After a lengthy break from family research I've recently popped back in and instantly noticed a potential error in my earlier findings. Maybe. So I'd appreciate another pair of eyes (or six) taking a look to see if I've got the right family in the census with just a few extra kids (or something), or if I need to put this census record back in the maybe-shoebox.
Anyway, my 4x great grandfather was Archibald Alexander, born 23rd Jan 1787 in Uddingston. He was married to Ann/e Forrest. I know this is right due to his son (my 3x grt grandfather) John's birth entry. I haven't been able to find a marriage for Archibald and Ann, though I've had a lot of issues finding records in Bothwell/Blantyre so it's not too much of an issue. My issue at the moment is with an 1841 census I found a while back, who has Archibald living in Bothwell with three others. Archibald's age is close enough, he's living in Uddingston, and his profession is similar to the one mentioned in John's birth entry. There's a younger Archibald Alexander with him aged 15, the same as John's son Archibald (born 1826), who isn't with John and his family in their 1841 census. What I'm not sure about is the two younger women living with him, Charlotte and Janet, both 25. Initially I just focused on Janet, who I assumed to be Archibald's daughter (and John's sister) who marries Richard Rankin in 1843 and who, in 1851, has some of John's children living with her and her family. John and his wife presumably died between 1841 and 1851 (definitely deceased by 1856), as all their children were spread out in 1851 among John's siblings.
But until now I never really considered who Charlotte is. I can't find any record of her related to Archibald aside from the census and she's the same age as Janet. Potentially twins? There are twins in that family line, but then their ages might have just been assumed. Or is Charlotte a daughter in law or grandchild or someone else entirely? I'm finding it difficult to trace her beyond 1841. I can't actually find a birth for Janet either, even though I can find births records for her brothers John, Andrew, and James. Plus Janet would have been born about 1819, leaving a 9 year gap between her and the last known (with evidence) birth from that couple. Is that too much of an age gap? Would there potentially be more children between then whose records are missing as well? I tried to find Janet's death so I could have proof of her link to Archibald and Anne, but the last record I can definitely find for her is the 1881 census.
It sounds less confusing now I type it out, but it's made me question a few other threads I've followed in my research. I guess this is what I get for taking a break for a good few months. Any help?
