Barbara Brown

Barbra or Barbara Brown was born and lived all her life in Methil when it was a tiny fishing village.  Her father Robert was a sailor in the merchant service but that could simply mean a fisherman.  Her mother was Marjory Hutton, known as May, the same combination of proper and everyday names she gave to her daughter.  She married David Melville who was listed as a flaxdresser in Barbara's death notice, nearly 50 years after what I guess to be his death year. The marriage notice says nothing about either of them. Sadly he didn't make it to the first census, denying us detail from that, except that Barbara was a widow by the age of 41.  Flaxdressing involved an environment full of airborne fibres and this could cause problems with the lungs.  They were married in 1821 and their last child was born in 1829, suggesting that he died around 1830 otherwise they'd have had many more children by the pattern of the age. That would make David very early thirties when he died

Barbara herself lived into old age.  Interestingly, she reverted to her maiden name for one census before returning to her married name again.  This was not uncommon.