Gowans

[Neale1961]

? Three Gowans children with birth mother Campbell - born St Mary, Angus
Margaret Gowans 1892
John James Gowans 1893
Archibald Brown Gowans 1898

[Neale1961]

1901 census Liff and Benvie, Angus
In the house of Catherine Campbell, 57, retired jute spinner
Margaret Gowans, 34, daughter, jute spinner, born Dundee
Maggie Gowans, 8, grand-daughter, born Dundee
John Gowans, 7, grand-son, born Dundee
Archibald Gowans, 2, grand-son, born Dundee
(No sign of the husband / father John Gowans)

[mckha489]

? Three Gowans children with birth mother Campbell - born St Mary, Angus
Margaret Gowans 1892
John James Gowans 1893
Archibald Brown Gowans 1898

just confirming I had decided on those three names too

[Neale1961]

The daughter Margaret Gowans married in 1915 to William Milne
The marriage certificate names her father as John Nichols Gowan, lorry driver; and mother Margaret Campbell.

Her birth cert, detail as posted ...
John's occupation is a match for the 1891 census for John Nicoll Gowan

[Neale1961]

Looking for a marriage of John Nicoll Gowans and Helen nee Bisset.

I think it is now apparent that no marriage ever took place between Helen and John.
John Nicoll Gowans was already married to Margaret Campbell, and had 3 children with her, before starting another family with Helen Bisset.
The 1891 marriage certificate for John to Margaret Campbell will give his parents’ names, and therefore confirm it is the correct John Gowan.

[patjohn]

Thank you all. I will investigate further following these replies. I may be back!!!

[Forfarian]

There's a death of Margaret Campbell, other surname Gowans, in Lochee in 1940 aged 74.

You need to look at that death and at the 1891 marriage to see if they match and if so whether or not they were divorced. If not, then maybe John and Helen were never actually formally married, because that would have meant John committing bigamy.

Bigamy was a criminal offence, but inventing a non-existent marriage on a child's birth certificate was not.

[patjohn]

Talk about being confused. Despite the marriage date of Margaret Campbell and John Gowans being on one of their children's birth certificate,  there is no marriage  for them on Scotland's People AND his death certificate show him as having been married to Margaret Campbell.

[Forfarian]

They wouldn't have been the first or only couple to have massaged the truth