Mix up of names

[mrjmitchell]

Hello all. I'm having a little trouble with one line of my tree. My 3rd Great grandmother was Mary Ann. On her marriage certificate, her maiden name is recorded as Givens. Tonight, I found her death certificate and it states her surname was Govan and records her mother and father as Govan too. Her mother, Eliza Jane also has the maiden name Govan. I found Eliza Jane's death certificate and it records her father as Michael Govan and mother Eliza Jane Rodger. I will post the certificates I have found but struggling to find much else. If anyone could help me find any information on the parents of Mary Ann - Thomas & Eliza Jane and further back I'd be most grateful. Thanks

[mrjmitchell]

Death of Mary Ann

[mrjmitchell]

Death of Eliza Jane (Mary Ann's mother)

[mrjmitchell]

Family Tree so far

[Neale1961]

You need to find the people in question in the census, so you build up a more complete picture.
Also note the names of witnesses and informants.

You have posted small and incomplete snips of records that are difficult to read in this size. You have not posted dates or places, so it is difficult to assist you without this.

Also note that death certificates are not always accurate, depending on who the informant was. Don’t rely on them over the marriage certificate.

[Forfarian]

Don't waste time agonising about spelling. There was no such thing as 'correct' spelling of names until about the end of the 19th century.

According to the marriage certificate both Mary Ann and her bridegroom were unable to sign their names, so they could not have had any idea whether or not the Registrar's spelling would have matched the way they would have spelled them if they had been able to write.

Search for G*v*n* when wildcards are available in order to pick up all the possible variants.

[Lodger]

Don't waste time agonising about spelling. There was no such thing as 'correct' spelling of names until about the end of the 19th century.
Search for G*v*n* when wildcards are available in order to pick up all the possible variants.

Sound advice, as always, from Forfarian!

The burial records for Cambusnethan cemetery has the following entry, unfortunately, the interment was in Common Ground, so there is no other family member in the same grave, nor is there a headstone.

THOMAS McGURK, Wishaw, aged 23 months.
Parents - Alexander McGurk & Mary Ann Govan.
Interred in common ground on 27th January 1873.

The name Govan is not common in this cemetery, a few other entries are for children of Patrick Carroll & Helen Govan, also Patrick McKenna & mary Govan. There is also a David Govan residing at Binnie's Row, Newmains in 1915.

If you have a subscription to Ancestry UK you will have already found the poor relief applications from North Lanarkshire for Alexander McGurk. He is listed as being born in Barrhead, Neilson and his wife Mary Ann GAVIN as also born in Barrhead.
Their son Alexander has an excellent application in Bothwell parish which runs from 1899 until 1929. His parents are listed as being Alexander McGurk and Mary Ann GIVEN.

[PatLac]

One thing is not right with your family tree. If Eliza Jane Govan was born in 1827, she would have been only 12 when her daughter Mary Ann Govan was born in 1839.