Twins or the same birth registered twice?

[Neale1961]

Yes, it does look as if the girl was registered twice.
Interesting to note that Mr Waterson, the registrar, didn't notice the double registration.

When was the mother's burial?

[mulberry-rose]

The death notice in the Morpeth herald is indexed under the name FERGUSON not WILSON

"FERGUSON - At Scotland Gate on the 23rd ult, aged 24 years, Elizabeth Wilson, daughter of Robt. and the late Mary Ferguson, of Guide Post."

No mention of her being the wife of Archibald, which seems strange. But he must have been around if he registered the birth on the second certificate.

Thank you for the obituary. That is quite strange. Elizabeth & Archibald were living together in the 1901 census as a boarder and servant in the Roper household at Bedlington.

I’m not sure what happened to Archibald afterwards. 1901 states he was born at Holywell. There is an Archibald Wilson born same year living at Bedlington in 1911 but that one was also born Bedlington  .

[mulberry-rose]

Yes, it does look as if the girl was registered twice.
Interesting to note that Mr Waterson, the registrar, didn't notice the double registration.

When was the mother's burial?

Can’t find a burial for the mother as of yet. But I would guess she was probably buried at Choppington.

[Andrew Tarr]

I’m not sure which year this began but I think that twin births also have the time of each birth on the birth certificate.

This one is 20th century.  Adding times to twin births was done long before that, almost since registration started.  My ggg-father had twins in 1839 which were timed, and it was occasionally done for single births too.  I don't know whether registrars were instructed to do so.  I suppose the purpose might be to settle primogeniture disputes ?

[mulberry-rose]

Remembered the existence of the 1939 Register 

Mary E F Wilson m. David Simpson 1929 Morpeth

2 Seaton Avenue, Bedlington
David Simpson b.25 Oct 1902
Mary E Simpson b.6 Jan 1902

[AntonyMMM]

It does appear to be a birth simply registered twice, which shouldn't ever happen ( except in specific statutory circumstances) but I have seen a couple of similar examples before.

Maybe the father wasn't aware of the first registration, or felt it was his job to do it.

[AlanBoyd]

A possible sighting of Archibald Wilson in 1907?

11 May 1907: Morpeth Herald

BEDLINGTON PETTY SESSIONS
...
ASSAULT BY A TRESPASSER.
Archibald Wilson, miner, Scotland Gate, was charged with having assaulted John Simpson, brick manutacturer, at Scotland Gate, on April 23rd.—Defendant did not appear.—Complainant stated that on the above date he found defendant going across his brickyard to his work at the colliery. He ordered him to go back as he had no right and was trespassing. Wilson threw down his bottle and put himself in a fighting attitude and struck witness two blows across the chest. Witness got the police, and had Wilson's name and address taken—In reply to the Chairman, witness said the blows he had received were severe. He was knocked down, but not severely injured.—Defendant was fined £1 and 15/- costs or 21 days.