Strachan / Ledingham Family Circle

[TimRose]

I have just started going back through the maternal side of my family and come across a bit of a knot in Aberdeenshire.

William Strachan (b.1853 Ellon) married Helen Loveday Ledingham (b.1867, Turriff) in 1897.
William was the son of;
George Strachan (b. 1814, Ellon) who married Helen Ledingham (b. 1827, Ellon) in 1847 (in Ellon or Turriff).
George was the son on;
William Strachan (b. prior to 1800) who married Helen Ledingham (b. +/- 1795) in 1813 (in Ellon).

It seems that Helen (b. 1827) was the aunt of Helen Lovejoy (b.1867) which means that William (b.1853) married his cousin.
I haven't been able to discover if the oldest Helen was related or not.

Did family relationships like this really exist or have I made a mistake?
All these Helens have started to hurt my head, it dosen't help that Strachan and ledingham are pretty common names in Aberdeenshire.

I'm glad I didn't marry a Ledingham, that might have been one generation too many!!

Has anyone else come across these Strachans / Ledinghams?

Tim

[trish1]

Back in those times I have found a number of cousin marriages (more in England than Scotland for my families). I sometimes think the women did not have the opportunity to meet many folks other than family members. I had one family where the children of cousins married other cousins - it was probably as well they emigrated and their children married unrelated folks!

Trish