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Yorkshire (North Riding) / Gavin Sorbie - Middlesbrough imposter?
« on: Thursday 07 February 08 17:00 GMT (UK) »
I have a nice problem here. One Gavin Sorbie, a seaman, married Sarah Benbow in Middlesbrough in 1897. In the 1901 census Gavin is shown as aged 35, a restaurant keeper (guess what his father-in-law is described as on the marriage certificate!) & born in Scotland. He doesn't seem to be on any censuses prior to 1901, either in Scotland or England 
Now, we Sorbies are a small(ish) family & we can usually fit any new finds into our tree with a little research. But Gavin is defeating us. There are no Gavins born in Scotland in the 1860-1870 period who are not already on the tree. There are no Gavin Sorbies born in England - even with the more usual English spelling of Sorby. On his m.c. he gives his father as John Sommerville Sorbie, deceased, & we can't find him either. We think Gavin may have been born Alexander Hector Sorbie in Edinburgh in 1867 & that he may for some reason have taken his father's name - could he be a bigamist
We're pretty sure his father died in Knaresborough shortly after the marriage but are still waiting for the d.c.
Does anyone who know Middlesbrough, or has access to the local papers, have any ideas about how we trace Gavin really was.
Blanched
Now, we Sorbies are a small(ish) family & we can usually fit any new finds into our tree with a little research. But Gavin is defeating us. There are no Gavins born in Scotland in the 1860-1870 period who are not already on the tree. There are no Gavin Sorbies born in England - even with the more usual English spelling of Sorby. On his m.c. he gives his father as John Sommerville Sorbie, deceased, & we can't find him either. We think Gavin may have been born Alexander Hector Sorbie in Edinburgh in 1867 & that he may for some reason have taken his father's name - could he be a bigamist
We're pretty sure his father died in Knaresborough shortly after the marriage but are still waiting for the d.c.Does anyone who know Middlesbrough, or has access to the local papers, have any ideas about how we trace Gavin really was.
Blanched