Alexander ROBERTSON

[bairn359]

Trying to trace my Robertson line.

I found an Alexander Robertson who is a Lapper married to a Jane Taylor in Dundee in 1862 but i dunno if they are the parents of my Alexander or not.
(parents Alexander Robertson, weaver deceased and Mary Brown).

The thing is Alexander a Lapper not a Farm Servant. Also the other children i find for this couple are born in Dundee.

Here's what i have so far..

Mary Keir b. 28 Oct 1861 Longforgan, Perthshire

Alexander Robertson 22 m. Mary Keir 23 28 Nov 1884 Milton of Ruthven, Forfar
Alexander's residence Ingliston of Eassie
Alexander's parents Alexander Robertson (Farm Servant deceased) and Janet Taylor
Mary's residence Milton of Ruthven
Mary's parents Donald and Marjory

1901 Census Balbrogie, Coupar Angus, Perthshire
Alexander Robertson, head, 38 (1862/3) cattleman on farm, b. Leuchars, Fife
Mary Robertson   wife, 39 (1861) Longforgan, Perthsire
David Robertson   son, 15, (1886) ag lab Alyth, Perthshire
Christina Robertson   dau 13 (1888) scholar Longforgan
Alexander Robertson   son 11 (1889/90) scholar St. Madoes, Perth
Donald Robertson, son, 9, (1891/2) scholar St. Madoes
John Robertson   son, 6, (1895) scholar Forteviot, Perthshire
Stewart Robertson son, 3, (1897/98) scholar St. Martins, Perth
Mary Robertson   dau 1 (1899/1900) Cargill, Perthshire`

Other known children of Alexander and Mary..
James Robertson
William Robertson

[AMBLY]

Hi bairn359

I don't think Alexander the lapper and Jane TAYLOR are right - they look to be in Ogilvies Road, Dundee in 1871  (birth search on IGI shows the matching children's names with mms Taylor and some of the children's middle names is "Taylor") - and they had a son named Alexander born just after that Census - who is with them age 9 in 1881 at same address.

Your Alexander - his marriage cert parental information  did it say  "Janet ROBERTSON ms TAYLOR"   for his mother?

In 1891, he is 27, again saying born Leuchars.

Cheers
AMBLY

[bairn359]

Thank you for helping AMBLY.

Yes his mother is written like this..
Janet Robertson m.s. Taylor (it actually looks like Faylor but i suppose that's old fashioned writing)

28 Nov 1884 Alexander Robertson m. Mary Keir
Statutory Marriage registered 1st Dec 1884 318/00 0002
witnesses Andrew Hedderwick and Lizzie Robertson

[bairn359]

there's three pages of statutory birth indexs on Scotlands People for Alexander Robertson's born in 1862 or 1863, they could've had a whole army of them i think!
I found two born in Fife
1863 Alexander Robertson Dunfermline Burgh, Fife
1863 Alexander Robertson Strathmiglo, Fife

Is any of them near Leuchars then?

paid for the Strathmiglo one,
says Gospetry, Parish of Strathmiglo
parents on that one are Henry Robertson and Margaret Sharp

[bairn359]

Okay i've looked into the Robertson's further but i'm still a bit puzzled as to how it all fits together and if i'm even on the right track now? Any help, input and thoughts appreciated.

Alexander Robertson (born1863)'s 1931 death record has no father and his mother as a Stuart Taylor !
The 1891 and 1901 census have Alexander's birth place as Leuchars.
There is an Alexander Taylor born 12 March 1863 Leuchars mother Stuart Taylor.
Found more births to a Stuart Taylor - Jane Taylor 1866 Arbroath,  Margaret Taylor 1867 Leuchars and James Taylor 1869 Leslie.
Stewart is on the 1871 census in Leslie with these three children but frustratingly no Alexander.
Looked for Stuart's birth and found a Stewart Taylor born November 1845 Leuchars to a John Taylor and Janet Clark.
1851 census has Stewart age 5 with siblings Alexander, David and Janet and their parents. (Stewart possibly marries a Robert Honeyman in Nov 1871 has children Robert, Janet and Mary then dies 1902)

So where is Alexander on the 1871 census and is he down as a Taylor or a Robertson?
If this is the right person then why is he called Alexander Robertson and saying his parents are Alexander Robertson (deceased) and Janet Taylor when he marries in 1884?


One of the witnesses at Alexander's wedding in 1884 was a Lizzie Robertson. Could this be an Aunt?

Alexander Robertson's first? son was a David Blair Robertson 1886. (farmer emigrated to Australia 1924, married out there , then with Australian Army World War 2)

Another son of Alexander Robertson and Mary was Stewart Robertson born 1897 Rashiehall in the parish of St.Martins. Named after granny?

From searching  the NLS i found in Leslie's directory for 1897 under the listings for Perthshire Farmers a David Robertson Rashiehall, Balbeggie.
Is this David some relation?
I also found mention of farmer David Robertson in 1895 in the Edinburgh Gazette being one of the  commisionar at a sequestration of a James Anderson, not sure what that means.

A David Robertson married a Charlotte Blair in 1864. Their children were an Alexander 1866 Alyth plus a Janet 1868, David 1870, James 1871 and David Masterton 1874 all Coupar Angus. 
So is this farmer David and are they connected to Alexander somehow?

A further mystery to ponder is why Alexander and Mary's daughter Christina had Imrie as a middle name!

[flst]

Right,here's my findings so far.
1871 Balgray, Tealing Angus.
Janet Black 52,
John Mallow 14 son (should be Melville?)
James Black 7 son
Alexander Taylor 8 grandson.

1881 Farm Bothy, Auchterhouse.
Alexander Black 19,
Alexander Imrie,16.
Found on ancestry (but needs confirming;) Janet married John Taylor 22 Jun 1839/ married David Melville 17 Jan 1842 Kennoway,Fife/ married William Snell Black 22 Mar 1862 Dundee/died 17 Jul 1893  at 32 Wellington Street,Dundee.
My thoughts are that Alexander was living with his grandmother & was known by his mother's surname.By 1881 he was known as Alexander Black.Maybe he was brought up by his granny & that explains the use of her surname. I have often found that illegitimate children used either parent's surname.
Note the surname of Alexander's workmate! Children were sometimes given the surname of a good friend or employer as a middle name. I found these censuses by omitting Alexander's surname in my searches. Hope this helps,
flst 

[flst]

Here's the 1851 census in Leuchars
John Taylor 35 hand loom weaver (linen)
Janet Taylor 33 wife (born Coupar,Fife)
Alexander Taylor 10 son
David Taylor 7 son
Stewart Taylor 5 dau
Janet Taylor 3 dau.

1841 they're in Leuchars & Alexander's 3 months old.
P.S. in 1861 Janet's the wife of a shepherd (? Black).
flst

[bairn359]

Thanks for the replies and help.

John Taylor marries Janet Clark 22 Jun 1839 Leuchars
The children i've found are..
1839 James Taylor
1841 Alexander Clark Taylor
1843 David Taylor
1845 Stewart (aka Stuart/Janet) Taylor
1847 Janet Taylor

The dates clash with the supposed 1842 marriage to Melville?
Looked it up on familysearch and the bride is down as a Jean Clark.

Also looked up the 1862 William Black one and the bride is a Jane Clark.
29 Jan 1864 James Black born to William Black and Janet Clark at Forgan, Fife.

The birth year for James Black seems to fit nicely with the 1871 census with Alexander Taylor 8 grandson.

[bairn359]

A David Robertson married a Charlotte Blair in 1864. Their children were an Alexander 1866 Alyth plus a Janet 1868, David 1870, James 1871 and David Masterton 1874 all Coupar Angus. 
So is this farmer David and are they connected to Alexander somehow?

Looked up David and Charlotte's marriage record, they may not be connected to my family but at least it may be of use to other people searching for Robertson's..

The marriage 22 Nov 1864 Kinclaven has David Robertson farm servant age 22 to Charlotte Blair reveals his parents as Alexander Robertson, shoemaker and Marjory McLeod.
Further to this there is a marriage for the parents on familysearch 23 Jan 1838 Inverness