Geddes, Grant, Clark

[Craigellachie2019]

Hello all - I have a problem with 2 Alexander Geddes.  They may be 2 separate people or just 1. 
I have an Alexander Geddes married to a Margaret Grant in Deskford 6 Feb 1808.  Children were John 1808-1885, Alexander 1811-1899, James 1814-1866, Elizabeth 1816-1880, Mary Ann Innes 1818 and William 1829-1896.
I also have an Alexander Geddes married to a Margaret Clarke (1811-1884)  25 Nov 1841 Deskford.  Children Helen 1842-1913, George 1844-1871, Elspet - 1846, Isobel 1849, Catherine Macintosh 1852-1933 and Alexander 1854-1903.
People have the one Alexander having married both these Margarets.  I haven't been able to find a death for Margaret Grant between say 1829-1842 to try to prove this is the same Alexander.
If it is indeed the same Alexander, the one I have for these two women was born 1787 and died 1871.  Death cert says his wife was Margaret Clark.  Doesn't mention a first wife at all. His death cert also says his parents were James Geddes and ?? Iness.  However other trees have his parents as Peter Geddes and Ann Young.  I know death registrations are only as good as the knowledge of the person giving the details but this family really has me stumped. 
I have an 1851 census at Deskford - 3 Craibstone - which shows Alexander 63, Margaret 40, Helen 9, George 7, Elspet 5 and Isabella 2.  Craibstone is also the place Alexander who says his wife was Margaret Clark, died.  1861 census - Deskford - House on Craibstone shows Alexander 73, Margaret 50, Isabella 12, Catherine 9, Alexander 6.  I believe the 51 and 61 fits the Alexander I have dying in 1871 married to Margaret Clark. 
Can anyone throw any light on whether the one Alexander had two wives and two families or are they two separate families?
I do have another Alexander I had a query with but for the moment can't recall what it was. Be happy with any help with the above.  Thank you.
Anne

[Forfarian]

Hmmm.

If he is one and the same person, he was very young when he first married

Assuming that his age in 1851 is correct, he would have been born between 31 March 1787 and 30 March 1788, in which case he was just 20 on 6 February 1808. Most young men were not in a position to support a wife and family at the age of 20.

[GR2]

It's not going to help with your dilemma, but Margaret Clark was one of several women"delated as with child" before the Deskford kirk session on 24-10-1841. She was called, but did not appear on 3-11-1841. On 21-11-1841 Alexander Geddes and Margaret Clark appeared before the session and confessed. She was referred to the Presbytery of Fordyce as it was a trelapse to her. Later they are given biblical texts to study and are eventually absolved on 16-12-1841.

[Fordyce]

They are one and the same person. The best evidence are these two OPR baptisms of two of his children:
- William by his (first) wife Margaret Grant born 5 Jan 1829; bapt 31 Jan 1855
- Catherine Macintosh by his (second) wife Margaret Clark born 3 Apr 1852; bapt 31 Jan 1855
These two entries are adjacent and in the same handwriting.

Also, when James Geddes died at Craibstone in 12 Jun 1866, his parents were recorded as Alexander Geddes & Margaret Grant (deceased) by the informant who was: "Alexander Geddes father" (by now married to Margaret Clark and living at Craibstone for well over 25 years).

Together, for me, this is completely persuasive. No record has been discovered regarding Margaret Grant's death.

Regarding his parentage, nearly all if not all published trees are simply wrong. His death registration actually shows his parents as James Geddes & ---- Geddes ms Mess (not Iness, and not Ness as I first struggled with). Mess is a very long standing local surname I can trace back to about 1642 in Slogmahole Fordyce. The informant John Reid, Inspector of Poor, was a brother-in-law of one of the children of Peter Geddes & Ann Young; the families of Reid, tenants in Swailend Deskford, and Geddes, tenants in Newton of Slogmahole Fordyce, were close, so I have complete confidence that he would have been as accurate as he could be when registering Alexander Geddes' death. The father James Geddes was almost certainly 1777's tenant in New Park Fordyce. The mother is very likely Elizabeth Mess d/o James Mess & Helen Clark. And there is some evidence that a few years later her sister Isabel Mess & the same James Geddes had a child James Geddes who married one Mary Sim and ended up at Melrose in Gamrie. On less certain ground, James Geddes who messed with the Misses Mess is brother of Peter Geddes h/o Ann Young.

Alexander Geddes and his two wives produced 14 children. That means a lorra descendants.

To refer to GR2's comments, if it's any consolation, by the time Margaret Clark appeared before the Kirk Session she had already contracted to marry Alexander Geddes and got herself actually married several weeks before absolution. The resulting daughter outdoing her mother had four lapses before marrying and having five more. A busy family.

[Craigellachie2019]

Fordyce, thank you very much for your very detailed reply and your detective work.  I will take your advice and apply it accordingly.
Anne