Marriage puzzle

[jillruss]

I'm hoping someone may be able to help me sort out a bit of a puzzle.

I'm looking for the marriage of James Shepherd (Shipperd etc etc) and Margaret Milne or Mill c. 1760 in or near Marnoch, Banffshire. But it's not quite that straight forward! 

The IGI seems to have their first child as Isabel Shepherd baptised Marnoch in May 1762. However, there is also a "George Shepherd or Miln" baptised Marnoch in March 1761, son of Alexander Shepherd & Margaret Miln.

As James & Margaret Milne or Mill have a son called George in Marnoch in 1772, I don't know if the first George is theirs and an error was made with the father's name, or, with the IGI giving the child's name as Shepherd or Miln, does that suggest the parents weren't married? Did the first George die?

As I can't find Margaret Miln's marriage to either Alexander or James Shepherd - I'm totally stumped!

Can anyone help please?

Jill

[Stuart P]

If you google "Hugh Wallis" and navigate through his freepages website to Scotland-->Banffshire-->Marnoch. Click on batch M111612 then "Submit Query" without typing in any names. If, on the results page, you "refine search" and look at only the years round about 1760 you'll find very few marriages recorded. I think the OPR must be damaged, or have missing pages.
You can download the baptism images from Scotlandspeople.gov.uk

[jillruss]

Hi Stuart,

Thanks for that. I have the baptisms from Scotlands People okay.

I tried what you suggested - there are some marriages in Marnoch 1755-65 on the IGI but only about 15 or so. Would you expect there to have been more? I'm not sure just how big Marnoch was.

Anyway, it's worth pursuing. I might try the local FHS or Record Office.

Thanks for your help.

Jill

[KirstyG]

When hunting I saw that there is a birth of an Alexander Shepherd to James Shepherd and Margt Mill in 1769, Marnoch. Have you viewedany of the original entries to see if the children are listed as the lawful son/daughters of this couple as that would tell you if they were married or not?

There is always the possibility that the George b.1762 was born to a different Margaret Milne. There are thousands of Milnes dotted about up there!

Kirsty

[jillruss]

Thanks Kirsty,

The Alexander born 1769 is my ggggrandfather. I have got a copy of his birth OPR - I'll have to dig it out and make sure it says 'lawful', though it's the first born (George) whose legitimacy seems to be in question.

I know what you mean about the number of Milnes in the area! I'd probably be better off looking for a Smith marriage!! 

Jill