George Scott's missing years (and wife)

[Garethboxing]

My gt-grandfather, George Scott, married Mary Jenkins, my gt-grandmother, on 17 Nov 1881 at Porth. I have just acquired the certificate and discover that the 26-yr-old groom was a widower.
In the Census earlier that year he was 28 (!) and lodging with wife-to-be Mary's family. In 1861 he was a kid at home with his mum. But I can't find any sign of him in 1871.
The only potential first marriage I've come across was Jan-Mar 1874 in Pontypridd, when George Scott appears on the same page as an Ann Morgan and a Julia Sturgess. But I can't find any sign of the death of an Ann Scott or a Julia Scott over the next few years.
Maybe if I can find where he was in 1871 it might give me a clue. Can anyone crack this one for me?

    Gareth

[Necromancer]

Hi - is he the chap born 1852 Llanfabon  ? (in the 1861 ?)

[Arranroots]

Hi Gareth

Sorry to disagree, but it says he is 26 on the census in 1881, if I have the right one?

1881 = RG11/5302/70/59

George SCOTT 26 coal miner Llanfabon

Will try 1871 for you

A  

[Garethboxing]

That's the boy! It may be my eyesight that saw him as 28

  Gareth

Mind you, if he was born in 1852 he should be 28 or 29. And he was 74 when he died in April 1926

[Arranroots]

Can you add his dad's name & occupation, plus witnesses and address at time of marriage, please?

 

[Garethboxing]

His father, John Scott, had been a lock-keeper, but died of hepatitis when he was 32 (in 1857). When he married Mary, George was a collier living at Pentre. There was no detailed address, but it was probably 16 Treharne Street, the home of his in-laws, where he was in the 1881 Census and still lived when my grandmother, Maud, was born in 1883.

The witness at his marriage to Mary were Jane Hill and Ebenezer Salathiel; neither name means anything to me, but as they signed with a mark, they presumably were not chapel officials.

  Gareth

[Arranroots]

So possibly George was living with a step-father in 1871?  Have you found a remarriage for his mother?

[Necromancer]

No joy - sorry - found his brother Charles in Ystradyfodwg but no sign of George ...

[Garethboxing]

Sorry, for the delay - Arsenal scored

  George's mother did indeed remarry to a William Rees and they were living at the Dyffryn Arms, Brecon Road, Merthyr Tydfil in 1871, with their child and two of her children by John (bizarrely transcribed as Sedat, rather than Scott) - but not George.
   
   Gareth