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  1. #1

    Default Marjory Duff Watt born Edinburgh 1877

    Hi Everyone, I'm hoping that someone on the site, will be able to help.
    Marjory Duff Watt b.1877 Edinburgh married my great grandfather George Henderson Roberts in 1899. they had 2 daughters Georgina b 1901 and Jessie b 1902.
    At some point prior to 1911, he left her, and in 1913 he married my great grandmother in B'Ham, committing bigamy.
    I have found both of the daughters on the 1911 Scottish census, living in an orphanage for girls in Edinburgh.
    My first question is why, as their Mother was still alive, and remarried under her maiden name, in 1926.
    My second question is, she remarried in her own parish, so what would she have had to do, to legally remarry. Incidentally her first husband died in 1945.
    I'd be grateful for anyone's input, many thanks Liz

  2. #2

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    As always, more questions.
    Have you looks for newspaper reports?
    What did Marjory put on her 2nd marriage certificate regarding single, widowed, etc?
    What was the name of the orphanage?

  3. #3

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    What sort of newspaper reports, of her marriage, or something else?
    The orphanage was called Templedean House in Edinburgh, both girls listed as training for domestic service. I found a lead to the records,a firm of solicitors in Edinburgh, but when I contacted them, they said they don't have them.

  4. #4

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    I've just checked the newspapers on findmypast, but found nothing there, I've also googled her name, but again nothing

  5. #5

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    But! Have now downloaded the marriage cert, wow, she was born in 1877 marries in 1926 and claims to be 30. A spinster, says her Father's name is Andrew, when it was George, and they married in the Christian Bretheren church. She was a shop assistant, fancy goods, and living at a nice address. Strangely, almost the same sort of lies, that the husband who deserted her, put on his second marriage cert. I guess he cleared off, she couldn't cope, and put the girls in the orphanage, and restarted her life. She died in 1936, it says age 61, so that was right.On a positive note the 2 daughters left to live in San Antonio Texas, in 1922, one of them married an American, and from what I can see, had a lovely life.

  6. #6

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    If she’s claiming to be a spinster on her second marriage certificate, that would explain why the girls were in the home.. Divorces were rare, I wonder whether she bothered, although his bigamy might have been grounds enough.

  7. #7
    Super Moderator christanel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Elizabeth P View Post
    What sort of newspaper reports, of her marriage, or something else?
    The orphanage was called Templedean House in Edinburgh, both girls listed as training for domestic service. I found a lead to the records,a firm of solicitors in Edinburgh, but when I contacted them, they said they don't have them.
    Peter Higginbotham's Children's Homes site has a page about the Christie homes (of which Templedean was one)and at the bottom of the page he says that he has not found any evidence of surviving records for these homes.

    Christina
    Sometimes paranoia is just having all the facts.
    William Burroughs

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    I know it is probably nothing to do with your tree and is probably a co-incidence, but there is an entry for a George Henderson Watt born abt 1866 living in Hong Kong in 1889! Just a thought if she was born in 1877 and and states she was 30 at her marriage in 1926 that's a big difference in age, is it 30 or could it be 50? Also was she actually married to George Roberts, do you have that certificate?

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    Was your grandmother Florence Wright?

  10. #10

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    Sue, Scotlands People lists a marriage for Marjory D Watt and George Roberts, 1899 at St George in Edinburgh. Obviously I would have had to pay to get further, so I stopped there.
    That marriage cert would give not only ages for the couple, but also the names of both sets of parents.

    The birth reg for Marjory Duff Watt in 1877, registered in St George, is also there. The cert would give date & place of parents' marriage.

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