Robson tombstone in Eckford Cemetery

[jasted]

I am hoping that someone can help me find the tombstone of William Robson and Euphian Hewie. I understand that they were buried in the Eckford Cemetery. I read in a message posted in 2001 on Ancestry Message Board that it says on the tombstone that their sons emigrated to Canada.

I would love to know what the complete inscription says (a digital picture) would be even better if this is possible.

I can't trace my Robson ancestors back any further than their sons William and Thomas unless there is something written on the tombstone--or if someone has information that they are willing to share on this line.

What I do have is the following:
Parish Records:

May 15, 1763 William Robson and his spouse Euphan Hewie in Parish Primside Miln had a child baptised named William.

Feb 24, 1765 William Robson in Primside Miln and his spouse Euphian Hewie had a child baptised named Thomas.

William Robson: ? I do not have any information on him other than that he is supposedly buried in the Eckford Cemetery.
Euphan Hewie Birth Record: Morebattle 19/03/1732


****son: William Robson Birth Record: Yetholm 15/05/1763
spouse: Mary Rutherfurd Birth Record: 18/09/1768 Bedrule
Marriage Record: 17/12/1793 Bedrule, Scotland

their children:
Birth Records:

1795 April 18: Margaret born in Beanley in Parish of Eglingham
1797 March 8: Andrew born at Chesters in Parish of Alnham
1798 Dec: Sarah born at Chesters
1801Feb 15: William born at Eglingham
1803 July 12th: John born at Castle Hill in Parish of Alnham
*1806 Feb 14: Ralph born at Castle Hill (my gggrandfather)
1808 May 11: Mary born at Castle Hill
Robert was another sibling but couldn't find record


William and Mary brought their children to Canada and settled in North Monaghan (now just outside of Peterborough, Ontario.

Thomas Robson: the following information came from a message posted on Ancestry Message Board by David Thomson of Vancouver BC in 2001.

"Thomas was chr. Feb. 24 1765 in Yetholm, Roxburghshire, Scotland, the son of William ROBSON & Euphian (Euphemia) HEWIE. He had an older brother William, chr. May 15 1763 in Yetholm.

My gx4-gm Jane or Jean CLARK was chr. Jun. 26 1770 in Eckford, ROX, the dau. of James CLARK and Margaret BALMER. She had siblings Hellen (chr. Nov. 6 1768), Helen (May 31 1772), Janet (Sept. 11 1774) and Peter (Apr. 16 1780).

Thomas and Jane were married Aug. 3 1793 in Eckford. They had children:
1. William (chr. Jul. 3 1794 Eckford; d. Nov. 1 1813 Eckford)
2. Margaret (chr. Feb. 21 1796 Eckford; m. Andrew BUCKHAM; d. after 1850 in Ontario)
3. James (chr. Jul. 13 1800 Eckford; m. Esther DIXON; d. after 1871 Chinguacousy Twp., Peel Co., Ontario)
4. Euphemia (chr. Jan. 4 1803 Eckford; m. William FOSTER; d. 1889 Caledon Twp., Peel Co., Ontario)
5. George (chr. Jun. 9 1805 Eckford; m. Isabella ROBINSON; d. after 1881 Lauder, Berwickshire)
6. Jane (chr. May 9 1809 Eckford; m. Halket PATTULLO; d. Apr. 4 1879 Woodstock, Ontario)
7. Thomas (chr. Sept. 9 1811 Eckford; m. Janet Gibson SPEIRS; d. before 1851 Chinguacousy Twp.)

Thomas was a cooper by trade. He, Jane and all of their children except George emigrated to Chinguacousy Twp. in May 1831 (George was a clergyman for many years in Lauder, Berwickshire). Thomas died in Chinguacousy on Dec. 16 1841. Jane died there May 1, 1844. There is a family gravestone in the churchyard in Eckford."

Thanks.

[Sunlaws]

Hi

Welcome to Rootschat.

The tombstone in Eckford churchyard does not relate to William, husband of Euphan HEWIE, but to William, son of Thomas ROBSON. The inscription reads:

'Sacred to the memory of William Robson son to Thomas Robson cooper Eckford who died 1.11.1813 aged 19 years also his brother who died in infancy. Thomas Robson father of the above who emigrated to America in May 1831 and died at Chinguacoucy in West Canada 16.12.1841 aged 76 years and Jean Clark his spouse who died at the same place 1.5.1844 aged 73 years.'
On the reverse:
'George Robson who died 1.2.1799 aged 24 years.'

However,, I can't immediately see any connection between your  William and Thomas of Eckford (but maybe you have information from immigration or other records?). What evidence do you have that Ralph's mother was Mary RUTHERFORD?
Regards,
Lesley

[jasted]

Thank you so much for your response. Clearly, the brothers, William and Thomas are not related to the one in Eckford as suggested by Mr. Thomson of Vancouver. You asked about Mary Rutherford. The tombstone for William and Mary are in the cemetery in Peterborough, Ontario. Ralph and his wife Elgin Tully are also buried there.

Unfortunately, I have never been to the Border region in Scotland, so am not very familiar with the location of places. Perhaps William and Euphan are buried in a cemetery that is closer to Yetholm. This is where the baptism record for William Robson, Son of William Robson and Euphan Hewie was recorded. The marriage record for William and Mary Rutherford was from the Bedrule parish where Mary attended.

The mystery continues.

Thanks again for your help.

[Sunlaws]

Hi

You still don't say where you got the information that Ralph's mother's maiden name was Rutherford- on all the birth records of Mary's children (at least the IGI online versions), she is named only as 'Mary'. Is she named as Rutherford on the tombstone, or on an immigration record or death certificate?

Regards,
Lesley

[jasted]

On the Bedrule Parish marriage record for William Robson dated Dec 7th 1793 it states:
"Gave their names to be proclaimed in order to marriage William Robson in the Parish of Yealenheim (or something like that--very difficult to read) and Mary Rutherfoord in this Parish."

Somewhere the double "o" in Rutherfoord was dropped to Rutherford.

The birth record for Mary has her last name spelled as Rutherfurd. The record from the Bedrule Parish dated Sept 18 1768 states:
"Mary daughter for Thomas Rutherfurd of Knowsouth Eng (again difficult to read the name) was baptized and was born on the sixteenth current."


I really appreciate your help.

Thanks

[Sunlaws]

Hi

I'm still struggling to see any connection whatsoever between your great-great grandfather Ralph Robson and Mary Rutherford.
Ralph and all his siblings were baptised in Northumberland in England. There were fairly fixed naming patterns on both sides of the Border, and if Ralph were the son of William Robson of Yetholm and wife Euphan, and Mary the daughter of Thomas Rutherford, I would expect to see the names Euphan and Thomas among the first four offspring, but they're not there at all. Two names which are there are Ralph and Sarah, which were very popular in England, but not so in Scotland. (For instance, IGI batch number C117826 for Bedrule 1778-1819 does not contain a single baptism for a Sarah or a Ralph in a 40-year period).
You have established that Mary Rutherfo(o)rd is the daughter of Thomas Rutherford of
Know(e)south, Esq. The Rutherfords were a very big (i.e. important and wealthy) family holding much land and property in the Rulewater valley. It seems unlikely that a Rutherford daughter would emigrate to Canada at that period.
Regards,
Lesley
in wild, wet and windy Roxburghshire

[jasted]

Lesley,

You have made some excellent points. I will try to contact the cemetery and see if I can find out some more information about Ralph's parents.

Susan
from very snowy central Ontario

[jamesfreid]

Here is some more information about Thomas Robson, baptised 24 Feb. 1765.

It appears that he was a cooper in Scotland and then became a farmer in Ontario. The Robson homestead was occupied in 1885 by the Kirkwood family, and the Pattullo farm by the Robsons. The Robson farm had only lilac bushes around the house, all bare land, but the Pattullo place had magnificent woodland (and magnificent mosquitoes). Although buried in Ontario, a memorial stone was erected on Dec. 16 1847 in Eckford kirkyard, Scotland. Thomas Robson wrote his will on 22 June 1847 and died 24 August 1847 in Chinguacousy township.

Note that he died August 1847, and the memorial stone was erected in December in Eckford, Scotland. Previous posts here have indicated he died 1841 - this is due to a mis-transcription of 1847 to 1841, and to an assumption that the date of erection of the stone was the death date. The death date I have is from legal records surrounding the proving of his estate.

Thomas Robson's will is as follows.

So help me God. I Thomas Robson of the Township
of Chinguacousy, in the Home District and Province of Canada
in the possession of my memory and other faculties, do here
by make my last will and testatement on the twenty second
day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand eight
hundred and forty seven. That is to say, I will and bequeath
my real estate being the East half of Lot N. 27 in the second
Concession East of the said Township of Chinguacousy together with
the farm implements and _____ to my son Thomas
to have possession thereof when he comes to twenty one years.
I will and bequeath to my son John the sum of two hundred
and fifty pounds Cury one hundred to be paid when he
arrives at twenty one years of age; and the remainder
to be paid within four years thereafter by yearly equal
installments. I will and bequeath to my daughter Mary
Ritchie the sum of fifty pounds Cury., the half to be
paid when she arrives at eighteen years of age, and the
remainder within two years thereafter in two equal instal
ments. I will and bequeath to my daughter Jane the
sum of fifty pounds cury. the half to be paid when she
arrives at eighteen years of age, and the remainder within
two years thereafter in two equal instalments. And I
will that these above sums bequeathed to my son John,
and my daughters Mary Ritchie and Jane, be paid from
and as _____ and of said half lot, by my son Thomas.
And I will that in the event of my son Thomas dying
before he comes to the year of majority, said half to
go to my son John, subject to the same circumstances
in conditions as above. And in the event of the decease of
my son John's death before the year of his majority, said
half lot to be divided equally between my two daughters.
And further I will that my beloved wife Jannet
Gibson be the guardian of my children and of the farm
and management of said farm, subject to the Direction
of the executors of this my last will and testament
hereinafter named, during the minority of my son Thomas.
Provided she shall remain my widow, but in the case
of her marrying, then and in that case, said farm and
children to be subject solely to the control and management
of these my executors hereinafter named, according as the
______ and in fine, it is my will that my sons and
daughters receive a good and liberal education during the
time of their minority.
And ____ will to appoint, and I do hereby appoint my
_____ friends Andrew Buckham, Halket Pattullo, and
the Rev. David Coutts, executors of this my last will
and testament, to be executor according to the true
sense and meaning thereof - and their expenses to be paid
and of and from said property or farm
Witness my hand and seal the day and year above written

Signed, sealed, and published in ____                )
         David Coutts          )      Thomas Robson
         Andrew Buckham   )


--- Jamie Reid

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Hi Jamie,

Thank you so much for taking the time to write all of the information about Thomas and family.

Susan