Okay, I have a crazy theory here. Anyone feel free to shoot it down...
My wife's family descends from Margaret Carruthers, who is shown in
Louisiana records as being the daughter of "William Carruthers of NC and
Margaret McChoirty or McCorsey." In the same place, at the same time,
there are the records of a William Carruthers who m. Isabelle Bickam,
and had several children who ended up in LA.
Now, I had always assumed that this was a case of two marriages -- that
William m. Margaret McWhatever and William m. Isabelle Bickam were the
same person. And suddenly I realized... I have _no_ proof of that.
Margaret, my wife's forebear, is not mentioned in the will of William
Carruthers who m. Isabelle Bickam, and nor is her husband nor her
children (as would be likely if she had predeceased him). Now, that
doesn't prove anything, but it is suggestive.
Another interesting fact is that William m. Margaret McWhatever (whom
for convenience I'll call William I) is said to be "of NC", while the
record of William m. Isabelle Bickam (William II) has been found -- in
New Jersey. Again, it's not impossible that a North Carolinan man would
marry in New Jersey and then go to Louisiana -- but again, it makes me
wonder.
Last, there is a couple in North Carolina whose names and times fit
perfectly to be William I -- William Carruthers who m. Margaret
McCroskey. Is it possible that one, and only one, of his children --
namely Margaret -- ended up in Louisiana, and the William who m.
Isabelle Bickam in NJ and fathered several sons and daughters is an
entirely different man, possibly an uncle or cousin, who traveled with
Margaret to LA and settled there?
Anyone who has information on the NC William Carruthers who married
Margaret McCroskey -- did they have a daughter named Margaret, and if
so, what is known of her?
Like a hound on the scent,
Gordon Bonnet
<bonnet(a)fltg.net>