Hi Malcolm, You have set out this information very well. Rather than clumsy text, this is a good example for other listers. I see that you have not only already resolved the matter of the coincidental couples, but much more. That simplifies my task in looking up the appropriate OPR records, although not as much fun :-) It is interesting that although you have established your James KELLY indeed married a second wife, she is not mentioned on his death registration. Was the informant one of his children, or perhaps someone who was unaware of his second marriage? If one of his children, maybe he/she didn't think much about his/her stepmother. As for wives being recorded in the cernsus under their maiden name, this is not unusual. It depended a lot on the attitude of the enumerator, and so the incidence of it is found in clusters in some enumeration districts. That being said, the enumerator was also limited in what he recorded by the information supplied by the head of household, or whoever else filled in or assisted with the filling in of the household schedule. In Scotland, married women continued to be known by their maiden names for many purposes, and in some records, this was the norm. Baptism records in the OPRs are such an instance. Regards, Bruce __________________ Hi Bruce, Firstly, apologies for giving the impression that you had loked at the Penninghame OPRs for me. I knew that you hadn't, a case of clumsy text!! Re Elizabeth McLellan (various spellings). The sequence of my find was: 1) An Elizabeth Kelly 44 b. Ireland appears on the 1861 census as James wife at Ivy Bank Cottages, Minnigaff along with his children William 24, Joseph 20, James 17 and Jane 12. James was a widower on the 1851 census. 2) Elizabeth Clellan married James Kelly 31 May 1851 Minnigaff (IGI). 3) James Kelly(ie) 61, 'widower' on 1871 census Creebridge, Minnigaff living with daughter Margaret Neilson and her family plus James Kelly 5, grandson b, Kirkmabreck (child of his son William/ Margaret Hyslop?) 4) Found death cert. 14 October 1868 Creebridge, Minnigaff for Elizabeth Kelly 52, married to James Kelly, parents William McLellan/MaryDunlop, both deceased. 5)James own death cert 8 March 1878 at Creebridge gives widower of Margaret Hannah, no mention of Elizabeth!! 6)Later found James and Elizabeth had their own daughter Mary chr.22 August 1854(IGI) and died 1859 Minnigaff (Scot. People) 7)Going back to the 1851 census I found Elizabeth McLelland 34 b. Ireland living alone with her mother Mary 58 b.Ireland a pauper living at Newton Stewart Cotton Mill. 8) McLelland family living in Newton Stewart on 1841 census. William53 ag. lab. b.Ireland Mary 50 b. Ireland Elizabeth 25 b. Ireland James22 ag. lab. b.WGT William 18 h.l.w. b.WGT Robert 15 h.l.w. b. WGT Alexander 9 b. WGT The only other McLelland in NS was Margaret 20 b.WGT servant High Street. 9)The Elizabeth McClellan 47 you mention in Kirkcowan in 1851 was born in P'hame and I have now found the other in 1851 b. Ireland with the right parents. The Kirkcowan one was married to James Kelly on 25 March 1839 in Kirkcowan(IGI) and appears as his wife there in 1841 and 1861, so being referred to by her maiden name in 1851 is strange- a typical census error!! In fact she was chr. 13 October 1803 Penninghame parents John McClellan/Elizabeth Simpson who were married 9Sept 1792 P'hame(all IGI). I think therefore that James age 9 Kirkcowan in 1851 is an entirely different person to my relative. Great pity, as like you, I enjoy a convoluted family tree. Many thanks for the idea. Regards, Malcolm