alexander blair

[hdbowman]

Help me please  hit a brick wall   -       Alexander Blair married Dorothy Strong  2/April /1882   in Middlesbrough  ALEXANDER  aged 38y /widower   merchant seaman living at  Bulmer Street Linthorpe      his father  John Blair  deceased  at this time           
Dorothy Strong  age 27  living at same address   her father Joseph Strong       
  this is from a copy of the original marriage cert. After and before this time cannot seem 2 find ALEXANDER  anywhere  nor his parents  any help  please  thanx

[PaulineJ]

I think this could be him in 1881.

http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=uki1881&indiv=try&h=26503368

Pauline

http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/

[AMBLY]

Hi Pauline

That Census is the right one - and is the one another Chatter, Helen found on a topic from yesterday:
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=269833.msg1542619

1881: Linthorpe Middlesbrough
Ref: RG11 ? Piece  4855 Folio /  58 /  Pg 25
87 Bulmer Street
Head: Alexandria BLAIR (male!) 38, Seaman, b Scotland
Son: John BLAIR 16, Hairdresser, b Durham Shields
Son: Alexander BLAIR 9, Scholar,  b Scotland
Dau: Jane BLAIR 3, b Middlesbrough

hdbowman - Is that why this new topic has  been posted here on Durham boards, because you already had the details above from Helen's find???

It's also the same man being queried here on Lancashire boards
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=268907.msg1542631

And the husband of Dorothy proffered here......
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,266072.0.html

With all the info put together, I'm pretty certain I can identify his first wife...........

And Alexander's father was a Bread Baker (deceased)  according to the 1882 marriage.

Cheers
AMBLY

[AMBLY]

Based on the 1881 Census..

Alexander's daughter Jane was born in Middlesbrough abt 1878:
Births Mar Qtr  1878 -  Middlesbro - 9d 536
Jane BLAIR 
Her mother died between 1877 and 1881, presumably in Middlesbro - only one come up, and would mean Alexander was very recently widowed in the Census:
Death: Mar Qtr 1881 - Middlesbro -  9d 371
Mary Ann BLAIR age 33 (born abt 1848)
The eldest son John on the 1881,  was born abt 1865 Durham - if Mary Ann was his mother, she would only have been abt 17 at the time of his birth.  There is a big gap between him and the next Alexander born abt 1872.  Normally might suppose John was born prior to a marriage, or to a former marriage of either Alexander or his wife.

However, there is a marriage in the right general area:
Marriage: Jun Qtr 1863 - Tynemouth - 10b 337
Alexander BLAIR
the other groom and the 2 brides on same page are:

DOBINSON  Elizabeth   
JACKSON  George   
MCPHERSON  Mary Ann

Can't be 100% sure - but there is a young couple George JACKSON and Elizabeth visiting a household in 1871 in Northumberland, Suspect it is them from  the marriage page. Can't find an Alexander BLAIR with a wife Mary Ann or Elizabeth in the Northumberland/Sunderland/Durham/ areas.

Note: Can't pinpoint John's birth with certainty - There is a Tynemouth one 1864,  but also 2  in Newcastle and 1 in Sunderland  that year or in the near years - any could be him, considering Alex was a Seaman, they may have been moving about a lot.

If this is your Alex and he did marry Mary Ann McPHERESON in 1863, then she would have been only abt 15 at the time (if the death is hers and then if her age at death  is right!)
I do think your Alex  married Mary Ann, however.......

1881 son Alexander BLAIR was born abt 1872 Scotland.
IGI has this extracted record:
Alexander  BLAIR born 20 Jun 1871, Leith Midlothian to parents:
Alexander BLAIR and Mary Ann Mc PHERSON

If this is the 1881 son,  he would very likely have been just abt to turn 10 sat time of that 1881 Census.  There was also a lassie born to them:

Mary Ann  BLAIR  born 12 Aug 1872, Leith Midlothian

Unfortunately this (suspected) Alexander Jnr  was born just after the Census.... I can't find  his parents in Scotland in 1871 though... or what happened to Mary Ann jnr either.....still looking...

So I would say you'd need now  for confirmation and advancement
The 1881 Death of Mary Ann BLAIR Middlesbrough - did she  die at Bulmer Street?

The 1863 Marriage of Alexander BLAIR & Mary Ann McPEHERSON - to see his occupation and his father's name and occupation - John the Baker we hope,  (and hers of course)

The 1871 Birth of Alexander BLAIR in Scotland, for his father's occupation, address etc.
Scotland's people has just one Alexander BLAIR born Midlothian in 1871. And it was in Leith.


Cheers
AMBLY

[AMBLY]

I also want to add
principally because of Alexander's occupation - there a less degree of proability in any guesswork regarding where he - or Mary Ann - came from.

He may have married her in Tynemouth becasue he was there for work, she may have come down from Scotland with him, or she may be from Tynemouth area or anywhere!

He or she may have been from the Midlothians, and went back there to family, or not!

Getting those 3 certificates would  - if they all pan out -  at least provide address, witness names etc which can be used to check against Census for possible other relatives.

Cheers
AMBLY

[AMBLY]

All coming together now I think.........I think this will be the son Alexander born 1871, in the 1891 and 1901:

1891: North Ormesby, North Riding, Yorkshire
Ref: RG12 /  Piece  4018 /  Folio 48 /  Pge 33
Address: 93 Greerton Street
Head: Elizabeth GARDINER 67, retired, b Stockton Durham
Son: Thomas ALLAN 48, unm, Moulders Labourer, b Stockton Durham
Half-Neice: Minnie H SPORE 16, unm, Servant, b Middlesbro Yorks
Boarder; Alexander BLAIR 20, unm, General Labourer, b Leith Scotland
Boarder: James FISHER 24, unm,. General Labourer, b Skelton Yorks

1901: North Ormesby, North Riding, Yorkshire
Ref: RG13 /  Piece: 4587 / Folio: 61 /  Pg 16
Address: 13 Alfred Street
Head: ALexander BLAIR 29, Bricklayers Labourer, b Scotland
Wife: Phoebe A, 26, b Worksop Notts
Dau: Minne 6, b Wakefield Yorks.
Son: Harold McP. 1, b North Ormesby
Boarder: Charles E ANDERSON 22, unm, Marine Engine Fitter, b North Ormesby

Ormesby was covered by the Middlesbrough regisytration district.....

Marriage: Jun Qtr 1893 - Middlesbro - 9d 829
Alexander BLAIR and Phoebe Ann JOHNSON

Birth: Jun Qtr 1894  - Wakefield - 9c 19
Minnie BLAIR

Birth: Dec  Qtr 1899  - Middlesbro - 9d 608
Harold McPhearson BLAIR

Cheers
AMBLY

[AMBLY]

Thanks hd, for you lovely PM of thanx

You are very welcome!

I hope it all works out to be right and you can eventually get them all found and sorted.

We're still looking for:

The 1871 Census for Alexander abt 28  and Mary Ann abt 23 and son John age abt 6  - I think they should be in Scotland? Or at least the wife and child?

The 1891 Census for Alexander - if he really was still alive then? Also, his daughter Jane who should be abt 13. She wasn't with her stepmother Dorothy.......I can't see her, nor can I find her brother  John age abt 26 in the 1891?

Cheers
AMBLY

[AMBLY]

Definite possibility  For Alexander in 1841 & 1851 - Scotland.....

I found the 1851  first by searching just for a John BLAIR, occupation Baker. Coincidence or not?? ......the one who came up top was in Midlothian and had a son named Alexander?

1841:  Canongate  Edinburgh New Street , Midlothian
Ref:  PARISH 685/3 , ED 36, Folio 36, PG 3
Address: 225 Big Jacks Close, Canongate
Helen ELIOT 25,  Housekeeper = N
Mary ELIOT 30, cook - N
Ellen ROBERTSON 7 mths - Y
John BLAIR 40, Baker - Y
Mary BLAIR 25 - Y

1851:  Canongate, Edinburgh, Midlothian
Ref:  PARISH 685/3 , ED 6, PG 9
Address: Well Close
Head: John BLAIR  52, Baker Journeyman, b Edinburgh
Wife: Mary BLAIR 34, b Edinburgh
Son: Alexander BLAIR 10, b Edinburgh

The Alexander here is a bit older than 'expected'  - abt 2 years - but still near enough to be a real possibility.

There seems to be a awful lot of people at that address at Big Jacks Close (see FREECEN transcription, here):
http://freecen.rootsweb.com/cgi/search.pl

cheers
AMBLY

[hdbowman]

Hi again Ambly  thanx   for your PM    and for all your help  excellent