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just a coincidence?

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ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

Maureen

Maureen Report 29 Oct 2007 22:29

I've been trying for a long time to find out more about my 2xgreat grandmother, Mary Stewart, born in Edinburgh around 1845. She marries twice and gives two different sets of parents,neither of which I can track down, not helped by the fact that Stewart must be the most common name ever in Edinburgh! I have found a 1851 census which might be my Mary, aged 6, lodging with a family called Shedden, not at all a common name in Edinburgh, and for her first marriage in 1869 her witness is a Jane Shedden. Does anyone believe in coincidences? Any ideas why such a young child would be a lodger?

Heather

Heather Report 29 Oct 2007 22:40

That sounds a very likely connection to me.

Not sure why the child should be a lodger at only 6 - you would expect her to be noted as a nurse child (foster child) wouldnt you>? Unless in Scotland the usage of the word lodger covers that?

Maureen

Maureen Report 29 Oct 2007 23:07

Thanks Heather, I've been trying not to get too excited about this census entry!
I wondered if Mary was an orphan and that was why she wasn't sure about her parents names,but who would be paying for her board? She doesn't say that her parents are dead on her first marriage, but on her second she says her father is deceased, it's all very strange !
Maureen

MrsBucketBouquet

MrsBucketBouquet Report 29 Oct 2007 23:16

Maureen

I have a 'Matilda' She married three times! and marriage 2 and 3 cert she has a different father!...both deseased though. 1st marriage was a drawn line through the Fathers box. No father.

As a child she was brought up by her Uncle.

I gave up trying to find her maiden name and put her down as inventing a fathers name to impress the new inlaws.These Fathers had really good occupations....yeah right!
:-((

She was born c1837

I have birth certs of some of her children....correct children! correct marriges!...One 1st marriage child also spent some time with this Uncle and lived with them during her 2nd marriage.
A witness to her 3rd marriage was a child from 2nd marriage. So I know I have the correct ones....

Good luck

Gerri x

Researching:
Pool/Poole?Overs/Hovers/Hovard?Bucket/Bouquet? Thank goodness i havent got a Smiff!........yet

Judith

Judith Report 30 Oct 2007 11:23

A long shot this but wouldn't it be great if one of the Sheddon's who she lodged with left a will naming Mary and saying something like, "to Mary Stewart, the child of my beloved deceased cousin Archibald* Stewart and his wife Jemima.*...." (*substitute the names you would like to find, but preferably unusual ones to make further searches of a common surname easier) Well you can dream! but it might just be worth looking for Sheddon wills.