Sporton/Sportin/Sportain/Sporting.

[CaileanMac]

I am looking for any information about the origins of:

Harriet Sporton
Born: Abt 1824 Gibraltar
Married:1853 to John Hutcheson/Aitcheson in Wigtownshire.
Died: 1899 Barnhill Poor House, Glasgow.

Father: Joseph Sporton, occupation was a Soldier.
Mother: Agnes Thomson.

She appears on the census records as living in Stranraer, Wigntownshire in 1861 and St Quivox and Newton On Ayr, Ayrshire in 1871.

I have seen her maiden name spelt as Sporton, Sportin, Sportain or Sporting and her first name as Herriot, Harriet or Herriet.

Just to make things worse her marriage name has been listed as Aitcheson, Aitchison, Hutcheson or Hutchison.

I would like to know more about her father, the soldier Joseph Sporton, where was he married? What Regiment was he in? Is there a birth record for his daughter? Is there a marriage record for him with his wife? Where are they on census records?

[loobylooayr]

Hi,

I don't know if you have already looked at this person on the 1851 Scottish Census but there is a

Hariat Sportling age 26 Unmarried Lodger occupation Sewer  Place of birth Co. Antrim Belfast
Address - Little Ireland, Stranraer

Also lodging at the same address- Margret Sportling age 23 Unmarried, Sewer also born Belfast.

Other names at this address -Hawthorn, Dempster, Love and Cain.

All spellings are as transcribed on Freecen website.

I realize that the place of birth is not Gibraltar but the unusual surname plus yet another variation of Harriet made her worth pointing out to you.

Looby 

[loobylooayr]

Hello again,

Just been browsing online and found this marriage -
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XT2W-H3F

Thought it might interest you too as the name Herriet Sporton is obviously not a very common name. I couldn't find either the bride or the groom Job Palmer on the 1841 or 1851 Census.

Looby

[CaileanMac]

Two very interesting finds...thanks very much!!

Job Palmer in itself is also a very unusual name. I think this raises more questions than answers again but at least gives me possibly some more information to work with.

[CaileanMac]

Struggling to find her on the 1881  census... her husband John Hutcheson died in 1874. 

She appears in Springburn, Glasgow in 1891 with her two daughters.

[loobylooayr]

Did Harriet have children with John Hutcheson?
If she did she may have been with one of them at the next Census?

I also wonder if Job Palmer was Irish or English as Job doesn't seem to me to be a very Scottish forename.

Looby 

 Modified -Didn't notice your last post !!  So Harriet had two daughters. What were their names please?

[CaileanMac]

Oops sorry I see them on the 1881 Census in Springburn, Glasgow. I don't see them yet on the 1891. Still doesn't solve the origins of Harriet, but at least offers some more information.

Harriet Sporton had three daughters with John Hutcheson:

Mary born abt 1852, Stranraer, Wigtownshire.
Agnes born 1857, Stranraer, Wigtownshire.
Harriet born 1860, Stranraer, Wigtownshire.

Job Palmer to my Celtic eyes looks like an English name. I don't think I have ever seen the name Job before!

[loobylooayr]

Yes I've never came across a Job before either!

Looking at the surname Palmer on the 1841 Census for Ayrshire only threw up 13 people. Most of the adults were born in Ireland or England  . Except two in Kilmarnock funnily enough a George and Helen Palmer both born in Ayshire. George was a schoolmaster.
The 1851 Census has about the same number of Palmers in Ayrshire again apart from the teacher and wife the adults are Irish or English apart from one  a David Palmer a hand loom weaver in Girvan who intriguingly was born in Gibraltar  .
I looked for a death for Job Palmer on Scotlands People but had no success. Of course if he died before 1855 (which is likely) there may be no record. Mind you he could have left the country.

[CaileanMac]

Spotted some of this too, thanks for checking for me. I still feel stumped with this one. Job Palmer seems to disappear, if he is a confirmed connection anyway.

Before her marriage to John Hutcheson in 1853, nothing much can be confirmed, which is frustrating. I'm really interested in getting back to this Joseph Sporton... the father who was a soldier, but that doesn't seem possible right now. I will need to come back to this at some point!