George Duffus, "gardener" of Hope Park, Edinburgh

[AncesStory]

My 5 x Great Grandfather is George Duffus of St Cuthbert's Parish, Edinburgh, who had houses constructed at Gifford Park, Edinburgh, in the 1770's. He was employed by City of Edinburgh as the Keeper of the Meadows (Hope Park) and he had (at least, as far as I am aware) four children with an UNKNOWN SPOUSE]:
Thomas Duffus, goldsmith, indentured to Alexr. Dempster, 1767.
Robert Duffus, wright, Head of the Meadows/Pleasance
George Duffus, writer's assistant,Goosedub, Edinburgh.
Kathleen Duffus, married David Buchanan, flesher, 1781.

He later married a Marion Hall in 1787 and had two more children:
Alexander Duffus
Janet Duffus
Here's the mystery: I have been unable to find any birth record for a George Duffus in the OPRs that correspond with the approx birth dates of his four children to his first spouse. We have tried the Midlothian OPRs and also tried the Moray and Aberdeenshire OPRs, also the English records,  but have not found it. You would think I could find a family with children born to a George Duffus 1750-60s with names Robert, Thomas, George, Katherine//Catherine Duffus but all the likely candidates are part of other documented families! Also, there is no marriage record for his first spouse. Our earliest records of George Duffus are Edinburgh Town Council records of his appointment as Keeper of the Meadows in 1764.

Would anyone have any suggestions on how we can trace George's parents or first spouse? There is another family of Duffus, living at Leith, but they seem to be a separate family.

Thanks for reading and hope you can help!

[Templar75]

Hi  AncesStory,
                         I had some credits left so I used them on Scotlandspeople and found this, if you have seen thee before then I am sorry.

Cheers.

Archie

05/11/1730   DUFFUS   GEORGE   ISOBEL STEVEN/   M   TURRIFF   /ABERDEEN   247/00 0010 0271      
2   02/06/1734   DUFFUS   GEORGE   JANNET SLICER/   M   TURRIFF   /ABERDEEN   247/00 0010 0276      
3   04/07/1734   DUFFUS   GEORGE   JANET SLESSOR/   M   ABERDOUR (ABERDEEN)   /ABERDEEN   169/00 0010 0313      
4   19/12/1734   DUFFUS   GEORGE   ISABEL LOW/   M   KEITH   /BANFF   159/00 0040 0072      
5   04/05/1736   DUFFUS   GEORGE   ISOBELL BREMNER/   M   CULLEN   /BANFF   150/00 0030 0408      
6   17/06/1736   DUFFUS   GEORGE   ISABEL BREMNER/FR543 (FR543)   M   RATHVEN   /BANFF   164/00 0020 0035      
7   03/08/1765   DUFFUS   GEORGE   CATHARINE MITCHEL/   M   INVERKEITHNY   /BANFF   158/00 0010 0298      
8   03/05/1772   DUFFUS   GEORGE   JANET BRUCE/   M   ALVAH (BANFF)   /BANFF   146/00 0010 0385      
9   06/09/1772   DUFFUS   GEORGE   MARJORY DUSTAN/   M   BELLIE   /MORAY   126/00 0010 0266      
10   18/01/1777   DUFFUS   GEORGE   ISABEL TELFORT/   M   ARBROATH   /ANGUS   272/00 0050 0062      
11   27/12/1787   DUFFUS   GEORGE   MARION HALL/FR4975 (FR4975)   M   ST CUTHBERT'S   EDINBURGH CITY CITY/MIDLOTHIAN   685/02 0170 0232      
12   18/12/1788   DUFFUS   GEORGE   ELIZABETH CLAPPERTON/FR5002 (FR5002)   M   ST CUTHBERT'S   EDINBURGH CITY CITY/MIDLOTHIAN

[AncesStory]

Thank you Archie! Your # 11   -  27/12/1787   DUFFUS   GEORGE   MARION HALL/FR4975 (FR4975)   M   ST CUTHBERT'S   EDINBURGH CITY CITY/MIDLOTHIAN   685/02 0170 0232    - is my ancestor George, and his second wife, Marion Hall.  They had a daughter, Janet, and son, Alexander.

I have researched all the other marriages as possibilities for my ancestor George, but all of them are of another George Duffus.

Your # 12 -   18/12/1788   DUFFUS   GEORGE   ELIZABETH CLAPPERTON/FR5002 (FR5002)   M   ST CUTHBERT'S   EDINBURGH CITY CITY/MIDLOTHIAN - is George's son, also named George, who married the daughter of a Clapperton from Goose Dub, Edinburgh, Writer to the Signet.

Appreciate your effort.

Still searching and hoping we catch a break one day!

[Templar75]

Hi AncesStory,

          I found this ( Attached ) in the Edinburgh Advertiser dated 14 April 1775.

Cheers.

Archie.

[AncesStory]

Yes Archie, I have already seen this article - there is a fair bit of information about George Duffus from the 1760s.The Duffus.com website is outstanding, and has information about George's son, Robert Duffus and spouse Barbara Murray, and his son Thomas Duffus (goldsmith) and spouse Margaret Coulter. It also has information about Thomas Duffus' son, John, a silversmith and exciseman.   I have been researching my ancestor George Duffus for years, but have yet to discover anything about  his birth, where and when  his first marriage took place, anything about his first spouse, or indeed  the births of his four children with this (first), as yet unknown, spouse. Thank you for trying. Much apreciated!

[AncesStory]

My 5 x Great Grandfather is George Duffus of St Cuthbert's Parish, Edinburgh, who had houses constructed at Gifford Park, Edinburgh, in the 1770's. He was employed by City of Edinburgh as the Keeper of the Meadows (Hope Park) and he had (at least, as far as I am aware) four children with an UNKNOWN SPOUSE]:
Thomas Duffus, goldsmith, indentured to Alexr. Dempster, 1767.
Robert Duffus, wright, Head of the Meadows/Pleasance
George Duffus, writer's assistant,Goosedub, Edinburgh.
Kathleen Duffus, married David Buchanan, flesher, 1781.

Since posting this I am not much farther forward in my research unto George Duffus other than one possible clue. His one daughter with his 1st spouse (as yet not known) was Katherine/Catherine Duffus, who later married flesher David Buchanan.

I thought I'd struck gold when I found this burial record at Greyfriars from 27th Nov 1783 on SP for a "Kathren Donat sp of George Duffes......aged 66yrs ": 27/11/1783 DUFFES KATHREN DONET / GEORGE DUFFES F EDINBURGH EDINBURGH CITY CITY/MIDLOTHIAN 685/01 0970 0317. 
"Kathren Donat" according to this record, would have been born about 1717. Many other Duffus/Duffes family members were buried in close proximity to Naysmith's tomb in Greyfriars, from 1770's.

Yet, I STILL cannot find a marriage for George Duffus/Duffes and Kathren Donet on SP - have tried variations of names, and also tried searching English records. Also, there seem to be no birth records for Thomas, Katherine, George and Robert Duffus/Duffes with George Duffus/Duffes and Kathren Donat in Scotland or England.

George Duffus was a gardener at Hope Park (The Meadows) (appointed by Edinburgh Town Council as Keeper of Hope Park from 1752- )

Hoping to get some suggestions on where to go from here? Any help appreciated.

AncesStory