Genealogy Chat

Hmm... if you can find a will for any of these people it might help, but I don't know what are the chances of that. Anyway, I still think your theory about Margaret's father is the most likely. You might have to look at all the William Hoggs and see if any of them lived next door to the Ormonds or anything like that. Oh... and if you can find everybody on the 1851 census it might help, maybe you will find Derwick and Jane were separated at the time? Kate.

I simply hadn't thought of them making mistakes but I suppose it could be easily done. The marriage cert is ordered from the GRO but took place at 'Zion Meeting House' in the district of Alnwick. I think I've read somewhere that that was Presbytarian. Thinking on this more I think she must have changed her name somewhere between census night 1871 and wedding day 1872 because on the birth cert for her first son Derwick Ormond Goodfellow she's down as Hogg.

I've been thinking about this one while the kids were on the computer, so now I'm back on here are the ideas I had - have you traced a birth registration for Margaret? I would guess that if her birth is registered under the surname Ormond it will name Derwick as the father anyway, though, so it might not help but it must be worth looking. And as I said before, if you haven't found them on the 1851 census try that to see if you get any clues. Oh, and another thing I thought of if you are looking through the William Hoggs is to see if any of them have the same occupation as on Margaret's marriage certificate. I think that's it for now. As you said the mother's maiden name on the son's birth certificate is also given as Hogg I think it unlikely it could be a clerical error on the marriage certificate. Kate.

Thank you everybody for all your ideas and routes to try out. I've had it easy so far with my mothers side and not come across anything like this. I've exhausted parish records for all of my maternal side bar one lady from Ireland! So I think it's only right I have a few problems on my paternal side. I'm going to look for any wills now to see if they can help, also see if Jane Tait from Scotland had a sister who married a Hogg - perhaps she died and my couple raised the child as their own until she was due to get married then told her the truth. I wouldn't be looking at all these avenue's if it wasn't for you guys - I'm very grateful. Wish me luck - I've not had anything to do with Scotland yet so it's new territory once again. Kate, Thank you very much for your on going help and ideas, much appreciated. Em

Emma - I think I've solved it! I've been kicking myself all morning for not thinking of this before I went out of the house so I could have posted this up sooner. Could it be she was adopted? She would have been born as Margaret Ann Hogg, parents William Hogg and his wife, then adopted by Derwick and Jane Ormond. When she got married she gave her original birth name, perhaps because she had to show her birth certificate. I think this fits all the facts, and leaves Jane's reputation intact! I don't know how 19th-century adoptions worked because I haven't come across any in my family (yet). I had a quick look at the GRO birth indexes for Hogg and Ormond from 1848 onwards, and stopped when I found this one: Mar 1849 Hogg, Margaret Ann, Alnwick XXV 243. It's a handwritten one so I'm not sure about the page number. It would fit her age of 12 on the 1861 census. The more I think about this the more I think it must be right! Kate.

Hi Kate, I think you're thinking will turn out to be spot on! Not five minutes ago did I order that very birth certificate. Not sure how to go about looking into the adoption side of things yet as never had to do it before but thank god fella's out all day tomorrow golfing so I can spend all day looking into it!!! This morning I bought some credits for Scotlands People and found Jane Tait's birth and 2 probable siblings - neither married a Hogg so I don't think Margaret Ann was adopted into the same family - see my thoughts on the previous message. I do hope there were some kind of records kept back in that day to confirm everything. Here's hoping. Many many thanks for you help and brain power Kate, Em x