Peter Sutherland b 1844, illegitimate

[JudiSutherland]

Hi

I am struggling to find info on Peter Sutherland born 1844 in Caithness.  I have his marriage and death records via ancestry.com and they both state that his parents are Joseph Sutherland farmer (1799-1879), of Watten, ("reputed father") and Catherine Forbes b 1825.  It seems that the couple never married and by 1870, Peter's marriage cert lists them both as deceased.  As Joseph was not deceased at this time, it seems the two had no meaningful contact.  Joseph left his farm of 50 acres to other children by his marriage in 1850 to Margaret Bruce, again, a rather younger woman.

Is anyone researching the family and can say anything about Peter's life between 1844 and 1870, and what happened to Catherine?  Did she eventually marry?  There is no record of them in the census that I can be sure of.  Or can anyone suggest where else I could look for traces of them?

thanks
JS

[CaroleW]

I found this 1851 entry for Aberdeen which you may want to check out further but Catherines age does not match your profile

John Georgeson 39 b Thurso
Catherine  36 b Reay
Peter   7 b Wick
James Sutherland 14 stepson b Wick
Aberdeen South ED 3 Page 10 Line 3

I can't find a birth entry for a Peter Georgeson on SP but there is one for a Peter Sutherland

By 1861 - Peter Georgeson cannot be found but Peter Sutherland b 1843 Wick is working as a ploughman in Scrabster

[JudiSutherland]

I will take a look - thank you!  There are two Peter Sutherlands around in Caithness of that age and I am not sure whether the Scrabster teenager is my one or the other one.

How did you find that reference, BTW?

thanks
JS

[CaroleW]

I searched on Peter born Caithness 1843-1845 with a mother cath**

[JudiSutherland]

OK, thanks, but I don't think this is my lot, as Peter's name has changed, whereas later he is Sutherland again, and James is the stepson rather than Peter.