British subjects in Russia

[Ferrit]

My 2xgreat grandfather,David KILBURN, was born in Kiev in 1838. He was recorded as a British subject.  His older brother,William, was born in St Petersburg. His parents came from Yorkshire(West Riding), and were on the census in Leeds by 1851.
His father, James Kilburn, was a master weaver, which may be relevant.
Can anyone throw any light on why the family may have been in Russia; and how I can obtain David's birth certificate?

[jds1949]

There were a fair number of British subjects in Russia at that time as Russia was keen to develop its cotton industry and contracted men [and presumably women] with the relevant skills from the Lancashire and Yorkshire mill towns. One of the families that I am researching ended up in the St Petersburg area. The father worked for Mather & Platt of Manchester who were, I understand, contracted to the Russian Government of the time to provide weaving equipment.

As I understand it most of the British subjects registered the births of their children with the British Consul and they should show up in the GRO overseas records.

In the old days it was possible to consult those index volumes at the Family Records Centre, now closed. However this page give some information on how to access the records now:

 http://yourarchives.nationalarchives.gov.uk/index.php?title=Overseas_Births,_Marriages_and_Deaths

jds1949

[Ferrit]

Thanks. Having looked around a bit I don't think a record exists anywhere apart from census records but I have got a date of birth and christening (in St Petersburg)now, so shall keep on looking!

[smithkei]

Coming in very late on this but I was doing other research in Kyiv and there is a whole page of Kilburn and the St Petersburg consulate on Family Search site.