Hello listers Whilst browsing hopefully through old viewed images from Scotlandspeople I came across something I hadn't noticed before on a marriage certificate. John STEWART, age 27 (father John STUART and mother Jane THOMSON) was married on 23 April 1859 to Elizabeth MILNE, 26, at Milestone Cottage, Speymouth, Elgin. What I hadn't noticed before was that John was stated as a widower. Now I know that Elizabeth MILNE died in 1872 and John married Robina MCLEOD in 1874. I am descended from Robina and John. I would be interested in knowing the name of John's first wife, before Elizabeth. How would I find this information? I have not found a death certificate for John yet where his wives would likely be listed. I would appreciate any help given. Sheila.

> What I hadn't noticed before was that John was stated as a > widower. Now I > know that Elizabeth MILNE died in 1872 and John married > Robina MCLEOD in 1874. > I would be interested in knowing the > name of John's first wife, before > Elizabeth. I see from the IGI that John was born in Boharm on 2 June 1831, and that John Stewart, aged 19, was an unmarried apprentice blacksmith in the 1851 census in Rhynie and Essie. So he must have been married after 1851 and before 1859. You could go to the IGI and search for marriages of a John Stewart between these dates, and make a note of every potential couple. Then use the 'father' and 'mother' boxes in the IGI to get a list of all the children born to any of these couples, and cross off any who had a child born after the date of your John's marriage to Elizabeth Stewart. Then use SP to look for deaths of the remaining wives. I had a go at doing this, and found the following: An Isabella Sandison married a John Stewart in Rhynie and Essie on 21 April 1854. This couple had one daughter, Helen Stewart, born 15 January 1856 in Mortlach. Isabella Sandison, married, aged 26, daughter of George Sandison and Helen Sandison MS Kemp, died at Newley, Mortlach on 8 February 1856, and her death was registered by John Stewart, husband. Q E D. Except that, unusually, Isabella's death was registered *only* under her maiden name, and not cross-referenced by her married name. Anne