Genealogy Chat

I have been trying for a couple of years now to find the death of my gt grandmother, without success. Last night spent quite lot of time (and money!) going through the 1837, tried from 1881 to 1891 without success. Gt grandfather George Nelson Grant, his wife Mary Hannah (nee Copeland) and dau (my g.mother) were on the 1881 census for Scotland living in Perth. However, Gt grandf.married and lived in Derby,his first & second wife born there, all their children were born in Derby, g.father worked as a "travelling postman" on the trains, so he travelled around a great deal. Why they were in Perth Scotland in 1881 I have no idea, there was an error re his occupation on the census, said he was an army pensioner, he was a pensioned, but retired from the GPO (caused by an accident on the railway, he had to retire early & was paid compensation) he had been born in Edinburgh. His eldest son, by first wife, who had died, was living in lodgings in Edinburgh. he was age 16 yrs. his eldest dau was living with paternal grandmother in Edinburgh, cannot trace his next son George Nelson Grant born in 1870 Derby, g.mother born in 1874, was with parents in Perth (in 1881) In 1889 my g.mother was sent to Canada from a childrens home, with thanks to Bardardos I was able to obtain full details of her stay in Canada until her marriage in 1894, she & her husband & my mother, left Canada in 1900 and went to Scotland. Found gt grandf.on 1891 & 1901 census, living in London, but, with a wife named Annie, he died in 1919 in Leicester, still had the wife Annie. Have also been unable to trace the marriage, have tried looking from 1881 up to 1891, no trace, so assume they must have "lived in sin" also cannot find Mary Hannah`s death, so now wonder, did she also go off with someone else and "live in sin" having called herself by his name would explain why I cannot find any trace of death? This explanation could be the reason why my mother never told her family anything about our relatives, g.parents on both sides (have found disclosures which they obviously would not have wanted known) so, if the Grant g.,parents jad split up (that could explain perhaps why the children were all split up?) In report re Canada, my g.mother revealed in 1890 that her FATHER was still alive (she had been sent to Canada as an orphan) she mentioned g.mother was dead (this would have applied to her maternal g.mother in Derby, she died in 1886 the paternal g.mother lived in Edinburgh and did not die until 1894. Also referred to in the report are pieces of info taken from a letter from her father, saying ..."no wife, no work.." and mention also made of eldest dau Effie Grant being selfish etc, it was she who had arranged for g.mother to be sent to Canada!, so by these remarks from the report, she makes no mention of her MOTHER, so I had to assume that mother had to have died, but according to 1837 indexes, no trace of that, so, as you can imagine, I have quite apuzzle to solve, which I do not think will ever be answered unless I anage one day (hopefully!) to find another descendant somewhere who may hold the answer. Any suggestions as to what my next step should be??? Any help would be most appreciated I have wracked my brains to think where next to try and cannot find a solution

Wow that was a lot to read! but think I've got the gist. A couple of suggestions - as gt grandad's letter suggests he had indeed lost his wife and the family had strong Scottish connections have you tried for death of Mary Hannah in Scottish records. If she died in Scotland you won't find her on 1837online which only has England and Wales records. Or (less likely)as you can't find death for Mary Hannah or marriage to Annie and their birth places are the same could Annie in fact be Mary Hannah but known at home as Annie?

Thanks for suggestion, I did indeed try the Scots site, looking under both her her married name & maiden name, no luck there either, don`t think she was referred to as Annie. other census gives her as Mary. I have run out of ideas now I`m afraid