I just received this in an email from Janet:
"John Paton's second wife Mary Cunningham
(which Lumberjack thinks proves his assertion that Margaret Dickie died
before the 1841 census) is a red herring. Whoever submitted the
information about John Paton having a second wife muddled their John
Patons. There is a most useful family tree at
http://hometown.aol.com/rosecote/myhomepage/heritage.html which sets
out at very great length the descendants of the famous Captain John
Paton of Ayrshire 1614-1684 (Janet Paton's ancestor I would lay money).
Mary Cunningham was the second wife of his grandson John Paton 1701-
unknown, not the later John Paton.
If there was an inheritance it may have been waiting for her from Janet
Paton's brother Hugh, who seems to have done rather well for himself.
Janet "
I haven't checked out the website myself as it is 3:34 a.m. here and I am half asleep.
I have encouraged Janet to join rootschat and join in the conversation as she seems to be very knowledgeable and certanly has done a lot of research for this topic.
Hopefully she will and see her very soon !!
dollylee