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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Topic started by: humanracer on Sunday 14 September 14 22:29 BST (UK)
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William Grandison was the brother of my Great Grandmother Elizabeth.
He died in the USA in 1968. His gravestone said he was born on 11 Nov 1885.
His parents were David Grandison and Mary (M.S Whyte). David and Mary married in 1889. David was 41 when he married. In the 1881 census David was in Liberton, Midlothian, Scotland living with his sister's family. In the 1891 census he was in Beath and was the head of the household. William was listed as being 5 years old.
The obituary for William said he was born in Edinburgh.
There is one birth for William Grandison on Scotland's people for 1885. It has the wrong date and lists his father as Peter so it cannot be correct.
Any ideas?
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If the parents married in 1889 then they weren't married when William was born. He may well have been registered under his mother's surname, so you could try searching for the birth of William Whyte.
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Thanks. Found it.
If the middle name is the surname of the father, is it safe to assume they are the father?
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I'd say so - certainly highly probable, if not guaranteed. Was he given the father's surname as a middle name when his birth was registered?
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The fathers surname is the middle name of the child on the birth certificate. Oddly the father's name is not listed.
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The registrar was not allowed to enter the father's name unless the father was present at the birth registration or had given written permission. The mother's surname would then have to be used for the baby's surname. The informant column on the certificate will tell you who registered the birth - most probably the mother.