William de Vere Campbell Macarthur married Elizabeth Guthrie Craik in Glasgow on 31 December 1901. He gave his age as 24, and she was 45. He described himself as a Professor of Music, and his residence as 29 Manor Street, Forfar. This matches the 1901 census, when he was a lodger at 29 Manor Street, aged 22, organist and teacher of music. He gave his parents as Duncan Campbell Macarthur, tobacco manufacturer, and Annie de Vere Boyack.
In the 1911 census, the couple were living at Sunnyside, Forfar. William was now 40, and an organist and teacher of music, and he said he was born in Inverary, Argyll. Elizabeth was 52.
Elizabeth, described was born in Forfar in 1855, and she died there, described as widow of an organist, in 1947. I have her birth and death certificates, but William remains a mystery.
Duncan McArthur and Annie Boyack were married in Duddingston and Portobello in 1877. No middle names. In the 1881 Duncan McArthur, commercial traveller provision trade, born Inverary, was living in 5 Southfield Place, Duddingston, with wife Annie, daughter Susanna and son William, 1. William McArthur, son of Duncan McArthur, commercial traveller, and Annie Boyack, married 1877, was born at 5 Southfield Buildings, Portobello, on 5 January 1880. (Portobello is in the parish of Duddingston, or is it vice-versa?). Duncan's parents were William McArthur, groom, and Elizabeth Munro. Annie's were James Boyack, teacher of music, and Susan Cundill.
If this is the right William, where did his, his father's and his mother's middle names come from? Even with a grandfather who taught music, how did he get get to the point of being a Professor of Music five days before his 22nd birthday? He was only 31 on the date of the 1911 census, so why did he claim to be 40? Am I barking up the wrong tree? And when did he die?
