Author Topic: THOMAS WILSON- baker from Stranraer ?, Scotland to Chistchurch, NZ  (Read 661 times)

Offline bellysally

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THOMAS WILSON- baker from Stranraer ?, Scotland to Chistchurch, NZ
« on: Saturday 06 February 16 17:32 GMT (UK) »
Hi, I am researching my husbands Scottish ancestry and his 2nd great grandfather was Thomas Wilson who was the 4th child and 3rd son of William Wilson and Jean (Jane) nee Thomson. His fathers occupation was a skinner and both parents were born in Kelton. His siblings are William Balfour (1819-1897); Isabella (1829-); James (1831-) and Robert (1835-1921). Thomas was born about 1833 in either Stranraer or Kelton (as one census has Stranraer and another Kelton). He married Helen McHarg daughter of James McHarg and Jane/Jean McNeal/McNellie in Inch, Wigtown on 25 July 1853 and in 1855 Thomas and his wife and baby son left from London on the "Caroline Agnes" for Lyttelton, NZ and then settled in Christchurch and had several businesses, including a bakery in Columbo St called "Caledonian Bakery". Two of his brothers, William Balfour Wilson and Robert Wilson also immigrated to Christchurch and Robert was also a baker and later he settled in Kaiapoi and had his own business. William Balfour was to become Christchurch's first mayor and was married to Elizabeth Williams who came out to NZ with her parents and two brothers and four sisters on one of the Four Ships. When Thomas arrived in NZ he was a master baker and in the 1851 Scotland census he was age 18 and occupation baker as well as his younger brother Robert and they were living with their parents on Stoneykirk Rd, Stranraer. I can find no records as to where Thomas served his apprenticeship in Scotland and also apart from what I have found in Papers Past (NZ site) regarding his bakery shop and business partnerships with his brother in law John McHarg nothing much else. Also I only have for his father William as born abt 1798  in Kelton; occupation skinner and three census 1841, 51,61 as well as for his mother Jean(Jane) born Kelton about 1800 and the three census 1841,51,61. The 1861 census just has William and Jane and both born in Kelton, living at Back St and William is a labourer age 61 and Jane is age 66.
 Am hoping that someone may know about the Wilson family from Kelton/Stranraer/Wigtown; where Thomas did his bakers apprenticeship and anything about his life in Christchurch also anything about his brothers James and Robert and sister Isabella and if anyone knows who were the parents of William and Jean/Jane.
 As for his brother William Balfour there is lots of information about him on the internet including photos and maps of all the land he owned at one time in Christchurch.
  Thanking in advance for any help.
      Cheers, Judy
Berry, Kennedy, Prime, deMalmanche, Pew, Murphy, Hastie, Wilson, Simpson, McDiarmid, Harkness, Johnston, Yorston