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Topic: Mary Robb - Whose the parents? (Read 1920 times)
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GEN10
RootsChat Member
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Posts: 202
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My 3x ggrandmother Mary Robb poses me a right quandary!
I have a series of questions that I need help with:
Who are Mary's parents?
Who is the father to her first child William Smith?
Why can't I find any records of Mary's birth?
Why can't I find any records of her mother's marriage?
Mary married George Gordon Benzies on the 20th Feb 1862 in the parish of Strichen. On her marriage certificate it states that her parents were, Archibald Robb reputed father, dec? This I presume meant that Mary had no contact with him and didn't know if he was dead or alive. Her mother was Ann Wilson or Willon maiden name Jafferay. It gives her age as 35. This must make her born around 1826, and I can't find a marriage certificate for her either.
On her death certificate it gives her age as 79, this makes her born around 1832. Now I do know that you can't always take the given age for granted. It states that her parent's are Archibald Robb, but her mother is Mary Birnie. I do know that an Archibald Robb and Mary Birnie married in 1849.
When Mary married George Benzies she already had an illegitimate child William Willox Robb (2x g/grandfather) born 1859. On his marriage certificate to Ann Williamson it states that she had been married to Williams father, I know this to be not true, and his name was Robert Smith.
Having run round in circles and totally confused myself, can anyone help me PLEASE!
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FIFE NAMES:BELL, BEVERIDGE, MCNEILL, HENDERSON, HYND, MITCHEL, WEBSTER.
MIDLOTHIAN NAMES: BLAIR, CROMBIE, FAIRNIE, GREENLEES, LATTA, PEAT, SNEDDON/SNADDON.
ANGUS: BEAN, COWIE, GOWANS, MYLES, SKIRLING
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Grothenwell
RootsChat Senior
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Posts: 310
Love Endures Delay
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Hi,
It's all very intriguing, isn't it. There are two (or three) Archibald Robbs.
One married to Mary Birnie in 1849 in Lonmay, and another to Sophia Shirras in 1856 in Strichen. Even the earliest marriage Mary would only be 13. Was she the offspring of Archibald Robb and Elizabeth Sinclair in Old Deer 1839, even that is too late for both the possible birth dates of Mary. According to the IGI they only had Alexander in 1842.
There is a Mary Ann Yule Jafferay born in Strichen to Ann Jafferay in 1858, but that doesn't fit the dob!
I haven't helped but hopefully someone will come up with the answers or point you in the right direction.
Good hunting,
Grothenwell
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Aberdeenshire; Brechin, Robb, Clark, Hardie, Johnston, Watt, Elmslie, Milne, Harper, Adam, Edmond, Laing, Gibson, Aedie, Jameson, Tosche, Measonne, Anderson, Moir, Nicol, Burnet, Donaldson, Guthrie, Argo & Doverty.
Booth, Watson, Grothenwell, Ewen, Mackie, Simpson, Taylor, Davidson, Willox, Chalmers & Gordon
Still, Fraser, Robertson & Lumsden
Banffshire; Cruickshank, West
Caithness; Sutherland
Herefordshire & Worcester & Monmouthshire; Wagstaff, Jones &
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kenjo
RootsChat Aristocrat
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Posts: 1161
http://www.whalesrevenge.com:80/
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Hi GEN10,
At this stage I haven't had a chance to look for a baby Mary, I feel that she was known as Mary Robb, as we see in the 1841c below....... But she will probably be christened as Mary Jaffrey.
1841 Census
Strichen-Aberdeenshire
Address: New Leeds
Surname First name(s) Sex Age Occupation Where Born Remarks
JAFFREY Robert M 56 Labourer Aberdeenshire
JAFFREY Mary F 63 Aberdeenshire
ROBB Mary F 10 Aberdeenshire
Robert and Mary will most likely be the grandparents.
And this will be the death of Marys mother, I feel......
[i]1874 Ann Jaffrey,,,,,,,,other names....Willox and Fraser....
66yrs Strichen aberdeen 241/00 0009.[/i]
Tell us how you go with the certificate.
put in the search the hightened words.
regards
kenjo 
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GEN10
RootsChat Member
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Posts: 202
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Hya Kenjo and Grothenwell thanks for your help.
Kenjo, did what you said using the information that you gave me on Ann Jaffrey. I have the certificate and it gives me alot of answers. Ann's parents were:
Robert Jaffrey Police constable
Elizabeth Fraser Domestic servant.
Her husband is named as William Willox. Occupation: Mason
Ann died at New Leeds, Strichen.
Now!
Mary Robb was born according to Census material at New Leeds.
Mary named her Son William Willox Robb.
Mary's father was named Robert and this is the christian name of the said father of William.
I don't know if the Smith surname was as numerous as it is now, so I wonder if she used it knowing it couldn't be traced
Checked out the OPR's for Mary Robb. Checked under Robb, Jaffrey and then last Willox.
I found nothing that had the remotest match for Robb and Jaffrey but I did find:
Mary Willox 15/4/1833 born Lonmay, father William Willox. No mother is not given.
Ann Jaffrey married William Willox on the 3rd of Feb 1833. It's obvious from Mary's date of birth that Ann was pregnant when she got married. I'm wondering if William knew at the time that Mary was not his daughter and married Ann to give the child a legitimate name?
That's another question that I think will go unanswered.
Gen10
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FIFE NAMES:BELL, BEVERIDGE, MCNEILL, HENDERSON, HYND, MITCHEL, WEBSTER.
MIDLOTHIAN NAMES: BLAIR, CROMBIE, FAIRNIE, GREENLEES, LATTA, PEAT, SNEDDON/SNADDON.
ANGUS: BEAN, COWIE, GOWANS, MYLES, SKIRLING
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GEN10
RootsChat Member
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Posts: 202
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Hya Kenjo
Mary's father was named Robert and this is the christian name of the said father of William.
What I should have said is:
Mary's grandfatherfather is named Robert. Mary named the father of her illegitimate son as Robert Smith. I wondered if she just thought of the name or was there really a "Robert Smith?"
Gen10
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FIFE NAMES:BELL, BEVERIDGE, MCNEILL, HENDERSON, HYND, MITCHEL, WEBSTER.
MIDLOTHIAN NAMES: BLAIR, CROMBIE, FAIRNIE, GREENLEES, LATTA, PEAT, SNEDDON/SNADDON.
ANGUS: BEAN, COWIE, GOWANS, MYLES, SKIRLING
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GEN10
RootsChat Member
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Posts: 202
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Hya Kenjo
Mary's father was named Robert and this is the christian name of the said father of William.
What I should have said is:
Mary's grandfather's name is Robert and I wondered if she just pulled the name out of thin air so that her son had a father?
I wonder.....when Robert Jaffrey was a Policeman? and not a labourer.
and whether Elizabeth fraser is meant to be Mary fraser, or was Ann an illegitimate child of Robert and an Elizabeth frazer, and then he married a "Mary"
This is something I will have to do more research on. I do know that My William Willox Robb was not born until 1859, I have the birth certificate, so am I right in presuming that the William Willox on the 1841 Census was Mary's brother or half brother?
Thanks for the extract from the 1841 census. Will now go to SP to see if there are any more Willox's born to the same couple.
I still don't understand why on her death certificate it would say that her parents were Mary Birnie and Archibald Robb. None of her family signed for the certificate it was a neighbour who did that.
GEN10
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FIFE NAMES:BELL, BEVERIDGE, MCNEILL, HENDERSON, HYND, MITCHEL, WEBSTER.
MIDLOTHIAN NAMES: BLAIR, CROMBIE, FAIRNIE, GREENLEES, LATTA, PEAT, SNEDDON/SNADDON.
ANGUS: BEAN, COWIE, GOWANS, MYLES, SKIRLING
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kenjo
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http://www.whalesrevenge.com:80/
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Sorry darling......just ignore the posting here.....
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GEN10
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Posts: 202
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Sorry Kenjo
I still don't understand why on her death certificate it would say that her parents were Mary Birnie and Archibald Robb. None of her family signed for the certificate it was a neighbour who did that.
I am talking about Mary Robbs death certificate and not Ann's.
GEN10
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FIFE NAMES:BELL, BEVERIDGE, MCNEILL, HENDERSON, HYND, MITCHEL, WEBSTER.
MIDLOTHIAN NAMES: BLAIR, CROMBIE, FAIRNIE, GREENLEES, LATTA, PEAT, SNEDDON/SNADDON.
ANGUS: BEAN, COWIE, GOWANS, MYLES, SKIRLING
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kenjo
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Do you realise,,,
That I believe there are more errors, than correct. when it comes to deaths, that are informed by grandchildren and neighbours.
You think about it.........
the registrar says who was the deceased's parents. and granddaughter never knew them, grandma never said on her death bed.....when you go and register my death..... don't
forget who my parents were......because.....they died 60 yrs ago...
We won't know why the neighbour said what they said.
But in no way can you see it true?
see if you can ignore everything you know now, and workas if it were true ,,,,,,,,,the burnie part and see if it works.
if it is impossible go back to what is correct and ignore the birnie part..
what do you think.
or do I talk a load of jibberish twoddle.
kenjo
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GEN10
RootsChat Member
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Hya
I've taken a look at the birnie side of things and they don't pan out. It does bug me though! Maybe she found out later in life that Mary was her real mother, I doubt it. If Mary Robb can lie on her son/s marriage certificate then I think that she is very good at telling stories.
I have another theory! Maybe she found out that her father Archibald Robb married Mary Birnie. Maybe he was just a young boy when he got Ann pregnant, perhaps below the legal age of consent? It happens! To save any awkward questions Mary Robb just let people think they were her parents. Oh how I wish I had a time machine!
I wonder why ?
When Mary got married she put her age up 7 yrs?(is that right)?
How old was George Benzies
George Gordon Benzies was a pensioner a Chelsea one at that. He served in the 92 Foot Regiment for 20 years. He was pensioned out in 1841 aged 40. I think that Mary latched on to the thought of a regular income in the way of his pension, plus the fact that he was a crofter. She was very obliging to George, she bore him 4 daughters. LOL
He was 59 when he married Mary Robb.
Mind you I will have to scan you a copy of his death certificate. There is so much writing on it, it is barely legible. He died a bloody awful death and I mean that literally! I did wonder at one point if Mary had done him in. Poisoning, drowning, it's got the lot.
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FIFE NAMES:BELL, BEVERIDGE, MCNEILL, HENDERSON, HYND, MITCHEL, WEBSTER.
MIDLOTHIAN NAMES: BLAIR, CROMBIE, FAIRNIE, GREENLEES, LATTA, PEAT, SNEDDON/SNADDON.
ANGUS: BEAN, COWIE, GOWANS, MYLES, SKIRLING
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kenjo
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http://www.whalesrevenge.com:80/
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Oh! I can hardly wait!!!!
Post the cert on here. so the girls (they know who they are)can have a gander as well.
How exciting.
I really don't mean to be rude. maybe i need to be struck by lightning.
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GEN10
RootsChat Member
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Posts: 202
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how do I do that? Talk me through it
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FIFE NAMES:BELL, BEVERIDGE, MCNEILL, HENDERSON, HYND, MITCHEL, WEBSTER.
MIDLOTHIAN NAMES: BLAIR, CROMBIE, FAIRNIE, GREENLEES, LATTA, PEAT, SNEDDON/SNADDON.
ANGUS: BEAN, COWIE, GOWANS, MYLES, SKIRLING
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kenjo
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OK.
scan your cert. then use a program like urfranview?
and save just what is required. save to your desk top. and be sure you know the name. save as JPG. (one thing I forgot to mention, make it smaller than 300kg)
come to this posting and reply ..... under the window you type in, click on the additional options in red....
it will open up and where it says attach
there is an empty space and next to that is a grey box with Browse click on the browse button.
and search for the saved cert on your desktop.
click on it, and then , open. and the name will appear, in the attach box. and then Post.
and then your away.
Be very patient............ and then it will appear slowly....
if an error occurs, the file may be too big.
tell if so , and I will tell you haow to check if it is too big..
I will be away all day now. so hopefully when I come back, it will be there.
Good luck.
kenjo 
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dkmcad
RootsChat Member
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When Mary married George Benzies she already had an illegitimate child William Willox Robb (2x g/grandfather) born 1859. On his marriage certificate to Ann Williamson it states that she had been married to Williams father, I know this to be not true, and his name was Robert Smith.
I would doubt if Mary actually stated herself, on William's marriage certificate, that she had been married to Robert Smith. It's more likely to have been a mistake on the part of the registrar, an assumption? Registrars copied marriage certificates, they were not filled in by parties involved. Hope I have got that right here!!!
Going back to the 1841 census for Strichen - Jaffrey family. Could this be their marriage:
Robert Jaffrey and Mary George
13th August, 1812
Strichen.
Not going to help, but wondered if you had seen this.
I would go with Kenjo's explanations for Mary and Ann's death certificates. By the time it came to death, informants probably didn't know who parents were. Having said that, it could have been the Alexander Robb who married Mary Birnie, who was your Mary's father.
One thing, if you got those records from ScotlandsPeople, there will be two marriages and three deaths (usually) on the page. Check every surname to see if any mistakes have been made. Seen it happen 
Not much help, sorry. Dorothy
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