Hello,
First post on RootsChat although I've been looking at the boards here for several years without an account.
Stumbled across a problem on my tree yesterday after obtaining a census that's causing a lot of confusion, perhaps someone here might be able to suggest an avenue of attack. This post could equally apply to the Clackmannanshire board if the admins decide to move it. There are two John Hunters, father and son - the problem is with the father.
The son John Hunter (b. 1863 Saline, d. 1946 Inverness) was the illegitimate son of John Hunter (b. 1841 Tillicoultry, Clackmannanshire, d. 1885 Ontario, Canada) and Margaret Neish (b. 1836 Carnock, d. 1866 Dunfermline). For all his working life he was a public school teacher. I have him on the 1871 and 1881 censuses living with his grandparents, Robert Hunter and Janet Condie, in Tillicoultry. On the latter census his occupation is a 'pupil teacher' so I know it's him. On his 1890 marriage record to Elizabeth Forrest his parents are both deceased - his father was a blacksmith.
Lately I've been trying to fill out the life of his mother and after finding her death record set out to find corroborating evidence that it was the correct person. Got hold of the 1861 census with her living with her sister's husband and family in Saline, all blacksmiths. Great.
Also on the 1861 census was John Hunter, age 19, blacksmith, from Tillicoultry. Excellent. Looks like he was employed by the family, they were all living together, this is strong extra evidence for him and Margaret being John's parents.
Except...
Except that, John Hunter, the father, is also on the 1861 census for Tillicoultry, living with parents Robert Hunter and Janet Condie. Also aged 19, a blacksmith, and born there.
So... is John Hunter the father on the 1861 census twice or are there two John Hunters with the same age, place of birth and occupation?
The Tillicoultry John is living with parents Robert Hunter and Janet Condie, later listed as grandparents to John junior in 1871 and 1881 when the younger John was starting off in his teaching career.
The Saline John is living with the future mother of his child.
Perhaps grasping at straws but as Tillicoultry and Saline are not that far apart (approx 8.5 miles), could he have been recorded at one address then gone to visit the other on the same night and be recorded again there? This census doesn't record if either is a visitor to the respective households.
Hunter is a very common surname around these parts and there will be other Johns around. I've looked up four other John Hunters around the same age in Tillicoultry in the 1851 then 1861 censuses and they can be crossed-off for having different occupations / outside of county places of birth. Of course, there may be others elsewhere in the country.
