 March 1857; George, born 17 July 1859, all in New Monkland.
In 1861, Mary Waddell, widow, 29, was living in Gartsherrie with her widowed father George, her three children, various siblings and a nephew.
In 1871, Mary Wotherspoon, married, 38, was living in Gartsherrie with her father George, children Grace and Gavin, her illegitimate son James, listed as aged 4 though he would have been 5, and a nephew.
In 1881, Mary Watherspoon, married, 46, was living in Glasgow with her son James, 15 and brother George.
In 1891 Mary Wotherspoon, widow, 58, was living in Glasgow with son James, 25 and brother George.
In 1901 Mary Wotherspoon, widow, 66, was in a hospital of some sort (I can't view the address without scrolling back 5 pages at £1.50 a page!) in Dunbartonshire.
In 1903 Mary Waddell or Wotherspoon, widow, died in Kirkintilloch.
I have all the relevant census records, Mary's death certificate and Grace's birth certificate. I also have young George's death certificate. He died in 1863 in Old Monkland, aged 3, and his father is named as William Wotherspoon, baker journeyman. He is not said to be deceased, and the informant was Mary's brother John.
But I can't find what happened to William. A search for Wil* W*rsp*n, born 1834 plus or minus 2 years, produces 3 results (1861 in Glasgow, 1871 in Perth, 1891 in Glasgow), none of which is Mary's husband. I have seen all three death certificates.
If I believe the certificates, William was dead in 1861, came back to life in 1863, was alive in 1871 and 1881, and died again before 1891.
Any ideas?
