Hi Monica,
You are correct, this one does throw up many questions, but I know you like a challenge, having kindly helped me a few times before. Thank you for that, but, again the relationship is wrong, it should be ‘grandson’.
I am inclined to think both census are the correct family (but with errors, as previously raised).
I see it as..... Born Margaret Grassick, had an illegitimate daughter Ann to William Innes, then married Alexander McGregor (otherwise childless), daughter Ann keeps the Innes name. I will check out the details in your link for accuracy which would mean that besides an illegitimate daughter, she also married twice.
If this is correct, then maybe I should have named the thread Innes/Grassick, but it would also be good to get some background on ‘Auld Alex’ as well.
Just for every ones’ information young Alexander (grandson), grew up the be Minister in Orkney, and a reasonable poet, became bankrupt, left his wife and two children, in Aberdeen (with support) emigrated across the Atlantic, to become a journalist. A biography by Robert Dey M.A. says this of him.......
Disgusted with the change in his circumstances, and wishing, as far as possible, to forget the past, and that he should be forgotten, he added the name of Gordon to his own patronymic, so that his future career, he was known by the name of A. Macgregor Rose Gordon. Writing to a friend on 17th June, 1887, from San Francisco, with reference to this, he says: "I made a slight change in my name when I took to journalism and gave up the ministry'. I was ashamed of the change at the time (change of profession I mean), and I could not hear that my name should appear in it. I was in the depths besides, and hoped that nobody would ever hear from or of me again. I feel very different now, but the thing is done and cannot be undone. Why did he pick 'Gordon'?.... Questions, questions, right enough.....
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