Who Is the Mother of Agnes Jane Welsh and Allan Welsh? After examining the evidence with Alastair Downey (who researches the Welsh family) and Frederick Hunter (who researches the Hunter and Linnen families), this is what we find: 1. The father is undisputed. Richard Welsh is consistently shown as their father. 2. Richard's wife Margaret Samson is almost certainly not their mother. If she was still in Scotland in the 1851 census, it appears that Richard abandonned her and their son James Samson Welsh. In the 1851 census she is listed by her maiden name and unmarried, despite the fact that her marriage to Richard is documented in the Old Scottish Parish Records as 4 Mar 1834, Auchinleck, Ayr, Scotland. The 1841 census of Scotland is missing the returns for Auchinleck, so there is probably no way of verifying whether Margaret was there at that time, but it seems certain. 3. Richard emigrated to Canada by 1841, as his daughter Agnes "Jane" Welsh was born in Ontario on 26 May 1842. (The 1852 census asks for the age on the NEXT birthday.) 4. We find Richard and his children Jane and Allan living with Margaret Hunter Linnen and four of her children in Edwardsburgh, Grenville, [Ontario] the 1852 census. This Margaret was the widow of Adam Linnen, who died defending Canada in 1838 in the Patriot War. (It is often called the Rebellion of 1837, but sputtered on for a few more years.) 5. We have considered the possibility that Richard may have had these children by a previous liaison, but have found no evidence to support this. 6. Richard could not have legally married Margaret Hunter Linnen until after his legal wife Margaret Samson Welsh died on 7 Feb 1862. 7. We have concluded (for now at least) that Jane and Allan are the illegitimate children of Richard Welsh and Margaret Hunter Linnen. Margaret's circumstances as a widow with young children may have been desperate, and a common-law relationship was consistent with Richard's character. Richard and Margaret are still together in the 1861 census, 1871 census, and 1881 census (where he is shown as 71 years old and she is shown as 80 years old). Margaret's death is registered using the name Margaret Linnen. Death date : 26 Mar 1886 Age at death : 85 years