Hi Heather,
I have recently started researching my family tree. I have been using Ancestry.co.uk and Scotlands People and I am quite certain that Donald Dewar and Catherine Scrimgeour are my great, great, great grandparents.
I had trouble going further back than my great grandfather on the Dewars side at first but having visited a couple of graveyards and researching online I think I have solved it.
My great grandfather was Alexander Dewar born in December 1867. I have found his registration of birth on Scotlands People and he was registered Alexander Clark Dewar. His mother was a Christina Dewar born 1840 from Logierait. His father was reputed to be a Peter Clark, there was apparently a court case that followed Alexanders birth to prove who the father was, I am still researching this but from what I can understand so far Alexander spent his childhood in the poorhouse at Logierait.
The James Dewar you mentioned was Christina's brother he fathered a child (James Clark Dewar) with Peter Clark's sister (Janet Clark) in 1859 as well as fathering your Great Granny that year before marrying a third woman the same year - yup! he was a "naughty boy" alright.
James and Christina had a sister called Isabella, she married a John Clark who was Janet and Peter's brother.
Some of what I have said has involved a degree of assumption so I am keeping an open mind until I find out more but it does look like my great great grandmother was your great great grandfathers sister.
I am having trouble finding out about Donald and Catherine and their parents, what you said in your post above is very helpful, any more info on them would be greatly appreciated?
Cheers
John
