Robert Yorston

[williams-taylor]

My Gt gt gt Grandfather, William Yorston b.1793,  a carpenter,left Dunbar for Camden and in 1855 at the age of 64 or thereabouts set off for Australia to join his daughters and their husbands to look for gold finally dying in Christchurch New Zealand 1881at the ripe old age of 89.....in 1881 ,having been put in a lunatic assylum for the last few years as'being out of control... senile dementia? What a guy.......his death certificate names his parents as Robert Yorston and (H)Elena Smith.This was information given by his granddaughter catherine who may have confused his father's name with his brother's neither of whom would she have met. He had a brother Georgeb.1790 who went to Camden(London) with him.
 I  found a marriage entry for a George and Helen Smith at Whittinghame and a baptism at Whitekirk so can any one help to trace Williams parents? Where was William born? Did his parents stay in the Dunbar area.I have been to look at graves and to look at parish registers in Scotland. Maybe they came down from The east coast of Scotlad/the Orkneys...clearly a family prepared to travel. William's grandson, my gt grand father Charles Yorston, left London in his teens for Grimsby to join the fishing trawlers eventually becoming a merchant nayy skipper. Grateful for any advice and help..W-T

[April]

Freereg shows George Yorstown born 08 Oct 1790, bapt. 14 Oct 1790 Dunbar East Lothian, parents Robert Yorstown and Helen Smith.

Also a marriage 29 Nov 1789 (Whittinghame Parish) Robert Yorston (from Whitekirk) and Helen Smith (from Whittinghame) where their irregular marriage was acknowledged and they were exhorted to live as married persons

[williams-taylor]

Thank you..but can we find more...record of William's baptism...........death of the parents?Did they move away? Where did they come from? There are lots of Yorston's in the area...can they be connected? I have looked at graves in various churchyards in villages round Dunbar..........anyone else looking at this tree or found any connections/documents to help? Many thanks W-T

[bellysally]

William Yorston is my husband Robert's G/G/G Grandfather and I have a bit of information about William and his children, also his parents, his great grand-parents, photos, death certificates, census.
 William Yorston born abt 1793 Dunbar, East Lothian; married Mary Ann Cowley (1793-1851) at Old Church, St Pancras, London on 21/11/1819. They had 7 children - Sophia 1820-1892; Eleanor 1822-; Robert 1823-; William Grierson 1827-1906; Margaret 1830-1915; Alexander 1834-; Catherine 1835-1919 (Catherine is Robt's G/G Grandmother). The 1841 census has Wm living in St Pancras, London with wife Mary Ann and 4 of their children - Eleanor, William, Alexander and Catherine. The 1851 census has Wm living at Camden Town and a widow. His son Alexander and two daughters Catherine and Margaret Roberts and son in law Edward Roberts and grandson Edward Roberts who is 18mths old.
 William arrived in Sydney 31/7/1854 on the ship "Racer" and also on the ship were Margaret and her husband Edward Roberts and their two sons Edward and Walter Roberts and Catherine Yorston.
  ( note - Two years earlier Margaret and Edward and their son Edward came out to Australia on the ship "Will Watch" which left London on 29/9/1852 and arrived on 4/5/1853. I have no record of when they arrived back in London)
 In April 1856 William and the Roberts family (by then they had 3 sons Edward, Walter and William) arrived in Wellington on board the ship "Mimmie Duke".
 William lived in Wellington and died on the 12 Aug 1881 at Mt View Asylum. William is buried at Bolton Street Historical Cemetery. (there are family members buried there as well)
 His wife Mary Ann Cowley was born on 16/10/1793 in St Pancras, London and baptised on 4/11/1793 at Old Church, St Pancras. Mary Ann died 19/1/1851 in St Pancras. Her father was William Cowley (1772-1843) and mother Sophia Bean (1772-1861). I have more info of her family as well.
 William's father - Robert Yorston (1773-1837) and mother Helen Smith (1768-1820)
 William's grandparents - James Yorston (1751-) and Mary Craig (1751-)
 G/Grandparents William Yorston (1727-) and Mary Duncan (1728-)
 G/G Grandparents Robert *Yorkston/Yorston (1700-) and Isobell Gray (1706-)
           * some ancestry members spelt it Yorkston.

 I have a lot more info I can give on William and Mary Ann's children, especially their two daughters Margaret and Catherine as besides Margaret, Catherine also emigrated to Wellington.
 I have photos of Margaret and her family and also Catherine and her family that I can share with you.
 I will also send you more information on William's parents, gparents etc.
  I have attached William's death certificate and cemetery photo


 
 
 

[bellysally]

Death certificate and Margaret Yorston holding her great grandchild. Also in photo are other Roberts family members; and Catherine Yorston

[bellysally]

Hi 'Williams-Taylor', I did not realise that the pictures would be so big. not sure of the board rules here as I am still learning about this site. Maybe it might be better if we PM each other. I will need to find out how first.
  Cheers, Judy

[terianne]

curious did Robert Yokston & Helen Smith have two daughters called Margaret & Agnes

[bellysally]

I have no daughters for Robert Yorston and Helen Smith, just the two sons William and George.  But William Yorston (1793-1881) m Mary Ann Cowley (1793-1851) and they had a daughter named MARGARET (1830-1915);  and George Yorston (1790-1873) m Mary Ann Williamson (1800-1845) and they had a daughter named AGNES (1819-1884)
  Hope that helps.
   Cheers, Judy