In a message dated 10/07/2004 08:55:09 GMT Daylight Time, Eleanor_Strain@hotmail.com writes: My gt. grandfather William Dickie (1861-1923), was born to Catherine Crawford of Kilmory, Arran (1840-1919) on 1 August 1861 at her uncle John's house in Ardrossan. In all documention, William's father is named as Thomas Dickie, but I can find no trace of Thomas. Certainly, it looks as if Catherine didn't marry Thomas Dickie. William's birth certificate should make it clear whether or not his parents were married..ie if Catherine is not described as 'catherine dickie MS crawford' and there is no date and place of marriage. Sometimes it goes as far as saying 'illegitimate' and if you had access to the original volumes of indexes (filmed by LDS) illegitimates frequently had 'B' beside them in the index. (yes, that's what it stands for..our ancestors knew how to call a spade a shovel) In theory if they weren't married then Thomas Dickie had to turn up with Catherine at the registrars to allow his name to be used. The other possibility is to go through to edinburgh to the NAS and look for William's baptism entry. The churches continued to keep their parish records and the volumes are in NAS. If Catherine had him baptised on Arran or in Ardrossan then you may find a 'place' or 'occupation' for Thomas Dickie..or even find Kirk Session records mentioning William's illegitimacy. I suspect Arran would be like Cumbrae ..there are no illigitimate children with unknown fathers in Cumbrae OPRs...................village life <LOL> there's a 14 year old Thomas Dickie in Ardrossan in 1851 ....... 1851/576/524/2/9/6 with parents and other siblings...he might be a possibility. It depends on how long Catherine had been in Ardrossan with her uncle ..was she there in the census in April 1861? Irene