George McAndrew born about 1861, Aberdeen

[Forfarian]

I think Frederick McAndrew is probably imaginary. There is no Fred* M*c*an*d*r* in any records on SP until 1890, when one was born in Fetteresso. He's in the 1891 census, aged 0, and probably the one who died in Edinburgh in 1951.

My guess is that George knew that his mother's husband was a McAndrew, but as he was only about 5 when his mother died, he was probably a bit vague about who his actual father was.

I did wonder if his father could have been Frederick Ritchie, but there's only one candidate in Scotland and he's a watchmaker*, which is not the sort of occupation you would confuse with a blacksmith.

*A member of an Edinburgh family firm founded in 1809, still in business though it was bought out by Smiths of Derby in 2013. https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13129761.time-is-called-on-oldest-scots-clockmaker/

But of course all of the foregoing is irrelevant if he was the George born in Nairn in 1863

[loobylooayr]

I would agree with Forfarian - Frederick MCLennan McAndrew is probably fictitious- made up for the marriage certificate ( then repeated on the death cert by the informant) .
George has given blacksmith as his late father's occupation - and of course that could be true. But his bride's father was also a blacksmith - George may just have invented the same occupation for his father.
Looby 

[cew1]

Good evening all.

flst

Margaret McAndrew died at 20 Causewayend, Aberdeen and her death was registered by her son John who was living at 87 Lock Street, Aberdeen. Her parents were listed as John McLennan, Shoemaker, Master, Deceased and Grace McLennan, MS McKinlay, Deceased.

I checked the birth registration for George Ritchie, born 24.1.1859 but have discounted him as his parents were Alexander Ritchie and Isabella Ritchie, MS ?Lawrence and the birth was registered by Alexander.

Forfarian and Looby

Yes, I, too, am sure that Frederick is an imaginary person, possibly created to to save face when George got married. I am now torn between two schools of thought. My first and strongest one is that George Ritchie and George McAndrew are the same person. If there are two Georges, who was little George Ritchie, and what happened to him? I have not discounted the George McLennan born in 1863. His age matches the military deserter George McAndrews, but it does not seem likely that his mother would have registered him as McLennan and then called him Ritchie.

Thank you all for your help and guidance.

chris

[Forfarian]

On the other hand there is a birth of George Ritchie, no father named, mother Margaret Ritchie, in Aberdeen St Nicholas on 1 June 1858. I took a look at this, and he was born at 34 Gallowgate. His mother gave her name as Margaret, and her occupation as provision merchant, and she signed with an 'x' - in other words, she was illiterate. Could Ritchie have been his father's name, and the registrar thought it was Margaret's surname?

I am pretty sure that George Ritchie, son of Margaret Ritchie, is the child who was with his mother and half-brothers in Gallowgate, Aberdeen St Nicholas, in 1861.

I checked the birth registration for George Ritchie, born 24.1.1859 but have discounted him as his parents were Alexander Ritchie and Isabella Ritchie, MS ?Lawrence and the birth was registered by Alexander

That's a different George Ritchie altogether. He is in the census with his parents and siblings in George Street, Aberdeen St Nicholas.

[cew1]

Forfarian

Thank you. I downloaded that birth registration but I missed the Gallowgate connection to the 1861 Census.  Yes, I think that your theory regarding the father's surname is quite possible. Perhaps Margaret deliberately stated that her surname was Ritchie.

Chris

[loobylooayr]

I agree. Margaret may have deliberately used Ritchie to register her son with his father's name.

Looby