John Robertson 1855 - ?

[birdboot]

Thanks for this information.  I am not certain that we have the right man with these later findings.  I am aware that there were a host of William Duncan Robertsons on Scotlands People and I did a bit of searching in the London Gazette for the MBE.  First I found a person of that name who had been promoted to Flying Officer RAF in 1943, then later found one of that name awarded an MBE (Overseas) in 1968, where he was described as a Group Captain.  But in 1968 our William would be 75, so I suspect the RAF William is not our man.

Is there anything that links the records in Birmingham and Ware definitely with our William?  Have I missed something?

[Forfarian]

The death index entry for William Duncan Robertson who died in 1983 says that he was born on 25 February 1892.

[Forfarian]

Aha! They are on www.thepeerage.com.

Florence Duncan Robertson, daughter of William Duncan Robertson, married Arthur Sydney Elibank Erskine-Murray (1909-16 Feb 2002) on 29 June 1940. They had two daughters, one of whom has three sons.

Lord Elibank of Ettrick Forest was/is an Erskine-Murray. Arthur Sydney's great-great-grandafther was the 7th Lord Elibank, and his nephew was the 13th Lord Elibank.

[birdboot]

So much information, I am struggling to keep up!  I see that William married Annie Florence Daws at Devonport, while in the RNVR, on 6 April 1916.

I have found him and Annie on the 1939 census, living at 206 Wingletye Lane, Hornchurch, with one other hidden record, presumably their daughter.  William was recorded as Director of Engineering Works and it was noted that he was abroad.

It is amazing to think that the grandson of an Edinburgh washerwoman/char lady should go on to be an MBE and marry into the peerage.  I am trying to find the citation for the MBE, which might tell me more about what sort of engineering he was doing (possibly contracting to the government?).

[birdboot]

I haven't had any success searching for the MBE citation.  There are several William Duncan Robertsons on the London Gazette site but none that looks like my man.  The closest match was a safety officer at Enfield Rolling Mills in 1967, but as William was Director of Engineering Works in 1939 this job title seems unlikely.

Anyway, the main thing is that you have helped me find out what happened to John Robertson after 1904.  I will see if I can find out more about how he came to be in South Queensferry in 1916.

[Forfarian]

you have helped me find out what happened to John Robertson after 1904.  I will see if I can find out more about how he came to be in South Queensferry in 1916.

It occurs to me that 1916 was in the middle of the war, and there is, or was, a major naval base at South Queensferry. Maybe he was serving in the Navy, or working there on naval vessels?

[birdboot]

John's address was 4 Hopetoun Road and I found a naval outfitters at 4 Hopetoun Road in 1914.  If you follow this link down to near the bottom 'Local Shops' there is a photo of Colisseum Outfitters in 1914 with a woman outside.  Could it be the sister Betsy who I was told worked at the shop with William?

As the caption says, this shop was where Allium is today, and Allium is at 4a Hopetoun Road.

http://queensferry-at-war.weebly.com/queensferry-history

[birdboot]

Just an update on this thread.  I have now found the records of son John, born 31 August 1890.  He was recorded in the military in 1911 and there is an enlistment record in the Kings Own Scottish Borderers in 1914.  He suffered shell shock in France in 1915 and was eventually discharged in 1916 as "permanently unfit". 

He does not appear to have married and in 1939 he was with the Spring family at Holland Park Mews in Kensington.  His occupation was canvasser for a newspaper.  I have not yet found his death.
Jim