Hello all! I have started to dive into a branch of my family with which I'm not very familiar, and am already confused enough that I need advice. Here's what I know:
My great-grandmother, Martha Hutchison, was born on 1 June 1875 in Dundee, to David Hutchison and Jane Grant. Her father was born or baptized on 4 September 1851 in Aberdeen, to David Hutchison and Jane Lodge.I feel pretty confident about these facts, having Martha's birth, marriage, and death certificates, as well as her father's birth or baptism, marriage, and death certificates.
In trying to hammer down her grandparents, however, I've encountered different information and am not sure if it's the kind of variation that one typically encounters in genealogical research, or if I'm actually looking at two different sets of people with the same names.
Martha's grandfather is listed as a railway worker on the vast majority of documents I have found:
William, born 29 June 1860, father listed as Railway Labourer
James, born 28 August 1864, father listed as Railway Labourer
Wilhelmina, born on 8 October 1867, father listed as Railway Labourer
Martha, married 9 September 1892, father listed as Railway S??? (sorry, can't make the second word out)
David, married 24 July 1905, father listed as Railway S???man (still can't make out second word, possibly 'serviceman')
Seems pretty settled, but on the only marriage record I can find for a David Hutchison and Jane Lodge, in Old Machar on 16 March 1851, David is listed as a potter. On James' birth certificate, his parents marriage is listed as 15 October 1849 in Aberdeen. On Wilhelmina's birth certificate, it is listed as 5 September 1842, also in Aberdeen. I have been unable to find either of these weddings on SP, but you would think these discrepancies would be enough to throw out the marriage record I do have. However, on Martha's father's marriage certificate from 19 September 1870, his father is listed as a "Potter." Finally, on Jane Lodge's death certificate from 20 July 1870, her husband is listed as a "Hawker of earthenware."
A secondary issue that I'm not sure is really an issue, is the 21 year range from the birth of the first child I can find (Mary, 26 February 1846) to the last (Wilhelmina, 8 October 1867). Jane would have been approximately 25 when Mary was born, and 46 when Wilhelmina was born, so it's definitely possible, just seemed like a long range to me.
I would greatly appreciate any suggestions and would be happy to provide information I may have left out, if I have it.
Thanks for your help!