Author Topic: James Porteous, Blackburn, Lancashire  (Read 5023 times)

Offline Reiver

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James Porteous, Blackburn, Lancashire
« on: Tuesday 17 December 13 21:32 GMT (UK) »
James Porteous was a Draper in Blackburn in 1851, 1861 and 1881.  He is recorded in all censuses as being born Scotland and in the 1861 as being born Ruthwell.  Consistent ages provide a probable birth year of 1816/1817.

My Porteous research started in the 1980s (pre computing  :) ).  From that period I was given a tree that provided two more generations before James and his wife Jane/Jean Burnet.  I understand that this is one of the families in Porteous Associates.  James' parents were David Porteous and Helen Crichton (spelling?).  No date was shown for their marriage or James' birth/baptism.  I think some ages/dates had been obtained from the memorial surveys done in the 1960s - therefore deaths.

A few days ago I received a PM asking if my Porteouses were connected to the writer's and so I decided to check things using on-line census returns and particularly Scotlandspeople. Although census returns added to previous knowledge  I could not find a marriage for James and his wife Jean/Jane Burnet.   Nor could I find a birth/baptism for a long time for James. I was confident that both events would be in Scotland.

Eventually I found a baptism on SP for a James Calvert Porteous.   This was on 29th March 1816 in Hoddam parish. But . . . parents were James Porteous and Helen Calvert  . . . .not David Porteous and Helen Crichton, as (half?) expected.  I could not find a marriage of (son) James to Jane/Jean Burnet either.  Purely by chance I  Googled using both their names and found their names in a database created by volunteers (?) from the Wigtownshire Free Press. This provided that "at Ecclefechan on 18th September 1843 James Porteous, draper, Blackburn to Miss Jean Burnet, daughter of Mr Edward Burnet, Ecclefechan"    But not on SP - unless you know different :)

Regards, Reiver

Offline MonicaL

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Re: James Porteous, Blackburn, Lancashire
« Reply #1 on: Tuesday 17 December 13 22:38 GMT (UK) »
Hi Reiver

Have you come across this material:

Generation 3
6. Jane Burnet-3 (Edward Burnet-2, Robert Burnet-1)[1]. She was born on 15 Jul 1823 in Hoddam DFS Johnstonebank [1]. Baptism on 20 Jul 1823 in Hoddam DFS; Quality: 2 [2, 9]. She died on 11 Sep 1896 in Blackburn Lancs [1].
Notes for Jane Burnet: General Notes: [FAMTREE.GED]
Notes from John Burnet NZ Jul 2002 family bible quotes Christain name as Jane, parish register list name as Jean

James Porteous [1]. He was born 1816 in Dalkeith, MLN; 1 [2, 7]. He died 1883 in Blackburn Lancs [1]. Occupation in draper [1].

James Porteous and Jane Burnet. They were married Abt. 1845 in 1 [2, 7]. They had 8 children.
17.
i.
Robert Burnet Porteous [1]. He was born 1846 in 1 [2, 7]. He died 1890 in Lancs [1].
18.
ii.
Janet Porteous [1]. She was born Abt. 1850 in Blackburn, Lancs; 1 [2, 7]. She
married William Chalmer Beattie. They were married 1875 in Blackburn Lancs;
Quality: 1 [2, 7].
iii.
Edwards Porteous [1]. He was born Abt. 1850 in Blackburn Lancs; 2 [2, 7].
iv.
David Porteous [1]. He was born 1850 in Blackburn Lanc; 1 [2, 7]. He married Sarah
Beasley. They were married on 09 Feb 1874 in Manchester, England; Quality: 2 [2,
7].
v. Helen Jane Porteous [1]. She was born 1850 in Blackburn Lancs; 1 [2, 7].
vi. James Porteous [1]. He was born 1854 in Blackburn Lancs; 2 [2, 7].
vii. Ann Bell Porteous [1]. She was born 1858 in Blackburn Lancs; 1 [2, 7].
viii. Sarah Elizabeth Rae Porteous [1]. She was born on 11 Jul 1865 in Blackburn Lancs; 2 [2, 7].

http://tbreynoldsfamily.ca/tbreynoldsfamily/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/The-Burnets-of-Dumfires-Scotland.pdf

page 8/81

Monica
Census information Crown Copyright, www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline Reiver

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Re: James Porteous, Blackburn, Lancashire
« Reply #2 on: Wednesday 18 December 13 13:47 GMT (UK) »
Thanks Monica,
Yes I was aware of that site and material.  John Burnet, it's author, was a contact of mine - again in the early days which I referred to in my first post (pre computers  :) ).  John's family were the Burnets and he sent me copies of a lot of materiai from his ancestors.  It was exceptional. But he like me knew little about the Porteous side  (ie. His Jean Burnet married James Porteous).

I note that he has the birth of James Porteous as being in Dalkeith, Midlothian.  I think he must have put this tree on line since our contacts.  Certainly three census returns say Dumfriesshire.

I note that my great grandfather Wiliam Chalmers Beattie (married Janet Porteous, daughter of
James and Jean/Jane Burnet) is included.

Regards, Reiver

Offline MonicaL

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Re: James Porteous, Blackburn, Lancashire
« Reply #3 on: Wednesday 18 December 13 16:38 GMT (UK) »
Reiver, apologies. Shouldn't have just posted the info. Did think after, given your long research, you would very likely have come across this info already.

Where are you on the family of Jean Burnet? They are relatively easy to trace, her parents Edward Burnet and wife Janet Rae. Very likely you have her side sorted, especially with your previous contact with John Burnet?

Great that you found that marriage entry with the reference to Edward Burnet being from Ecclefechan, where he and Janet and son William show in 1851....before the Burnet family Snr's moved on to Lancashire.

So likely, as you started on this post, all about the Porteous connections...

Monica

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Offline MonicaL

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Re: James Porteous, Blackburn, Lancashire
« Reply #4 on: Wednesday 18 December 13 17:01 GMT (UK) »
From the 1851 census for James and Jean in Blackburn (you have it, just for ref here):

James Porteous 34 b. Scotland
Jane Porteous 26 b. Scotland
David Porteous 6
Robert Buinel (Burnet) Porteous 5
Helen Jane Porteous 2
George Irving 19 nephew b. Scotland
James Beate 21
James Harkness 20
John Robertson 19
Mary Kennedy 19
HO107/2259/288/26

Have you tried searching for details on the nephew George Irving showing there in the 1851 household?

Thought this might be him in 1841 with ?grandmother Helen:

Helen Porteous 50
George Irving 10
Ann Johnstone 8
William Aitcheson 14

Address: White Close, Ruthwell

Monica
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Offline Reiver

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Re: James Porteous, Blackburn, Lancashire
« Reply #5 on: Thursday 19 December 13 19:45 GMT (UK) »
Thanks for finding the 1841 census at Ruthwell with Helen Porteous and George Irving.  James Calvert Porteous's parents - James and Helen Calvert - are buried at Ecclefechan.  Date of death and age are on their memorial.  Helen's age there is consistent with her age in the 1841 census. On that basis it appears that Helen could be the mother of James Porteous, the subject of this thread.

Having previously "found* two sets of parents for him, I must be more careful this time.  :D :D :D

Offline MonicaL

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Re: James Porteous, Blackburn, Lancashire
« Reply #6 on: Thursday 19 December 13 20:14 GMT (UK) »
Indeed...as we all have to always  ::)

However....apart from finding the entry you did for a James with parents James and mother Helen (Calvert)...you also have the more relevant issue of names of your James' children's, starting with a David (contrary to the info I posted from http://tbreynoldsfamily.ca/tbreynoldsfamily/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/The-Burnets-of-Dumfires-Scotland.pdf).

You know that all birth & christening entries on the OPRs are not to be always found (only really about 30% on average do). So, if I was to rank your two options, from what you have and what I have seen, I would have David Porteous and Helen Crichton still as first option. I know we have the issue on the age in 1841...which is why it all gets confusing  :o

This is the main family you have been looking at?

2 David Murray PORTEOUS b: 1771 Ruthwell, DFS, SCT d: 1818
> Longbridgeflosh, SCT?
> ..+Helen CRICHTON b: 1781 d: 1859 Palmerstown, Maxweltown, SCT
> ..3 John PORTEOUS b: 1801 Dalton, DFS SCT
> ..3 Anna PORTEOUS b: 1805 Ruthwell m: IRVING
> ..3 Janet PORTEOUS b: 1807 Ruthwell m: JOHNSTON
> ..3 James PORTEOUS b: 1816 d: 1883 Blackburn
> ...+Jane BURNET b: 1823 Ecclefechan DFS SCT d: 1896 Blackburn m: 1843
> (several children incl. Janet, it was, who married William Beattie)

http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/PORTEOUS/2000-03/0952895195

Interesting to see from that Helen Crichton shows as having died post 1855 in 1859 (Helen CRICHTON b: 1781 d: 1859 Palmerstown, Maxweltown, SCT)...however, cannot see any corresponding entry for this on SP  :-\

What might well help would be to try and trace some of the other young people in that 1841 census entry, apart from George Irving maybe? Ann Johnstone 8 and William Aitcheson 14. Also any further trace of George Irving maybe after 1851?

Monica
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Offline Reiver

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Re: James Porteous, Blackburn, Lancashire
« Reply #7 on: Friday 20 December 13 21:32 GMT (UK) »
As you suggest I'll try and follow up on the youngsters. If and when I become more positive about James Porteous's parents I'll report back.

Regards
Reiver

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Re: James Porteous, Blackburn, Lancashire
« Reply #8 on: Saturday 28 December 13 13:30 GMT (UK) »
I've resolved the problem to my satisfaction, I believe.

I found among my papers another letter by the writer who sent me the original pedigree chart where the parents of James Porteous were David Porteous and Helen Crichton.  SP did not provide a direct link between James and DP/HC.

He (the writer) had been told that he must make room for a marriage between a daughter of James Porteous to William Chalmers Beattie (my gg grandfather).

I'm a happy man now :) :)

Thanks Monica

Reiver