Hi, I wonder if anyone can help. It's not possible to get some of the records I need at the moment. I've spoken with my Mum, who has a certain understanding of the situation that doesn't seem to be borne out by what I've found online at Scotland's People.
My great-grandmother Elizabeth Kelly, who lived in Denny and Falkirk, got pregnant age 16 and had my grandmother in 1918 (father identified but out of the picture). She then had another child 2 years later and in the entry in the birth register, there is no father given and this child is also illegitimate. The following year, in 1919, Elizabeth Kelly (despite being Catholic) seems to have gotten married to an Arthur White in a civil ceremony under the Sheriff's warrant. They both seem to be living at the same address along with her father and sister. Subsequently, my mum was told that Elizabeth was married to another man called Meaney and I'm not going to post the full name due to living relatives. They were said to have had 6 children. However, there was a child Mary born in 1920. In Scotland's people, there was a Mary Kelly White, and a Mary Kelly Meaney, both born 1920 in Falkirk. No online records so I can't look at both to compare and see if they were the same person.
I'm trying to find this Arthur White, who was a dock worker. Lots of Arthur Whites (father Frederick White, mother Jessie Hall, born around 1896) all over the UK. Also, when Elizabeth Kelly died, her father who registered the death seems to have supplied the information that she was called Elizabeth Meaney, married to the man Meaney. Seven years laer, on my grandmother's marriage register entry in 1939, she is said to be the daughter of Elizabeth Kelly, "who afterwards married Arthur White." My mum has no knowledge of an Arthur White. Elizabeth surely could not have married bigamously and there is no record of a second marriage to Meaney.
I've tried to find a suitable Arthur White with a father Frederick. Found one of the correct age, who was a dock worker, in West Ham in London! What would someone like that be doing in Falkirk living with the Kellys? But I don't know how to find out more about him. And I don't know how to find out if this Arthur was father of the second child in 1918 and the third child in 1920, I guess this is now impossible? The 1918 child in question has now passed away and had no children. Also, could you have gotten away with registering a child twice - Mary White/Meaney? And finally, could you have gotten away with just saying you were married in the 1920s? Especially when there was no church wedding? When Elizabeth died, Meaney married in the Church of Scotland and he was described as a 'bachelor'. Any comments on what you could get away with in those days or how I can find out more would be most welcome. Cheers, Momo