Deciphering again!!

[DavidWW]

A huge thankyou to you all.
I think I have managed to sort most of them out now.
William Wallace, christened 1808 Cramond, died 1871 in North Leith (thanks David) Not too sure whether his first wife was Ann or Elizabeth,

Shown as Elizabeth on the 1871 death register entry, but, just to confuse you, Eliz: on one line, with abeth on the next.

but 2nd was Ann Thomson. Found them on 1841, 1851, 1861 Census
Daughter Margaret (who the original post was about) had several illegitimate children. On the 1871 census with husband whom she had just married she had Ann 5yrs & Elizabeth 3yrs. William did a runner because in 1879 she had another illeg daughter Janet. It says Margaret Ross m.s Wallace wife of William Ross, General Labourer, who she declares is not the father of the child & further that she has had no personal communications with him. (next 2 lines too small to read)

That will be something along the lines of "for the last seven years", - 7 seems to have been a period that the registrars and maybe the lawyers at HQ felt comfortable with, - I've seen shorter, but not often.

David

[Muriel]

I have a feeling that 7 years was the statutory time before someone could be declared dead (I once worked with someone who's father had been lost at sea & her mother had to wait for 7 years before she could seek to settle his estate - poor woman, left with 2 young children & no income!). It seems that 7 years became an accepted length of time for other things as well.

Muriel