Can Anyone Make Sense Of This?

[MyAncestorsCouldNotType]

So my ancestor Elizabeth Gauld died in 1908. She was born in Kildrummy. It lists her parents as William Gauld and Mary Gordon.

I can't find any record of Elizabeth Gauld marrying John McPherson. They start having children together in the 1850s. John and Elizabeth (Betsy) are living at the same farm in Towie in the 1851 census.

Checking the Old Parish Records I find William Gauld and an 'Ann Gordon' having children in Kildrummy circa the 1820s including Elizabeth.

I found William Gauld in 41, 51 and 61 census living in Kildrummy with a wife 'Margaret' Gauld. William Gauld dies in Kildrummmy in 1871 aged 85. It says he was married to 'Ann Barter'.

I can't find a single marriage record for William or Elizabeth. Can anyone explain that? Is it possible that Mary Gordon, Ann Gordon, Ann Barter and Margaret Gauld are all the one person?

[mckha489]

Grave for Ann Gordon Gauld

Sacred to the memory of
ANN GORDON wife of
William Gauld, farmer
Harrystown, Kildrummy
Died 1 Aug 1836 aged 41; said
WILLIAM GAULD
Died 27 Feb 1871 aged 86

I am having trouble finding that 1836 death.
presumably the stone for Ann was placed in  William’s lifetime, and then he was added afterward.


Margaret in the censuses is 20 years younger than William, and only 15 years older than son James (possibly less depending on how the rounding of ages went)  so she is surely a second “wife” brought in when Ann died as he had a lot of small children! 

I would think by the time Elizabeth died in 1908 there would be few people around who knew for sure that her mother’s forename was Ann, especially if Margaret was on the scene for a long time.

If Ann’s death cannot be found. Perhaps there are some OPRs missing which would also have the marriage to Margaret.

What do the certs for other family say?
Did any of them get married after 1855? Or die in the lifetime of William or Margaret.

[MonicaL]

I can't find a single marriage record for William or Elizabeth. Can anyone explain that?

Remember that this is all before the start of official registration in Scotland from 1855. Only about a third of BMD events are to be found in the Old Parish Registers, with many of these events occuring without any record.

What you could do to try and find the marriage date of John and Elizabeth is to check a birth registration for the children born in the 1860s (Jane and Harry?). From the early 1860s, Scottish birth certs included the date and place of parents' marriage (also for one year in 1855). Was there a daughter born in 1855, Catherine? I would start by looking at this one as it also included extra info for one year only, the first of Scottish official registration.

Monica

[MyAncestorsCouldNotType]

I can't find a single marriage record for William or Elizabeth. Can anyone explain that?

Remember that this is all before the start of official registration in Scotland from 1855. Only about a third of BMD events are to be found in the Old Parish Registers, with many of these events occuring without any record.

What you could do to try and find the marriage date of John and Elizabeth is to check a birth registration for the children born in the 1860s (Jane and Harry?). From the early 1860s, Scottish birth certs included the date and place of parents' marriage (also for one year in 1855). Was there a daughter born in 1855, Catherine? I would start by looking at this one as it also included extra info for one year only, the first of Scottish official registration.

Monica

Thanks I'll look into that.

[MyAncestorsCouldNotType]

Grave for Ann Gordon Gauld

Sacred to the memory of
ANN GORDON wife of
William Gauld, farmer
Harrystown, Kildrummy
Died 1 Aug 1836 aged 41; said
WILLIAM GAULD
Died 27 Feb 1871 aged 86

I am having trouble finding that 1836 death.
presumably the stone for Ann was placed in  William’s lifetime, and then he was added afterward.


Margaret in the censuses is 20 years younger than William, and only 15 years older than son James (possibly less depending on how the rounding of ages went)  so she is surely a second “wife” brought in when Ann died as he had a lot of small children! 

I would think by the time Elizabeth died in 1908 there would be few people around who knew for sure that her mother’s forename was Ann, especially if Margaret was on the scene for a long time.

If Ann’s death cannot be found. Perhaps there are some OPRs missing which would also have the marriage to Margaret.

What do the certs for other family say?
Did any of them get married after 1855? Or die in the lifetime of William or Margaret.

The two death registrations I have list 'Mary Gordon' as the mother of Elizabeth Gauld and 'Ann Gordon' as the mother of Alexander Gauld - Elizabeth's older brother. The Old Parish Records list Ann Gordon as the mother of both.

I've attached the death registration of William Gauld 27/02/1871. It says 'Ann Barter' is his wife. Surely if he married again, to Margaret, she would be listed?

[shanreagh]

I read the name of the wife mentioned in the certificate as Baxter.

[mckha489]

Have you a death for Margaret?  I’ve been contemplating

BAXTER
MARGARET
89
DUNCAN
1894
172/ 19
Auchindoir

[Rosinish]

I read the name of the wife mentioned in the certificate as Baxter.

I agree it's Baxter.

Annie

[garstonite]

not all trees are correct
Elizabeth
https://gw.geneanet.org/royanshaw?lang=en&pz=royan+smith&nz=shaw&p=elisabeth&n=gauld
........................................................................
William b 1785
https://gw.geneanet.org/royanshaw?lang=en&pz=royan+smith&nz=shaw&p=william&n=gauld
.....................................................
Ann Gordon
https://gw.geneanet.org/royanshaw?lang=en&pz=royan+smith&nz=shaw&p=ann&n=gordon&oc=1
...............................................................