> I have begun researching these Lobbans via the IGI, and have > traced them > okay, that is, recognised the family concerned, but do not > have info as to > when George Lobban died and if he is the same one who married > Elspet > Skene. Also, there are two entries in the IGI for the parents' > marriage, > one of which is under the old spelling 'Loban' showing > different dates. I > suppose you can pass on this info while I do further research. I wouldn't read anything into the two entries in the IGI. It looks as if the parish clerk in Rothiemay has just forgotten that he has already recorded tha proclamation of banns, and has written it down again. A look at the original records will clarify that. On the subject of listings in IGI, which is an absolutely wonderful finding aid, it may help to know that when a couple intending to marry lived in different parishes, their banns had to be proclaimed in both. The parish registers principally record the proclamation of banns, though many do also note the actual date of the marriage. So it isn't uncommon to find what one might otherwise think are two couple with the same names being married in two different parishes a few days apart. In fact is the the same couple's marriage being recorded in both their parishes of residence. Information in the IGI comes by two main routes. Some entries (and they are not primary 'records' despite what the titles say) are 'extracted' from parish registers. These are normally reliable, apart from the occasional transcription error, but they don't always give all the information in the original register, and not all parish registers have been completely 'extracted'. Other entries are 'submitted', and these can range from information which is effectively as good as 'extracted' to information which is pure fantasy. (I once found the supposed birth dates of all the Norse gods on the IGI though I think they may have been removed as I cannot now find them again.) So please bear in mind that once you have found information in the IGI you should always plan to look at the original document from which the IGI information was taken, and regard any 'submitted' entries with scepticism until you have seen the original. HTH Anne