Which William?

[PrueM]

Hi everyone,
I'm looking for some guidance on this one.
My hubby's g-g-grandfather William OGILVIE was a chemist's assistant born around 1857 in Scotland (place unknown as yet).  He married Annie Elizabeth STRATHDEE in 1880 in Marylebone, London, and died in 1888.  On the marriage certificate, his father is listed as John OGILVIE, a farmer. 

I have found two William OGILVIEs who seem to fit the age group.  One was born Forfar, Forfarshire.  Parents John and Janet.  on the 1871 census, Janet is a widow and has William living with her, as a scholar.  If I hadn't looked further, I would have assumed this was the right one.

There is another William, though.  On the 1871 a William OGILVIE, born 1857, is living at home with his mother and father.  His father is a Master Druggist, and William is shown as his assistant.

Given the nature of the second William's occupation, I now have doubts as to whether the info about his father on the marriage certificate is correct.  Could "my" William be the son of the chemist, rather than the farmer's son?

Can anyone help me sort out which might be which, or am I stuck with never knowing?  Oh how I long for English certificates to show the detail of  Aussie ones!!!

Thank you

Prue

[suttontrust]

You need his birthplace - try the Scotlandspeople website.  Could the second William be the nephew of the Master Druggist rather than the son?  Census enumerators didn't always get rlationships right.  If both Williams are in London, they could even be the same person - not unusual to have someone put down twice.

[Valda]

If there were two William Ogilvies who were both chemists, then do they both appear on the 1881 census, or does only one appear (in Kensington)? Have you tried to track both men forward from 1871 to try to eliminate the other candidate?

Regards
Valda

[Su]

A difficult one this Prue.  I can see how you are swayed towards the master druggist, unless he was a relation of William's father, say cousin, and William went to work for him.

Registrars did get quite a lot wrong on certificates, especially if they didn't write them there and then.

My great grandmother was named Warburton on her marriage certificate, (the name of the woman married immediately before her) when in fact her name was Barnett....so anything is possible.

Hope you manage to sort it out.

Kind regards
Su

[PrueM]

Thanks everyone for your ideas.
I've decided to go back to the beggining (or the end, more correctly) and go through the census and certificates with a fine toothed comb.  In the Scotland 1881 census I haven't been able to find the William who was the assistant to George Ogilvie, Master Druggist, but until I can afford more searches on Scotland's People I can't look further.
Thanks again for your help - if nothing else it's forced me to go back over my shoddy research and look in every nook and cranny!
Prue