Still stuck on Robert Walker's parents

[AMBLY]

It's interesting to think about, the young Robert Walker out working in a small village, while his dad is working in the quarries.  I wonder where that would have left his mom though.

Times were indeed very different and hard then, children barely into double digits, sometimes not even that - put out to work to earn their keep 

Another  helpful habit, was the value of the Scottish woman's maiden name -  unlike her English counterpart,  the Scottish woman's maiden name was included on the baptisms of her children, on her death & burial records, on her headstone. And very often, she reverted to using her maiden name if widowed - sometimes even when her husband was alive and with her, a Scottish woman would be listed on a Census under her maiden name. If a widow remarried, it would be under her maiden name, not her first married name.

So Robert's mother could be listed under a maiden name if she is alive in 1841/1851. She could also be listed under another name entirely of she was widowed & had remarried (and as such her children could be listed under that new name too).

Unfortunately the names you have for Robert (b abt 1830)'s mother are not from a record provided directly by Robert himself:

Flora BUCHANAN - this is from his death record and therefore, as was common, the informant may have been mistaken as to her name - maybe Flora was a grandmother, for example (that was a common mistake).

Muiraleen Campbell BUCHANAN -  what was your relative's source? I haven't found 'Muiraleen' as a name anywhere. And in any case, it would be unusual. But upon gazing at it, I'm wondering…..could it be a Gaelic rendering, or a Gaelic pet form,  of a name like  Margaret?  Mairead (Margaret), Magaidh (Maggie)? (Hi Monica  , what's your thoughts on this ?)

I'm looking at Robert WALKER and Margaret WATSON's children for a naming pattern - another tradition very much adhered to in Scotland, and often a very useful clue/tool.  I'm coming up with 'Margaret BUCHANAN' as a name? as follows:

From Census and Family search, the names of their children born:
Robert WALKER 1855
William Watson WALKER 1856
Duncan WALKER 1858
Mary WALKER 1862
Margaret Buchanan WALKER 1865
James WALKER 1867
John WALKER 1869
Peter WALKER 1871

There are child size gaps at crucial points in the timeline of births, but if this is the full list of live births to this couple then the pattern, if used might  be:
1st Son, after father's father:   Robert WALKER, b 1855
2nd Son, after mother's father: William Watson WALKER, b 1856
3rd Son, after father (but name already covered by 1st son)

1st Daughter, after mother's mother: Mary WALKER, b 1862
2nd Daughter, after father's mother: Margaret Buchanan WALKER, b 1865
3rd Daughter, after mother (but name already covered by 2nd daughter?)

Were Margaret WATSON's parents William WATSON & Mary McFARLANE?

Cheers
AMBLY

PS I will type up the Census tomorrow for you!

[ZerooreZ]

Thanks.

That was quite interesting.

My guess is that when the younger Robert Walker's son, James, provided the information for his father's death record, that perhaps his grandmother's nickname was Flora.

I'm confused about the name Muiraleen too, but an aunt found that name somewhere.  Googling that name, only a handful of links come up, so it doesn't seem to have been a popular name at all, but it has existed, as has "Muirleen".

From the naming pattern, it seems likely that her real name could've been Margaret Buchanan, as you mentioned.

Were Margaret WATSON's parents William WATSON & Mary McFARLANE?

No.  Actually they were William Watson and Mary McVannel.  A book was written on the "McVannel clan", so I'm OK with that branch of my tree.

Thanks for your help.

[ZerooreZ]

Hello,

I had some interesting feedback when looking for an ancestor, but I'm still can't get past this person.  (Old chat: 
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=732149.0 )

I have a lot of information about the life of my ancestor, Robert Walker, however the details of his young life and who his parents were are unclear.

Robert Walker was married to Margaret Watson in West Glen, Houston, Renfrewshire on June 2, 1854.  That and what follows in his life is clear.

According to a relative, his father, also Robert, died in a quarry accident on Easdale Island, and that young Robert was born on this island.  Apparently his mother was Muiraleen Campbell Buchanan.  However, sources I've found say otherwise.

Robert Walker's statutory death record states that he died at 79 in 1909. and that his parents were Robert Walker, a cottar, and Flora Buchanan, both deceased at the time of Robert's death.

According to various censuses:

1901 - Can't find him
1891 - Can't find him
1881 - 50, born in Kilbarchan, Argyll (but Kilbarchan is in Renfrew, not Argyll)
1871 - 40, born in Kilbrandon
1861 - 30, born in Islay
1851 - Can't find him, however, I did find a 20-year-old Robert Walker working as a servant with a Finlay family in Gimmerscroft, Lanarkshire.  I think this may be him, as my aunt told me that he left Argyll for the Glasgow area after his father died.  However, this census entry says he's from Oban.

1841 - This is a 12-year-old (not 10) Robert Walker living in Kilbrandon, and I assume that this is him, but of course I can't prove it.  He is a servant for the McKay family.  I also found a Muir Buchannan (two n's) just down the street, 36, cottager.  I think this may be his mother.  She is the only one in that household.  It would make sense.  Her huband died in an accident, so she's alone, reverted to her maiden name, and probably can't support her son, so he's down the road helping with a different family.

I can't find a birth record for a Robert Walker in this area around 1830.
I can't find a marriage record for (his parents), Robert Walker and Flora (or Muir/aleen) Buchan(n)an.
Robert Walker's marriage record doesn't state who his parents were, and only has minimal information.

I contacted a museum on Easdale Island, wondering if they had records of quarry accidents, and who was killed in them, and if they know of any gravesites on the island, or near the island, but they couldn't help me.

I've also checked Find-a-Grave and Billion Graves for graves for Walkers in the area, but haven't been lucky.

Any ideas how to get past the block of not knowing who his parents were?

Thanks for any help!

I.W.

[Forfarian]

Robert Walker's statutory death record states that he died at 79 in 1909. and that his parents were Robert Walker, a cottar, and Flora Buchanan, both deceased at the time of Robert's death.

Who was the informant?

According to various censuses

Are your censuses from the original documents or from some transcription or other? If the latter, you need to check the originals to eliminate the possibility of bad transcriptions. (Ancestry in particular is notorious for its poor transcriptions of the census.) The originals are at www.scotlandspeoppe.gov.uk.

I also found a Muir Buchannan (two n's)

Don't ascribe any significance whatsoever to variations in spelling. There was no such thing as 'correct' spelling until the late 19th century.

Her huband died in an accident, so she's alone, reverted to her maiden name, and probably can't support her son, so he's down the road helping with a different family.

First, until relatively recently a married woman in Scotland retained and was known by her own surname, and it's very common to find a married woman listed under her maiden surname in the early censuses with her husband and children. So do not assume she 'reverted'. She was probably always known as 'Mistress Buchanan'. 

Second, it's not unusual for children as young as 12 to go to work, usually not too far from home. It was not necessarily a case of Robert being forced to go out to work.

Third, if Mistress Buchanan could not support her family, she would have applied to the kirk for assistance from the poor's fund or, after 1845, to the parochial board. If - and it's a big if - the parochial board records have survived, Argyll and Bute Archives should either have them or know where they are. See https://liveargyll.co.uk/facility/archives/

The kirk's records of poor relief will be in the Kirk Session records. If the relevant records have survived, you can search them on Scotland's People www.scotlandspeoppe.gov.uk.

Any ideas how to get past the block of not knowing who his parents were?

Have you considered the possibility that he was illegitimate? If so, and if the relevant kirk session records have survived, you might find there a record of his parents being disciplined for the sin.

There is no record on Scotland's People of anyone at any time with the given name Muiraleen.

[wivenhoe]

I think this is your Robert WALKER.

Ancestry Scotland Census 1891
Brownfield Inchinnan Renfrewshire
WALKER Robert      60y  farmer  b. Kilbrandon, Argyleshire
WALKER Margaret   58y             b. Greenock, Renfrewshire
WALKER James       23y son       b. Kilmalcolm, Renfrewshire
WALKER Peter         19y son       b. Kilmalcolm, Renfrewshire
WALKER Martha      17y dau       b. Kilmalcolm, Renfrewshire

Census 1901
Brownsfield, Inchinnan, Renfrewshire
WALKER Robert              70y  farmer      b. Easdale, Argyleshire
WALKER James               33y son           b. Kilmalcolm, Renfrewshire
WALKER Peter                29y son           b. Kilmalcolm, Renfrewshire
RICHMOND Margaret B   35y  dau           b. Kilmalcolm, Renfrewshire
RICHMOND Margaret       9y   g.dau        b. Greenock, Renfrewshire
McMEEKIN Isabella         21y servant      b. New Monkland, Lanarkshire

Use Scotlandspeople to find Will or Robert WALKER, died 7 Dec 1909.

Britishnewspaperarchives....shows estate worth 6,000 +  pounds.

[MonicaL]

EDITED.

Sorry! Meant to add to new post.

www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=854069.0

Monica

[MonicaL]

As above.

Monica

[MonicaL]

These suggestions from Ambly I thought were worth pursuing in respect of Robert's mother? Were you able to follow up at all?

....Flora BUCHANAN - this is from his death record and therefore, as was common, the informant may have been mistaken as to her name - maybe Flora was a grandmother, for example (that was a common mistake).

Muiraleen Campbell BUCHANAN -  what was your relative's source? I haven't found 'Muiraleen' as a name anywhere. And in any case, it would be unusual. But upon gazing at it, I'm wondering…..could it be a Gaelic rendering, or a Gaelic pet form,  of a name like  Margaret?  Mairead (Margaret), Magaidh (Maggie)?

I'm looking at Robert WALKER and Margaret WATSON's children for a naming pattern - another tradition very much adhered to in Scotland, and often a very useful clue/tool.  I'm coming up with 'Margaret BUCHANAN' as a name? as follows:

From Census and Family search, the names of their children born:
Robert WALKER 1855
William Watson WALKER 1856
Duncan WALKER 1858
Mary WALKER 1862
Margaret Buchanan WALKER 1865
James WALKER 1867
John WALKER 1869
Peter WALKER 1871

There are child size gaps at crucial points in the timeline of births, but if this is the full list of live births to this couple then the pattern, if used might  be:
1st Son, after father's father:   Robert WALKER, b 1855
2nd Son, after mother's father: William Watson WALKER, b 1856
3rd Son, after father (but name already covered by 1st son)

1st Daughter, after mother's mother: Mary WALKER, b 1862
2nd Daughter, after father's mother: Margaret Buchanan WALKER, b 1865
3rd Daughter, after mother (but name already covered by 2nd daughter?)
....

[MonicaL]

Also on the other post, Ambly had found and provided for you the 1891 and 1901 censuses. Looks like you have the complete set for Robert (albeit with the question marks up to his marriage in 1854).

Monica