Multiple Entries on Scotland’s People

[Andrew C.]

I was looking for a marriage and when I put in the name I got thirteen entries for the same name. It is a slightly unusual name with a distinct middle name so it looks like the same person. All the entriesi are Kirkcaldy. Two to a Stewart in 1972, Three to a Robert in 1976. Four to Thomas Stewart A in 1985 and four to Thomas Stewart W in 1985. The eight Thomas Stewart marriages have the same reference number.

Any one a clue as to what is going on here?

[Forfarian]

Scottish marriages are indexed by all present and previous surnames of the couple.

There are in fact 16 separate index listings of the marriage in Kirkcaldy in 1985, reference 421/47.

The bride herself appears to have had two alternative surnames. Her birth reference in 1953 gives only one of these. It may be that by the time of her marriage, her mother had remarried and she was known by a stepfather's surname.

She married husband No 1 in 1972, husband No 2 in 1976, and husband No 3 in 1985.

No 3 appears to have had two alternative surnames. Again, this might indicate that he was known by the surname of a stepfather.

Each marriage would be indexed under all previous surnames of all the persons involved, so when the husband has two surnames and the wife has four, you soon get multiple listings in the index, though I'm not sure why not all the surnames actually appear in the index. You need to get a copy of at least the 1985 marriage to find out how they all fit in.

[Andrew C.]

Thanks Forfarian, that also explains why I couldn’t find her birth.