Solved Brick Wall - Helen Margaret McQueen Anderson b.1883 New Aberdour

[Liviani]

There is a 35 year old Isabella Anderson at Gellymill Street in 1861. However, I am a bit disappointed with the way the census has come through. There is no head of the household available to view.

It happens quite a lot. Look them up at www.freecen.org and you should see who the head of the household was.

Have done and it's the Francis Anderson who is actually her father. 

Further update to this family.

Have a look at the newspaper clipping attached. The date of this article is 30 March 1860 from The Elgin Courier. I think the child mentioned here is Isabella Frances Anderson; https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XYGV-HJW

Deaths index on SP suggests it is her that died due to burning;

ANDERSON
ISABELLA FRANCE
2
1860
147/1 35
Banff Burgh


Also there is mention of Isabella's children here on this site under "Find the father"

http://www.oldscottish.com/gamrie.html

Jill.

[Liviani]

Deleted as post below posted twice.

Ignore.

[Liviani]

This looks to be Isabella in 1871. Wonder what her marital status is for this entry?:

Isabella Anderson 45 pauper b. Gamrie
Mary J Anderson 8 b. Macduff https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XYPK-7XG
Isabella Anderson 5 b. Macduff https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XYPK-QHP

Address: 19 Carmelite St, Banff

Have found a transcription of this. It appears FindMyPast have her age as 85.  Obvously mis-transcribed as who would be giving birth aged 80. 

Both children here are down as her daughters.

Her marital status is Widow! 

[MonicaL]

Horrible story regarding the toddler Isabella Frances 

In respect of the ongoing searches....Francis and Isabella were married! He was indexed as Fras. - https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XT2Y-QTB

He looks to also have had a daughter Isabella, who showed in 1851 in the household (need to check 1841 too). With there being two Isabella Andersons connected to Francis Snr, we have to consider that either one could be the mother of Maggie Ann. It could have been daughter who came home to have baby or Isabella who married Francis who was already with him at the time of Maggie Ann's conception and birth at the beginning of October 1859...

Francis died in 1863. This is his birth indexed entry from FS https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XY64-W7V

Marriage and death for Francis clipped below. From the parents' names for Isabella Anderson on the marriage register, this looks to be her FS index entry for birth https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XY67-QS7

[MonicaL]

Francis obviously kept thing simple and kept to the same name for his women! I think first wife also called Isabella?  From 1841:

Francis Anderson 50 farmer
Isabella Anderson 35
Mary Anderson 15
Isabella Anderson 11
Margaret Anderson 9
Francis Anderson 9 Months
James Smith 20
Jessie Cumine 15

Address: Haddoleys, Gamrie

We had this earlier for 1851:

Francis Anderson 59 Farmer (of 60 Acres Employing 1 Lab) b. Gamrie - widower
Isabella Anderson 19 daughter housekeeper b. Gamrie
Christian Anderson 17
Francis Anderson 10
John Anderson 9
Christian Anderson 97 mother farmer's widow, b. Aberdour
Frances Massie 5
Robert West 25
Margaret Kidd 58
Ann Bruce 45

Address: Haddolays, Banff

From some of the children's birth entries in the OPRs, I think first wife was an Isabel MASSIE.

Monica

[Liviani]

Horrible story regarding the toddler Isabella Frances 

In respect of the ongoing searches....Francis and Isabella were married! He was indexed as Fras. - https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XT2Y-QTB

He looks to also have had a daughter Isabella, who showed in 1851 in the household (need to check 1841 too). With there being two Isabella Andersons connected to Francis Snr, we have to consider that either one could be the mother of Maggie Ann. It could have been daughter who came home to have baby or Isabella who married Francis who was already with him at the time of Maggie Ann's conception and birth at the beginning of October 1859...

Francis died in 1863. This is his birth indexed entry from FS https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XY64-W7V

Marriage and death for Francis clipped below. From the parents' names for Isabella Anderson on the marriage register, this looks to be her FS index entry for birth https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XY67-QS7

Hi Monica just a quick reply before I have to go out. Many many thanks for this info. If I didn't think they were complicated enough they manage to come up with more difficult situations!

Just so I understand it.

Francis original wife was an Isobel Massie, I've found the index of their marriage on SP

MASSIE
ISOBEL
FRANCIS ANDERSON/
30/05/1824
155/
30 680
Gamrie and Macduff

I've had some trouble finding a death record for Isobel Anderson or Massie though.

Just so I understand it, as these people are quite complicated.

Francis first married an Isobel Massie and she must've died or he was a bigamist and thereafter married another Isabella, her maiden name could be Anderson?

Got to leave it it for now will be back later.

Many thanks again.

[MonicaL]

First wife, Isabel Massie, looks to have died pre 1851 as Francis Anderson is showing as a widower in that census (I got this from the FreeCen transcript).

Pre 1855, there may be no record of her death and burial in the OPR unfortunately.

By the way, if you have access to A/try, there are a number of family trees for the lines of Francis Anderson and Isabel Massie showing there. Good background and details on Francis's first family. None of them seem to show details on Francis' second marriage to Isabella Anderson.

Monica

[Liviani]

With there being two Isabella Andersons connected to Francis Snr, we have to consider that either one could be the mother of Maggie Ann. It could have been daughter who came home to have baby or Isabella who married Francis who was already with him at the time of Maggie Ann's conception and birth at the beginning of October 1859...

I've had a look at Francis Anderson and Isabella Anderson's marriage cert to compare the signature of Isabella to the Isabella on Maggie Ann's birth cert. Both are just 'her mark'. So from this I feel that the 'wife' Isabella daughter of Robert Anderson and Elizabeth Ferrier is Maggie Ann's mother.

Question remains though why is the father's name blank on this, even if Maggie was illegitimate? They married only 2 months later. 

I suppose the father is someone else, and she was just told that Francis is her father, even if he wasn't, hence him popping up on Maggie Ann's marriage and death certs.

Haven't got access to A/try at the moment, just a free account.

Thanks once again.

Edit: Just had a thought pop into my head again. My great-grandmother was Helen Margaret M(a)cqueen Anderson. I've not found any reference to a 'M(a)cqueen' anywhere. Having said that it could be a non-relation with this name. Just found it a bit strange.

Have to say the family tree I'm making for this branch is a complete dog's dinner at the moment. 

[Forfarian]

Question remains though why is the father's name blank on this, even if Maggie was illegitimate? They married only 2 months later. 

Even if the entire parish knew perfectly well who the father of an illegitimate child was, the father's name could only be included on the birth certificate if he went to the Registrar with the mother when she went to register the birth, and signed the certificate at the same time. The father's name cannot be added later, but if the parents are subsequently married, and the parents were both free to marry at the time of the child's conception, the birth can be re-registered as legitimate. However most people didn't bother about this.