John Robertson 1855 - ?

[rosie17]

This could be the marriage for Thomas Robertson
Jan--Mar 1911
Bristol Gloucestershire
Spouse Isabella W Mann

 Census Records for Isabella Mann in Forfar Angus ties in with Isabella in the later census

Rosie

[Forfarian]

Great finds, Rosie! Well done.

I wonder why Thomas and Isabella were boarding with the Burts - on honeymoon and boarding there, or were they related?

[birdboot]

Yes, great finds Rosie.  I am sure you have found the right man. 

Re Thomas and Isabella, I also wonder why they married in Bristol rather than in Scotland.  It looks as though the whole family moved to England after 1904. 

Thanks both for your help.

[anne_p]

Birdboot,
Still uncertain if William Duncan Robertson was the son of this couple but, if he was, his Military Docs place his father in South Queensferry at 1916 ( 12yrs after 1904 that you are quoting)

[birdboot]

Many thanks Anne.  I first read William's age in 1901 census as 2 and used a load of credits on Scotland's People going through 16 possibles - then I realised that age was probably 8    Sure enough, I found birth of William Duncan Robertson in 1892 to John and Betsy.

I have not seen the military docs so will have a look at those and also follow up the South Queensferry lead.  There are lots of WIllm Duncan Robertsons on SP, do the military records give his age - which would be about 23?

[anne_p]

Birdboot,
The Militarry record does not just give his age,it gives his Date Of Birth !

Therefore he is the same man.

[birdboot]

Thank you again Anne.  I see that his occupation was naval outfitter.  This correlates with what I was told some years ago by a descendant, ie that William and his sister Betsy Susan McNaughton had a shop in Edinburgh.  Betsy married a naval chap, whom my informant had told me had met her whilst visiting her shop in Edinburgh. 

So thank you, the pieces of the jigsaw fit nicely!

[anne_p]

William became an engineer and from other bits and pieces it seems he was awarded an OBE and perhaps also an MBE

There is a fair amount of travel info for him, his wife and daughter which includes....

1924 the family travelled to Bermuda and returned in 1927
1928, his wife and daughter only travelled from the UK to Brazil

At 1931, he his wife and 11 yr old daughter travelled from India to the UK.
Their last permanent residence was in India.

I can't find a corresponding birth in the UK for the daughter named as Florence Duncan Robertson bc 1920/21
Unless her mother's name of Daws is mistrancribed on her birth record,she may have been born overseas.

As previously posted, William died in Were, Herts in Jul 1983.
Ancestry has an index showing that a death notice appeared in The Times dated 28 Jul 1983 which is headed:
William Duncan MBE Robertson.

It's only the index that is given. There is no link to the article and I don't have access to this via any subscription

[Forfarian]

It's a death notice in the classified ads, not a full obituary.

"ROBERTSON, William Duncan MBE passed away in his 92nd year on 27th July, greatly missed by his daughter Mrs F Erskine-Murray and son-in-law, of Cautherly Lane, Amwell, Ware, Herts and also by his grand-daughters, great-grandsons and friends. Funeral at Great Amwell Church on Saturday 30th July at 11 a.m., no flowers please." Source Citation: "Deaths." Times [London, England] 28 July 1983: 26. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 11 July 2017.

Odd that he should be described as MBE if he also had an OBE; OBE is a higher honour than MBE.

There seem to have been two daughters and a son who died in infancy. I can't name them because the daughters may still be living but you can look them up at https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl for yourself.

There are three births of Erskine-Murray, mother Robertson
Unnamed male, birth and death in Birmingham, 1941
Daughter, birth 1942, Birmingham
Daughter, birth 1945, Birmingham

Marriages
Daughter in Ware, 1965
Daughter in London, 1975

Florence Duncan Erskine-Murray died on 8 June 2010, according to the Calendar or Probate.

I can't find the marriage of Florence Duncan Robertson but according to the notice in 'The Times' of their daughter's engagement he was Mr S Erskine-Murray. And I haven't found his death.