Galashiels - Fairbairn

[LornaHen]

Hi Chaltis,
Ta for that.
I've only had a quick look and see I"ve a few loose ends in my db that you've given me some good leads for.
I've NOT checked some data I've seen, but back in the Jun 1992 Borders Family History Society magazine #19, there was a query published by a member/researcher who claimed descent from John FAIRBAIRN b 1792, married to Isabella STUART, and showing John as a child of an Andrew FAIRBAIRN and Helen BLAKEBUL.
She assigned these siblings to John:
Andrew and Margaret, baptised 1790 Eccles
Thomas 1798-1873 and
Wilhelmina b 2 Sep 1800.
There were no details on how she was related to John and Isabella, and she was in Ontario.

As children of John and Isabella (STEWART) FAIRBAIRN, I do have confirmed your Helen (marr. Hugh LOCKIE), and also an Andrew marr. to Agnes aka Nancy BROWN. Andrew was also a carter and died Selkirk 1879.
So it does look like this part at least is the same family as your online tree, even if at least back in 1992, there were different interpretations as to how it worked backwards.
I don't know which is correct.
I can also add that there are two William FAIRBAIRN and Margaret SCOTT couples.
The 1750 marriage is the earlier Selkirk one (entry simply reads: "William Fairbairn and Margaret Scott July 20")
The schoolmaster chappie I was referring too, William, uncle to Sir William, was actually baptised in Smailholm in 1756 to John FAIRBAIRN and Helen ANDERSON.

[Chaltis]

Hi LornaHen,

Many thanks - I think some of the old parish records are open to interpretation when there's more than one alternative (and even if there's only one !). So, I've had to make decisions, usually based on location and the Scottish forename convention, and I could be wrong - Fairbairn was a common surname in that area at that time. I don't know how one confirms a choice once made - I shall have to start looking at burials in Galashiels and hope the MIs give some hints.

However, I have a candidate birth/baptism for William Fairbairn on 11/14 Jun 1724 in Galashiels to John Fairbairn and Agnes Mabon which I've not yet checked out (so it's not on my published tree). There's no suitable marriage of John and Agnes that I can find on SP.

Regards, Chaltis

[LornaHen]

Hi Chaltis,
I guess the bottom line is that where records don't exist we all take best guesses from available info.
I can add that the Thomas s/o Helen BLACKBULL, was also a carter, and although born Coldstream according to census data, was in Selkirk in Water Row in 1851 as a widower, later remarrying Margaret Scott of Selkirk and becoming a farmer in "The Valley".
If I've the correct John & Bell for your family in 1841, John wasn't born Selkirk as the entry says born Scotland, which may well fit a Coldstream birth too.

Good luck

[Chaltis]

Hi LornaHen,

I've checked out the Andrew Fairbairn - Helen Blackbull alternative and it's looking better than my original choice. The forenames fit and the dates look okay, so I'm going to swap and opt for them as parents of my John Fairbairn. I'm updating my database and will update my website as soon as I've found a bit more from SP (and the LDS).

Many thanks for all your help.

Regards, Chaltis

[LornaHen]

Glad you think so too Chaltis.

FYI I think that 1992 researcher's connection has to have been the John FAIRBAIRN/Margaret BROWN family, and the reason there's nothing obvious in Scotland for them after the mid 1850s.
In 1886 there are two FAIRBAIRN marriages in Galt, Waterloo Co, Ontario, both George and Andrew state their parents as John FAIRBAIRN and Margaret BROWN of Scotland. George witnessed Andrew's marriage, and was himself born about 1860 in Ontario. Andrew's birth is given on a couple of things as 20 Jul 1856, Scotland.

I think John died in Oct 1880 at North Dumfries, Waterloo Co. (59 yr old farmer b Scotland)
Good to be able to tie in a few more of the Ontario FAIRBAIRNs into families and trace them back to their roots in Scotland.
Have fun,