Struggling

[Andrew C.]

Although born in England Duncan McArthur is a very Scottish name I wonder if he followed the traditional Scottish naming pattern with his children which would perhaps give clues to his parents.

[NorthernGeezer]

The 1870 census shows the surnames just "ditto" after Duncan McArthur, the 1880 census shows the surnames just "ditto" after Duncan Macarthur, his death registration shows this spelling too in 1883.

Spellings for his children off info provided by Family Search are McArthur, Macarthur, MacArthur so no further forward with that, however, IF he was the son of Sarah and Duncan McArthur in Clerkenwell, London, that spelling is McArthur.

[fiddlerslass]

Andrew was referring to the traditional choice of first names see

https://scottishkin.com/the-traditional-scottish-naming-system

[NorthernGeezer]

Ah, right, apologies.

[Ladyhawk]

Although born in England Duncan McArthur is a very Scottish name I wonder if he followed the traditional Scottish naming pattern with his children which would perhaps give clues to his parents.

Andrew was referring to the traditional choice of first names see

https://scottishkin.com/the-traditional-scottish-naming-system

Are these all the children born to Duncan Mcarthur & Jane Perry?

Edith F
Lillian
Clara
Violet Elizabeth
Alice Maud
Laura(ie) Jane
Daisey
Lizzie
Blanche Marriott
Isabel Mabel

[Andrew C.]

All girls that doesn’t help much with guessing the father. Jumping to conclusions but I get a distinct English, perhaps middle class vibe from the names. Also they were Episcopalian, I wonder if the MacArthurs had been in England for a while.

[NorthernGeezer]

All 10 of them Ladyhawk, yes!!!!...................and that doesnt account for any potential miscarriages.
My direct line is through Violet, she married a Scot, William Ward and had a son, Kenneth, who was born in New York and moved to Liverpool with the family when he was 4.
That was another barrel of laughs tracking him down, they sent him away to boarding school when he was found so I had a real job tracking him down.

I take your point about both his forename and surname Andrew, very Scots, both of them.
I'm still trying to get my head around who his parents actually are, his baptism states Duncan McArthur BROWNING, which is a bit of an enigma and whilst his mother is listed as Sarah and alludes to her surname being BROWNING, on her sons death notice she's was BENNING but I can buy in to the theory its a misprint and buy in to her maiden name being McArthur, needs more investigation I think.

[Neale1961]

As you haven’t seen the death certificate, you don’t know what is written on in, and who the informant was.
The transcriber may have had difficulty reading a badly written “Browning”, and come up with “Benning”.

[NorthernGeezer]

Your right about the death certificate Neale.
I've had a look on the NYC Vital Records site and cant find it and they don't make it easy for you in ordering one if your not in the USA.
There systems don't recognise the certificate number 453449 posted elsewhere either.