I keep on learning that you can't take anything for granted in Genealogy. I learned it again not too long ago.
My mother had a favorite uncle, Hugh Boyd McLaren, her mother's brother. She talked about him often, but got out of touch with him when she went to Canada, especially during WWII, when absolutely nothing was heard of from any of her relatives in Scotland, because of the censors.
I found his birth Cert easily. Born Paisley, 1883, mother Agnes Boyd, father Henry McLaren, same as my grandmother.
I decided to look for his death on SP. I easily found a Hugh Boyd McLaren died 1945, in Paisley, age 62. Correct age. I was surprised that he had died in 1945, though, because Mom talked about him in the late 50's as though he was still alive. Deciding that she must have been mistaken, I paid the 5 credits. This had to be him.
When I looked at the Death Cert- There sure enough was the Father listed as Henry McLaren, Dyer- But the mother was listed as Elizabeth Boyd! What was this?
Looking a little further, he was listed as a widower of Lily Frame. I had never heard of her. Agnes Boyd did have a sister Elizabeth, but this was not the correct person.This Hugh Boyd McLaren was not my mother's uncle, even though almost everything else fit exactly, age, father's name, being a Vet of WWI, living in Paisley.
If the mother of the dead person had not been included, I would have assumed it was him.
Just goes to show that you can't jump to conclusions.
Regards
Sheila
