William Thorburn 1799 + Marion Lee or Margaret Sanderson

[Jonosue]

My problem is that I have been in touch with someone whose tree leads back to the same person as mine - but with different spouses!
From my tree: William Thorburn, b. Penicuik 1799, m. Margaret Sanderson in 1826, in Edinburgh. He was a currier. Their children were:
Margaret b. 1829
Elizabeth b. 1833
James     b. 1833
Peter      b.  1835
William   b.  1837
Jane       b.  1842
Agnes    b.  1846

The only birth I can find (in Scotland's People) is 1799, Penicuik, parents James Thorburn and Janet Hogg.

At the same time, my correspondant's tree is as follows:
William Thorburn, b. Penicuik, 1799, m. Marion Lee in 1819 in Edinburgh Parish. He was an upholsterer.
Their children:
George Lee         b. 1820
John Farquarson b. 1822
William                b. 1824
Agnes                 b. 1824
Robert Hogg       b. 1827
These names seem to follow the Scottish Naming Pattern.
I can find no other William b. 1795 - 1810 who would fit either family, yet clearly they have to be two different people.
Any clues?

[miriamkinga]

Have you followed the families through the censuses? Could Marion have been his first wife?

[miriamkinga]

For reference here's William & Margaret's family on the 1851 census: -

William Thorburn, 48 currier b Mid Lothian
Margaret 47 b Liberton
Margaret 22 dressmaker b Musselburgh
Elisabeth 18, Peter 16, William 14, Jane 9, Agnes 5 all b St Cuthberts
Jessie McIntyre, sister(?) 20 b Comrie servant

[miriamkinga]

Struggling to find a census entry with Marion 

[Jonosue]

Thank you for your swift reply. Yes, I have followed William and Margaret through the censuses from 1841 to 1871. William died before the next census, but his family continued to live on Rankeillor Street in Edinburgh. I have found the marriage record for William and Marion, but the other researcher has him dying in 1838. I have gone round in many small circles over this one!

[Annette7]

As you have census to back up your research confirming your William was born Penicuik I would say that you definitely have it right (although I note when he died the informant (his son Peter) stated his parents were William Thorburn and Janet Hogg (not James).   However, that could be an error on Peter's part and certainly he and Margaret named their first son James which is the usual tradition of naming first son after his paternal grandfather.

Whereas, William and Marion (Lee) named their first son George!!

If it wasn't for Robert Hogg Thornburn being born 1827 (the year after William and Margaret married) I would have said it was possibly the same William as I guess 'Upholster' and 'Currier' are similar (an upholsterer often working with leather).

It would seem to me that you have corroborating evidence that your William was the Penicuik man but the other tree doesn't!  Plus there was a William born to both couples - one 1824 and the other 1837, both of whom survived as adults.   In conclusion, I would say that William, upholsterer, and William, currier, are 2 different people and that the other tree is wrong although I can understand why they reached the conclusion they did.

(I also note on Ancestry that there is a tree stating William and Marion are the couple in Polmont, Stirling in 1851 which is completely wrong.   That William was a Mason and not from Penicuik!!)

Annette

[Jonosue]

Dear Annette,
I am glad to hear your confirmation of my research is right. I am at a loss now to know what to suggest to help the other chap...I would like to help him as he is a beginner in the game. Can you think of anywhere else to look for his William? I have tried looking at all Williams born within roughly the right time frame, but of course it is so difficult to make the link as far as births are concerned until you get to the statutory births

[Annette7]

Afraid I can't see anything obvious for the other William either.

Annette

[Forfarian]

I'm not sure I'd equate a currier exactly with an upholsterer.

My dictionary says that a currier 'curries or dresses tanned leather' and defines 'to curry' as 'to dress leather' or 'to rub down and dress a horse'.

An upholsterer is 'one who makes or deals in furniture, beds, curtains etc'. Obviously this could include using dressed leather to make the cushions etc, but it's not quite the same thing.