More Witness Questions

John Carroll and Mary Jane Shields had 13 children. I've been able to find a birth record for all but Nancy Ella Carroll. The other 12 were born in Scotland. John may or may not have made it to the US, but Mary Jane and several of her children lived in Illinois and then Charleroi, Washington, Pennsylvania.

Paying attention to the witness for each birth (images from the scotlandspeople.gov.uk site):
1. Patrick Henry Carroll "Carral" b. 8-31-1862 Bathgate, Linlishgow, Scotland
2. John C. Carroll "Carrel" b. 12-24-1863 Dalry, Ayr, Scotland

3. Thomas Carroll "Carral" b. 11-16-1865 Auchinleck, Ayr, Scotland
4. Francis S. Carroll "Carrol" b. 6-19-1867 Auchinleck, Ayr, Scotland
Where was John? Working? Traveling?

5. Ann Carroll b. 6-23-1869 Auchinleck, Ayr, Scotland
Looks like John learned to write his name! Also this seems to have settled the spelling of the name to "Carroll."

6. George Carroll b. 1-8-1871 Auchinleck, Ayr, Scotland
George died 10 minutes later. John was also the witness on the death certificate:
7. James Carroll "Carrol" b. 1-12-1872 Auchinleck, Ayr, Scotland
John's missing again. With John gone, looks like Mary Jane did not know to tell the registrar how to spell the Carroll name.

8. Michael Aldin Carroll b. 10-29-1873 Auchinleck, Ayr, Scotland
John seems to have given up on writing his name. Why would he stop? I've checked the marriage date and residences, and I'm confident that these aren't two families, so it's the same John.

9. Susan Carroll b. 6-14-1875 Auchinleck, Ayr, Scotland
10. Mary "May" Carroll "Carrol" b. 6-7-1877 Auchinleck, Ayr, Scotland
Why did the spelling change back? John apparently isn't reading or writing his name anymore. Could he have had problems with his eyesight?

11. Rosina G. Carroll b. 9-21-1879 Auchinleck, Ayr, Scotland
Patrick is 17 at this point and seems to be standing in as man of the family. Had John died or was he simply absent?

12. Andrew Carroll b. 9-21-1879 d. 4-17-1880 Auchinleck, Ayr, Scotland


13. Nancy Ella Carroll
I haven't found a birth record for Nancy Ella. In fact, the only record I have for her is an obituary. The obit mentions her daughter, who also is in Mary Jane Shields Carroll's household in 1910.