Marion Woodburn - b. Ayr, Scotland, possibly 1819

[loobylooayr]

Hi Polly,
I haven't really looked at McCulloch births - Thomas could well be missing from OPRs - just remember that it wasn't compulsory to have your child's birth/baptism registered at the church and quite a lot of couples couldn't afford the fee. Sometimes in a large family you may find all, none or some recorded 

It's quite dispiriting when you feel you've hit a brick wall. And certainly at the moment we seem to be stuck. Other than researching every Woodburn family in Ayrshire and finding the connections (and I'm sure that a generation or so before Marion there will be links), I can't think of anything else to suggest.

Marion in 1841 is working and noted on the Census with 2 Woodburn ladies - co-incidence possibly, or did family connections get her the job 
Marion is married in 1845 and the OPR reads that she is from near Bonnihill . There are 2 Woodburn families living near Bonnihill in 1841. Balance of probabilities are that Marion is connected to one or other or both.
If John and Mary Woodburn (nee Brown) died before 1855 there is a good chance there will be no death record - few death records exist -especially if they were not rich.


Another find which may not relate to your Woodburns but I thought worth mentioning considering the date today - 25 th January.

David Woodburn factor of Craigengillan Estate and father of  Willie C Woodburn etc (one of the ladies for whom Marion is working for in Kilmarnock)  was a friend it seems of none other the the Ayrshire Bard  - Rabbie Burns !!   
It seems Robert Burns presented his friend David Woodburn with a poem -
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/18500/18500-h/18500-h.htm#XIV

Good luck with your research Polly, something may pop up one day 

Looby

[pollyhow]

Hi Looby

I had forgotten that it was Robbie Burn’s birthday on Sunday. My great-grandfather James McEwin was a member of the Robert Burn’s Lodge in Reefton (NZ). I have a couple of newspaper articles from 1891 and 1892 which show he attended meetings (for the ‘annual installation of officers’) around the time of Burn’s birthday. One of the articles wrote of the banquet afterwards which ended with 'Auld Lang Syne.'

I have looked up the website you sent about Robert Burns giving one of his poems to David Woodburn. How interesting. How proud he must have been.

One thing I have found since I last posted. I emailed a fellow researcher I hadn’t communicated with for a while, and told him of my Woodburn search including Marion’s 1841 census record and the other Woodburns living with her. He emailed back that he had looked in Ancestry and found (in a well-researched family tree) that Jessie Woodburn was one of seven children born to David Woodburn and Janet Caldwell who married in Kilmarnock on 17 Oct 1797. Apart from the four we know of it seems there were three other children born to David & Janet – Jessie, Willie Caldwell and Margaret. So it was good to clear up that Jessie and Willie were sisters. My researcher friend couldn’t establish whether Marion was related to them but thought she was possibly a second or third cousin.

Another thing I have been thinking about. Marion may not have been working for Jessie and Willie in 1841. She may have been living in the household and working elsewhere. Anyway it is just a thought.

I may have come to the end of what I am going to find on Marion’s early life. Thanks to you and the others I now feel I know her a little better, especially her 1840s period. I may get back again if I ever come to research my McEwin (McEwan) roots. Now that’s another story.

Bye for now
Polly

[IanB]

Polly,
It will not be of much help to you but it may be of interest that David Woodburn (Sr.) was "gentry", being the factor of Craigengillan Estate. There are several internet sites that mention him, most describing him as "of Camlarg Lodge". Unfortunately, I have not read anything that connects this family to "your" Marion, other than the 1841 census.

Ian

[pollyhow]

Hello Ian

Thanks for telling me about David Woodburn being of “Camlarg Lodge.” Because of that information I was able to work out that David Woodburn senior died Mar 8, 1821. I found online a death register from “The Scots Magazine, Vol 87” – one of the listings was “At Camlarg Lodge, Ayrshire, David Woodburn, Esq.” Yes, I did notice there were quite a few deaths there for people of a higher social standing. I hadn’t realised that David Woodburn was “gentry.” Being the factor of Craigengillan Estate I thought that maybe he was the manager of the estate and worked for gentry but wasn’t of that class himself. To be honest I am not exactly sure what being the factor of an estate would involve.

Something that still mystifies me is how Archibald Woodburn (born 1801) was connected to the David Woodburn/Janet Caldwell family. I see there is an inscription for Archibald on the Woodburn grave...
 
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=woodburn&GSiman=1&GScid=1974430&GRid=128419562&

...which would imply he was one of the family. But I can’t find a family connection. The inscription says he was born 3 Aug 1801. I found a record for an Archibald Woodburn who was born/baptised on 11 Aug 1801 with father John Woodburn and mother Janet Sellars. I then found a record for a David Woodburn born 1776 to parents John Woodburn & Ann Guthry. Among the other children this couple had was a son John born 1780. I thought this could be John Woodburn, father of Archibald. This would mean Archibald was the nephew of David Woodburn snr and first cousin of David Woodburn jnr (b.1805) and Willie Caldwell Woodburn (b. c1811) who are also mentioned on the gravestone. But it is all just speculation on my part.

Unfortunately all this searching is not getting me closer to finding out where Marion and her parents fit into the big picture. I think it is time to call off the search and celebrate those things I have found out. I am now feeling more confident about Marion's 1841 census record.

Thanks again for your help Ian

Polly

[pharmaT]

Hi

I havejust found out that I may be descended from the Woodburns of Dalmellington.  Not much help to anyone yet but going to see what I can find out and share here.  I'm descended from David b 1805.

[TerriC]

Hi Polly,
I know this thread is about 6 months old now, but I am also descended from Andrew McEwin and Marion Woodburn, and have also been struggling to figure out her parentage.....so I read the whole thread with great interest.
I've not discovered any more than you have, but if I come across anything I'll post back here.
I'm also happy to share any family details if you're interested...feel free to PM me
Cheers,
Terri

[TerriC]

Hello again,

Polly - you said "Something that still mystifies me is how Archibald Woodburn (born 1801) was connected to the David Woodburn/Janet Caldwell family. I see there is an inscription for Archibald on the Woodburn grave..."

Well, I have just discovered the probate for Willie's will, in which it states that an Archibald Francis Woodburn was her nephew....

http://sharing.ancestry.com/7865457?h=ad1650&utm_campaign=bandido-webparts&utm_source=post-share-modal&utm_medium=copy-url

Not the Archibald born in 1801, but perhaps there is a link somewhere?
Just a thought.....still looking 

[pharmaT]

Hi Polly, Terri,

Afraid I can't help with the mystery of Marion's birth but I can help with Willie (although not why she was called Willie. Willie is my 4x grt Aunt.  She died on 18 Mar 1888 and she was a spinster, living alone.  She was the daughter of David Woodburn and Jessie Caldwell.

From what I have found so far I Archibald Woodburn (b1801) is the son of John Woodburn and Janet Sellers.  I believe that John was the brother of David.

[Diana Scambler]

Hi Polly,
I've just started researching my McEwin ancestors. I'm looking at a copy of an excerpt from the family bible of Margaret Hester McEwin, b.Apr 26, 1795, Caddington England, married John McEwin at Dumfries 19th Seot 1811. They migrated to Melbourne Australia in 1839 with their youngest six children  - They had 10 sons & 1 daughter - including Andrew McEwin, who m'd in Melbourne & settled in N.Z., and my great great grandfather Joseph Nash McEwin.