Hi Casalguidi,
To be honest I know very little about him and it is all rather mysterious, but here is the story thus far:
My gg grandmother at her marriage gave her name as Amelia Elizabeth Scott Gardner and said her father was called Edward Gardner. For years & years I have been unable to locate a birth for her, my grandmother always said her grandmother was Irish and so I assumed she was born there and that is why I couldn't find her. Then one day I asked my grandmother why she thought she was Irish and whether she had an Irish accent. No she didn't, but the family always said she was Irish. So when I knew she didn't have an accent I renewed my efforts in England. Eventually some kind person on this site came up with an Amelia Gardiner in the 1881 census in a childrens home and gave her birthplace at Wrotham. This led me to the 1871 census where she appears aged 3 born in Cobham living with her grandmother Mary Ann Gardener. So at this point I am looking for her father being Edward Gardiner & I thought it likely her mother was someone Scott, but I still couldn't find a birth reference nor could I find a marriage for an Edward Gardiner that looked likely. So of course, I eventually wondered whether she could have been born before they were married so looked for an Amelia Scott, sure enough the IGI has a baptism for an Amelia Elizabeth Scott, baptised 30/6/1867 in Cobham, the daughter of William & Esther Scott, then I found the birth certificate, which again gives place of birth Cobham, daughter of William & Esther Scott (nee Gardiner). Not what I was expecting as it turns out Esther was the Gardiner and I've found no trace of an Edward Gardiner at all. Anyway next I looked for the marriage of William Scott & Esther Gardiner, absolutely no trace. So at the moment I am thinking that they probably weren't married at all and that the relationship broke down quickly as by 1871 Esther & Amelia were living in Ash with the grandmother and going by the name Gardner again. Another kind soul on this site responded to my query for a William Scott in Kent in the 1861 census and came up with one who was 21, Irish and living in Canterbury. I was hoping that by some miracle he might pop up aged 31 somewhere near Cobham - as you can see I'm clutching at straws with this one.
Any help/advice would be gratefully received! Bet you wish you hadn't asked now!
Peggypatch
