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Ok thanks for your help.Shirley

In Scotland you can be a "common law wife". Same thing as married by repute. You just lived together as husband and wife and it is considered as married.

What does married by repute mean?

Might be worth getting his marriage certificate from Scotlandspeople. The credits won't go wrong as you obviously have a few Scottish ancestors.

Married by repute? Maybe but I am not convinced. My ancestor had her first son with one man and he was reared by paternal grandparents. She then had a further 4 children with another man and raised a paternity case for the first two. For the second two she just gave them his surname as a middle name - perhaps she was fed up taking the matter to court! Her final child was with a man that she was "housekeeper" to for nearly 20 years but never married even although they were both free to do so.

Rootgatherer Yes Grant is my direct line Yes John married Jane Esson 28/1/1860 Burghmuir Inverurie Aberdeen I do not have the cert

Married my repute ? 2 children?

Shirley, Is John your direct line? Do you have his marriage?

His parents probably never married, I don't think that was that uncommon in the Highlands at that time. It doesn't mean that they weren't free to marry, they for whatever reason just chose not to. I have a few examples of this in my own tree. In one case, I was able to identify the correct child (with a very common name) through one of the witnesses to his second marriage as she was a "half" cousin i.e. the daughter of his mother's half brother. Not only was he illegitimate but his mother was too and her half brother (although his parents did marry later). Not much help to you I know!

Do you think Angus could be one of the Agricultural Labourers on the 1841 census? He may have changed his occupation as I think in those days they took what farm work was available.

If we could find a father for Allan he could just be another of Angus's illigitmate children by another mother or his younger brother

Can we find a parent for Jane and I might have a connection

Jane is not a sister of Margaret as I research her family abit. Common name.......

Submitted ecord for the older Allan Grant perhaps?


Allan GRANT Pedigree

Birth: 1821 Boleskine
Christening:
Marriage: 1846 Boleskine
Death:
Burial:



Wife

Jane MACDONALD Pedigree


Birth: 1825 Boleskine
Christening:
Marriage: 1846 Boleskine

So can we see who Betsy's mother and father were?

No I couldn't either perhaps he dissapeared into the hills....

Sorry can't find any Angus Grant in a Census that fits.

I could not find a death for Ann either what about a marriage for Ann?
Thank for the help.Shirley

The birth cert read exactly
John begotton in forincationborn 23rd December 1831 son of Angus Grant, Sheperd in Ardachy and of Margaret Macdonald dr of John Macdonald Tailor Ardachy.
l could not find a marriage for them after this date either

Sorry seems they were not married,like many others
Margaret fathe was John a tailor

1841Name: John Grant
Age: 9
Estimated birth year: abt 1832
Gender: Male
Where born: Inverness, Scotland

Civil parish: Boleskine and Abertarff
County: Inverness
Address: Ardachy
Parish Number: 92
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Margaret Mcdonald 35
John Grant 9


Use of maiden name when married is not unusual

JOHN GRANT Pedigree
Male


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Event(s):
Birth: 23 DEC 1831 Boleskine, Inverness, Scotland

Christening:
Death:
Burial:


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Parents:
Father: ANGUS GRANT Family
Mother: MARGARET MACDONALD


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Messages:
Extracted birth or christening record for the locality listed in the record. The source records are usually arranged chronologically by the birth or christening date.

There are a few reasons that Ann may not have been with her mother and brother in 1841. She could have been brought up by Angus's family, she may have been in service or she may have died.

I looked at that 1841 census on Freecen to see who the neighbours of that family with Allan, Betsey etc. as I thought that perhaps some of the household was missing but it doesn't seem to be.

That fact that Angus cannot be found on te 1841 census doesn't help you. Without more information, it may never be possible to identify the correct Angus. What information is on john's marriage certificate please? Was Angus named and alive? Any clues from the names of the witnesses?