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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Orkney => Topic started by: Chiad Fhear on Friday 10 April 09 12:18 BST (UK)
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Hi there Orcadians
Can I have a bit of assistance please?
I recently discovered that a maternal 2nd Great Graund Aunt - Christina/Christian PEARSON - married Robert Armit, a Farmer (son of John Armit, Minister of Westray and his spouse Jean Oliphant) on 30 October 1844 in Westray & Papa Westray, Orkney by the Reverend James Brotchie. The witnesses were James Stewart, an Engineer, and Miss Catherine Armit (perhaps Robert's sister).
Christina/Christian was from Fife - daughter of David Pearson and his spouse Christian Wyllie - Willie on their daughter's Death Register.
Christina died on 11 March 1889 at Palace Road, Kirkwall and Robert on 28 June 1892 at the same address.
I have copies of the records of their marriage and respective deaths from General Register House, Edinburgh.
They appear to have had at least one daughter since the informant of Robert's death on the Death Register was his Son-in-Law - (possibly) COWPER, Glaitness of Kirkwall.
Can anyone shed any more light on this branch of my tree for me please?
Regards
Chiad Fhear
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1851
Parish Number 33
Westray and Papa Westray
Island of Westray
Orkney
address Tuquoy
Robert Armit age 40 Westray farmer of about 150 acres employing 12 lab
Christina wife age 36 Kellauqur Fife
John Armit son age 5 Westray
Christina Armit dau age 3
David Armit son age 2 Westray
Alexander son Armit age 7 months Westray
Christina Pearson age 70 visitor born Kennek Fife farm managers widow
Christina Mackay age 22 servant
Margaret Mackay age 20 servant
Betty Leslie age 18 servant
Thomas Rendell age 21 servant
John Tullock age 18 servant
James Angel servant age 17
Robert peterson servant age 16
Pam
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1861
registration No 21
Kirkwall and St Ola
Orkney
Farm House of Wogland?
Robert Armit age 50 Westray farmer of 160 acres employing 7 lab
Christina wife age 46 Kilunguhas Fifeshire
Christina W R Armit dau age 13 Westray
David Armit son age 12 Westray
Alexander A son age 10 Westray
Jeand D Armit dau age 9 schonil? Fifeshire
Fotheringham Armit dau age 7 Kirkwall Orkney
Mary G Armit age 1 dau born St Ola Orkney
Catherine Irvine servant
Janet heath servant
Pam
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Hi Pam
You're posting faster than I can send my thanks!
Appreciate the help.
Can any Orcadians decipher the name 'Wogland' ... seems a wee bit politically incorrect ;)
The Fife addresses look weird but they are Kilconquhar - pronounced locally Kin-u-char ('ch' as in Loch)
Regards
Chiad Fhear
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1871 Registration No 21
Kirkwall and St Ola Orkney
Rose Bank House
Robert Armit age 60 Kelp Agent Westray orkney
Christina wife age 56 Kilconqhhar Fife
Fetheringham Armit age 17 dau Kirkwall and St Ola Teacher Private
Mary G dau age 11 Kirkwall and St Ola
Mary Mackay servant age 41
Pam
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I have no seen the original census pages so the transcriber could have put their own definition of the address.
Love the name Fetheringham.
1881
Registration No 21
Kirkwall and St Ola Orkney
High Street
Robert Armit age 70 born Westray Orkney Retired Farmer
Christina Gibson age 66 wife Kilconquhar Fife
Christina W R Robertson age 33 daughter Master Mariners wife
Mary G Armit age 21 sewing Mistress born St Ola
1891 Registration No 21
Kirkwall and St Ola
Palace Road Coburgn Ho
Robert Armit age 80 Westray retired Farmer
Mary Lucie servant
Pam
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1841
Parish No 33
Westray
Orkney and Shetland
address Touckway
Robt Armil age 30 born orkney and Shetland
Christina Pearson age 25 Female Servant born Scotland
Mary Logie age 25 orkney Female servant
Margaret reid age 20 Female servant orknie
Balfour Rendel age 15 Male servant born orkney
James Rendel age 15 Male Servant Orkney
Pam
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Cheers Pam
The email notification of your last two responses never arrived in my Inbox and it was during a final check on the site before retiring that I found them!
So ... Robert married his servant lassie ... and there's a married name for their daughter Christina in 1881 as well? That pretty well completes their story I think and, once again, I'm most grateful for the assistance of Rootschat ... and all of it in the space of four minutes short of two hours :o
I was amazed to see in your first response that Christina's mother - Christina Pearson m.s. Wyllie, aged 70 - had travelled all the way from Fife to the Orkney Isles in 1851! Alas she died back home in Fife the following year :'(
A great record this one. I'm now wondering if Christina had travelled to Kirkwall with the fisher lassies who followed the shoals of herring around the coast and landed herself a young farmer.
Robert was the son of the Minister of Westray - from the death register - so it's possible she was with 'The Mission' catering for the spiritual well-being of the young lassies. Given his connection to 'The Kirk', I'll do a search on SP for OPRs for the children. Hopefully they'll all have been recorded!!
Wasn't the daughter's name 'Fotheringham' an unusual one though? I've never come across a Christian name like that before.
Best regards
Chiad Fhear
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Hi all
Just thought I'd let you know that the reference to:
'Farm House of Wogland?' ... reads ... 'Farm House of Weyland'
and
'Palace Road Coburgn Ho' ... reads ... 'Palace Road, Colwyn House'
Thanks to a Member of the Orkney Family History Society for the answers!
A little perseverance gets me there ... eventually ;)
Thanks to all for the assistance.
Regards
Chiad Fhear
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Hi All
I thought I'd got more than I could have hoped for finding out about Robert and Christina and their family but I started digging ... just out of curiosity you understand ;) ... and found a link right here, almost literally, on my doorstep for them.
Robert's father, John Watson Armit hailed from Polduff near St Andrews in Fife (where I am) and was the Church of Scotland minister of Westray, Orkney for 37 years but is actually buried here in the Cathdral burial ground. His father Robert and Grandfather John owned the Polduff Estate for many years.
The Revd John is mentioned in the Fasti Ecclesiæ Scoticanæ, New Edition, Volume VII by Hew Scott D.D. in the
Synods of Ross, Sutherland and Caithness, Glenelg, Orkney and Shetland, The Church in England, Ireland and Overseas.
Westray, or The Lady Kirk of Westray, and The Cross Kirk of Westray.
Westray [Presb. of North Isles]
1805 John Armit of Polduff, Fife b.1767 son of – A of Polduff, educated at Grammar School and University of St Andrews; licen. by that Presb. 31st August, 1796; ord. (assistant) to preceding min. 19th Nov 1804; adm. min. of this parish 19th July 1805; died at Polduff 12th Oct. 1841. He marr. 5th Aug 1806, Jean (died 25th May 1838), daugh. of Spence Oliphant, min of Largo, and had issue – Robert, farmer, Weyland, Kirkwall born 12th June 1810, died at Kirkwall; a daugh. (marr. John Bruce, Kirkwall), died about 1870; Fotheringham, born 5th May 1808; Catherine Spence, born 13th July 1818; John Oliphant, born 17th April 1821; Christian Rankin, born 2nd July 1823. Publication – Account of the Parish (New Stat. Acc., XV)
St Andrews University Register 1747-1897 by Robert N Smart
Armit, John: Student United College 1782/83 [ ] 1783/84 Log.; Lat. Prov. 1784/85 Lat. Prov.; Gk. Prov.; Ethics 1786/87 N.Phil. (Ternar)
Student St Mary’s College 1787/88 1790/91
Alexander Yeaman bursar 1787.
Born 1767 son of John Armit, tenant Blebo ? baptised 1.1.1769 son of John Armit, Ceres and Jean Pride.
Licensed by St Andrews presbytery 1796. Minister at Westray 1805-12.10.1841 (died at Polduff)
(SM400/3/30; FES; MI St Andrews Cathedral b.g.)
Moumental Inscriptions (pre 1855) in East Fife by John Fowler Mitchell C.I.E. and Sheila Mitchell – produced for the Scottish Genealogy Society, 1771
St Andrews Cathedral
556 (TS) John Armit late tenant Blebo 15.12.1745 59, chn Euphemia, Elisabeth & John bd. here, Robt. A. esq of Winchester, Polduff 26.3.1819 85; late Robt. A. esq of Polduff, da Agnes 10.6.1865 86; rev. John A. for 37y minister Westray, Orkney 12.10.1841 74, da Christina Rankin A 28.10.1874 51; David A. esq of Polduff w, Barbara Berry 3.6.1871 83 (Fasti vii 278)
His wife's father was also a minister and he too is mentioned in the Fasti Ecclesiæ Scoticanæ for theSynods of Fife and of Angus and Mearns.
Largo.
1777 Spence Oliphant, born 30th Dec., 1753, son of Michael O., Bogward; educated at Univ. of St Andrews; licensed by Presbytery of St Andrews 11th Dec., 1776; pres. by James Durham of Largo 16th Jan., and ord. 6th Aug. 1777; died 8th March 1822. He marr. 14th Sept., 1778, Fotheringham (died 21st May 1822), daugh. of James Duddingston of St Fort, and had issue – Margaret, born 7th Aug., 1779; James, lieut. R.N., born 7th Aug., 1782, died 2nd June 1810; Jean, born 16th Nov. 1783 (marr. 5th Aug., 1806, John Armit, min. of Westray); William Durham, born 29th March 1786; Elizabeth, born 15th Oct., 1788 (marr. 10th Sept., 1817, Robert Pringle, collector of Customs, Orkney; Anne, born 21st Dec., 1790; Christian, born 8th Feb., 1796; Christian, birn 17th Jan., 1797; Stephen, born 13th, and died 27th June 1800. Publication – Account of the Parish (Sinclair’s Stat. Acc., iv.). – [Tombst.; Woods East Neuk, 177.]
St Andrews University Register 1747-1897 by Robert N Smart
Oliphant, Spence: Student United College 1770/71 – 1772/73 b,s,t. (Ternar).
Poor student of merit – part bursary, 1771. Seat at bursar table, 1772.
Student St Mary’s College 1774/75 – 1775/76.
Born 30.12.1753 son of Michael Oliphant, Bogward and Jean Duncan. Licensed by St Andrews presbytery 1776. Minister of Largo 1777 – 8.3.1882 (died).
(UC 400:26.11.1771, 8.2.1772, 4.11.1772; FES)
I've even managed to get copies of the Matriculation Registers for both John and Spence from the University of St Andrews so, you see, there's lots of information out there if you just care to look for it!
Regards
Chiad Fhear
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Dear Chiad,
I came across your posts in the course of browsing and noticed your interest in the family of Robert Armit the husband of your great great grandaunt. I am related to Robert as his grandfather Spence Oliphant was my 6 x great granduncle. I would be glad to hear from you. I also noticed that you got the matriculation records for Spence Oliphant and his son in law John Watson Armit and wondered if you could either tell me how you got them or whether I could have a copy? I look forward to hearing from you one way or another.
Best Wishes
Simon
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Hi Simon
This is a post that has grown arms and legs since I started it :) I've sent you a PM so we can explore our connection further.
Regards
Chiad Fhear
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hi i am a direct descendant of robert and christina armit, kirkwall my great grand father was john oliphant armit who's grandfather was the reverand john armit of kirkwall in orkney. when my great grandad came to canda he came with three other brothers, david who settled in winnipeg area, alexander and one other brother. we know one of the brothers went on to australia and the other i am not quite sure. we also are directly related to the armits in saskatchewan. my dad visited some relatives there in or around the 1970s and he met one who was a watchmaker and made a watch which he called "armitron". i would be interested in any information concerning these armits and which descendant the are from. i would also like to get any information on the australia armits. i have also heard mention of a diary that belonged to the minister john armit and would love to get more information on that.
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Vanetta
Thanks for picking up on this. I thought the post was long dead and buried ... just like many of our ancestors :D
I am a 1st Cousin 3 times removed of John Oliphant Armit and you'll have gathered from the information here that I have a mountain of information, thanks to other 'cousins', and I'd be happy to share it with you including details from the diary that MUST be accredited if you use any part of it - even for personal use.
I will send you a PM with my email so you can get in touch with me.
Regards
Chiad Fhear
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glad you answered my message i would love to have anything you can send me on your ancestry and the diary. i emailed you earlier with a little bit of information, when i get the rest together i will send more as it is obvious we are cousins a few times removed. i can send you pictures and names of my family if you would like. i do have a few pictures of my great grandparents but you probably have those, i can send copies of those too if you want them. thanks for responding so quickly, it is nice to meet other relatives. vanetta
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We're a' Jock Tamson's Bairns.... ::)
Not really a surprise to find this thread, but a happy one none-the-less...
Christian Pearson is my Gt (x3) Aunt on my Mothers side, her elder sister Agnes being my Gt (x3) Grandmother. So it's been magic being able to fill in all the blanks from your info...
Rather spookily though, your mention of Spence Oliphant got me digging a bit...seems this "branch" also exists on my Fathers side, through the Douglas's....
Interconnected or what...???
Dougie.
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I too am searching the Armits. However, I have John Armit marrying Euphan Thomson in 1789 in Fife. So far I cannot discover whether this is the same John Armit who marries Jean Oliphant. Timing-wise, it is possible because all the children born to a John and Euphan Armit in Fife are born before those born to John and Jean in Orkney. I would love to know if that diary could help clear up the mystery. I also have Laing in my tree.
Kathy