Who wants to help me solve a mystery?

[scottishlad]

I’ll try to keep this as concise as possible:

I have a Robert McKenzie (Tinsmith) born about 1823 married to a Mary Ann Devine born about 1828. Parents are George and Bridget Townsley.

I have a second Robert McKenzie (iron moulder) born about 1828 married to a Mary Ann Devine born about 1828. Parents are Donald and Christian Cadenhead.

I’ve looked at their death certificates and they are definitely two different people. My working theory is Donald is a brother of George, and therefore the two Roberts are cousins. Robert Cadenhead married Mary Ann Devine first, then for whatever reason divorced, and my Robert (Tinsmith) married her and had children.

To support this theory, Robert Cadenhead does have two wives listed on his death certificate. However, on Mary Ann Devine’s dearth certificate, her husband Robert is listed as working in an iron foundry. Which would seem to align better with Robert Cadenhead. Id think that after 9 children with Robert (Tinsmith) he’d be the one listed on the certificate.

To confuse matters even more, the witness of Robert Cadenhead’s death certificate is an Edward Anderson. My Robert (Tinsmith) had a daughter Alexandrina who married an Edward Anderson. However to Robert Cadenhead he would be a nephew in law, not a son in law. Unless I’ve “mixed” some of the children ie Alexandrina is really Robert Cadenhead’s daughter and not Robert (Tinsmith).

Anyway can anybody fact check me/lend some assistive brain power. Struggling to wrap my head around this one haha at the very least there’s too many coincidences to be a coincidence, and I doubt there just happened to be two Mary Ann Devines. Anyway thanks!

[GR2]

Did they marry after 1854? Also, have you found them in censuses? Is there a record of the supposed divorce, or are you assuming that?

[djct59]

More information would be helpful here.

Where and when did the marriages take place?

Do you have information regarding the bithplaces of any of these people? When did they die? Have you looked for all possible death entries?

Mary Ann Devine is likely to have been Roman Catholic, so divorce in the 19th century seems somewhat unlikely. It's certainly plausible that the two Roberts were cousins, so I suggest you need to focus on marriages (and be aware of the old Scots irregular marriages as well).

[Stanwix England]

Anyway can anybody fact check me/lend some assistive brain power. Struggling to wrap my head around this one haha at the very least there’s too many coincidences to be a coincidence, and I doubt there just happened to be two Mary Ann Devines. Anyway thanks!

Sorry if this is a stupid question. I might be missing something as I get confused easily.

Why do you think it would be so unlikely that there would be two Mary Ann Devines?

Having had a quick look on Ancestry, I can see quite a few people across Ireland and Scotland with that surname, so to me it doesn't seem impossible that two women born in the same year could have that forename and surname.

[Dundee]

Robert Cadenhead married Mary Ann Devine first, then for whatever reason divorced, and my Robert (Tinsmith) married her and had children.

To support this theory, Robert Cadenhead does have two wives listed on his death certificate.

Was the second wife Agnes PATERSON?  Mary Ann died in 1863 and then he married Agnes in 1868.

Where is Robert described as a Tinsmith?

Are these the marriages that are worrying you?

MCKENZIE, ROBERT
MARY ANN/DEVINE FR7874 (FR7874)

28/05/1848
644 / 1
430 / 395
Glasgow
   
MCKENZIE, ROBERT
MARY ANN/DEVINE FR8066 (FR8066)
   
31/12/1846
168 / A
310 / 168
Aberdeen

Debra 

[Forfarian]

Have you looked at the originals of both marriage records? What do they say?

[Dundee]

I have a Robert McKenzie (Tinsmith) born about 1823 married to a Mary Ann Devine born about 1828. Parents are George and Bridget Townsley.

This man's wife in 1871 was named Jessie.  They are living with his mother in Cadder, Lanarkshire.  Were they travellers?

Debra 

[Forfarian]

Combining the information from Scotland's People and the IGI produces two lists of children to Robert Mackenzie and Mary Devine

In Aberdeen
Daniel 1847
William 1848
Helen 1850
Christine 1854
Alexandrina 1855
Robert 1858
David 1861
The pre-1855 ones are Roman Catholic baptisms

and in Glasgow

Margaret 1856
Mary 1859
Isaac 1863

The 1871 census has a record of a family at an encampment in Cadder, consisting of Bridget Townsley, widow, 74, born Ireland, with sons Robert, 42 and Isaac, 34, both travelling tinsmiths; daughters-in-law Mary, 31 and Jessie, 37; and grandchildren John, 14; Alexander, 12; Mary, 10, Agnes, 8; Robert, 0; Mary, 12; and Isaac, 8, all surnamed McKenzie. Birthplaces all over Scotland including Glasgow.

In the same census, in Aberdeen, are Robert McKenzie, 42, iron moulder; wife Agnes, 36; daughter Alexandrina, 15 and son David, 9; all born Aberdeen. Mary Ann Devine or Mckenzie, aged 36, died in Aberdeen in 1863, mother's maiden surname Cameron. The 1861 census records that she was born in Peterhead.

So there were indeed two different Robert M(a)ckenzies married to two different Mary Ann Devines.

[MonicaL]

So, from what everyone has posted above.

... My Robert (Tinsmith) had a daughter Alexandrina who married an Edward Anderson...

This point to the marriage added by Debra:

   
MCKENZIE, ROBERT
MARY ANN/DEVINE FR8066 (FR8066)
   
31/12/1846
168 / A
310 / 168
Aberdeen

And the children that Forfarian has listed to them, together with the 1871 census details:

In Aberdeen
Daniel 1847
William 1848
Helen 1850
Christine 1854
Alexandrina 1855
Robert 1858
David 1861
The pre-1855 ones are Roman Catholic baptisms

 1871....in Aberdeen, are Robert McKenzie, 42, iron moulder; wife Agnes, 36; daughter Alexandrina, 15 and son David, 9; all born Aberdeen. Mary Ann Devine or Mckenzie, aged 36, died in Aberdeen in 1863, mother's maiden surname Cameron. The 1861 census records that she was born in Peterhead.

 

Is Alexandrina your direct line?

Monica