John Anderson born 1831ish Glasgow

[Neale1961]

Annie, I think the 1841 census address is Glen Cottages?, North Woodside Road (south side) Barony.

[Ruskie]

Thanks for your thoughts Annie, and thanks for the clarification Neale. The address as simply “Glen” came from Ancestry, but freecen’s transcriptions seem to be more accurate.

Auchterarder Fifeshire was the transcription from the 1851 census. 

Klouman at reply #2 suggested Elizabeth Anderson at Greyfriars Wynd Glasgow as a possibility in the 1841 census.

This Elizabeth was not born in county, aged 60 b 1781 living with with Robert Anderson, Tailor/Sailor. 
Robert is 30 so bc 1812 and vaguely born in “Scotland”and, if the correct family, could be brother to my John. There is also a 9 year old Margaret Anderson.

I think I might have found this Robert in 1851 age 39, a “Trading Sailor”, with wife and family. Robert transcribed as being born in North Queensferry Fifeshire. I’m not convinced that this Robert is related to my John, but if he is, it could be that the family moved to Glasgow after the birth of Robert.

Pure speculation and may be completely wrong.

[Forfarian]

I found a family in the 1851 and 1841 Scottish censuses which looks promising. I would appreciate second opinions on these, or any alternative suggestions

Auchterarder, Fife, is clearly an error of some sort, because Auchterarder is not in Fife.

If these are from transcriptions (and especially transcriptions on Ancestry or some other commercial web site) I would strongly recommend looking at the originals on Scotland's People. That will at least clarify whether it is an enumerator's error or a transcriber's error.

[Ruskie]

Yes Forfarian, they are from transcriptions.
Ancestry transcription says “Auchterarder Fifeshire”
Freecen says “Perthshire (or Fife) Auchterarder”

On your recommendaion I downloaded the 1851 census from SP. Additional infomation is that Elizabeth is a Widow.

Her place of birth written in the same hand as the rest of the census form is very clearly “Fifeshire Auchterarder”.

A different hand has written Perthshire before Fifeshire, and then appears to have crossed it out. There is a thick check mark over the word which obscures it somewhat.