This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: PhilipPlant Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.britisles.scotland.ans.general/5899.1.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Hello Irene, First sorry for the late reply, life gets in the way of research! Your generous reply has prompted us in to reviewing the data. We have lots of data on "William Wilkie" from his adolescence onwards, including his memoirs and a fulsome memorial inscription. He only adds Donaldson as his middle name later in life. He cites his father as "Peter Wilkie" and his mother as "Elizabeth Donaldson" on his MI. Our working theory is that he was illegitimate, but took his fathers name. His mother never married and died under her maiden name (we have her death record). We also have found the two census records with the "Andersons" just outside of Kirriemuir. We've always wondered if he was "farmed out" to live with the Andersons because his Mother was fully occupied as a Hand Loom Weaver (very tough with the Power Looms coming in). His father Peter could have been older and died before the first census'. But, even an illegitimate birth should be recorded in the OPR's and we can't find him! Cheers, Phil Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.