Gordon Blair - Mystery? or Not!

[isobelw]

I have completely lost track of what has and has not been posted already on this thread, but has anyone looked at the original baptism of James Gordon Blair, son of John Blair, on 7 October 1842, baptised October 1842 in the Ivy Place Associate Church, Stranraer, Wigtownshire?

1851 Census, Newton Ralston, Neilston, Renfrewshire (from FreeCEN)
John Blair, head, 47, joiner
Elizabeth Blair, wife, 47
Jean R Blair, daughter, married, 20, sea captain's wife
John Blair, son, 14
Hugh Blair, son, 13
Neil Blair, son 11,
James Blair, son, 9, born Stranraer
William Blair, son 6
Elizabeth Adair, granddaughter, 5

Interesting coincidence that there should be a daughter Jane apparently married to a Mr Blair?

James Gordon Blair appears to be the son of John Blair ( born New Daly Ayrshire) and Elizabeth McCartney ( born Kirkmaiden, wigtonshire) who married in 1823. The Jane R Blair in 1851 is actually John and Elizabeth's daughter Jane Kirkland Blair. She married George Frederick Adolphus Augustus Adair in 1848 and the two Adair grandchildren  living with John and Elizabeth in 1861 are hers. George supposedly died in Calcutta in 1856 and Jane then married George Weir in Liverpool in 1864.
Isobel

[isobelw]

There are four entries for jane's death in 1911 on SP.
Jane Drummond Blair
Jane Drummond Taylor
Jane D Schawbe
Jane D Norvall
The original can be viewed on a tree on Ancestry and confirms parents as Henry Schawbe, ship owner (deceased) and Jane Norvall, Housekeeper, subsequently married to Gordon Blair, Law Clerk. Informant was her husband Charles Taylor.
From the wording of the parental info on both marriage and death certificates it would seem that Jane was illegitimate.
There were several Schwabe families in Glasgow in the 1850's but there is only one Schawbe ref on SP other than two entries (marriage and death) pertaining to Jane Drummond Schawbe. The other ref is for Ludolp Schawbe in the 1855 valuation roll but he appears as Schwabe in 1851 census.
There is a Henry Schwabe who marries in Liverpool in 1851, who is described variously as a merchant and ship owner. He went bankrupt in 1857 and died in Scarborough in 1861, his wife having predeceased him in 1857.
Isobel

Ref the Henry Schwabe , shipowner, mentioned above I have found the following newspaper report. This ties him to the Schwabe families living in Manchester. Henry's sister is Julie Schwabe wife of Salis  Schwabe ( it would appear from the birth entries if her children on gro that her maiden name was also Schwabe). It is conceivable that the Manchester and Glasgow families were linked in some way - there was a Hermann in Manchester as well.
Isobel

[merryhow]

Hi, on my way out but just noticed last post,re Salis Schwabe .

Will listed for him 1855 Edinburgh , residing in Manchester

Val

[isobelw]

Silas' will is on Ancestry in the Prerogative courts of Canterbury wills. Several pages, but I am having problems reading it. Anyone with some experience of reading these kind of documents fancy taking a look!
Isobel

[isobelw]

From An obituary of Salis Schwabe it appears that he was sent from Germany to look after family business interests in Glasgow, before moving to Manchester. Pretty sure the two family groups must have been related.

[isobelw]

Another cutting showing link between Henry Schwabe in Liverpool and the Manchester families.

[loobylooayr]

Great finds Isobel 

So perhaps Salis's brother-in-law Henry (who could possibly be a cousin too  . Just seems odd that 2 unconnected Schwabes- Salis and Julie -should meet and marry in London. ) was in Glasgow at some point. Salis looks to have been in England from around 1837 , but could still have had business interests and family in Scotland.
Still of a mind that Jane Norval was not in a conventional relationship with Henry Schwabe where ever they met. Don't think she was in the same social class.

Looby

[isobelw]

Interesting article about Salis and Julia which says they were cousins.
http://www.middletonia.co.uk/peopleandplaces/schwabes.html

[Skoosh]

Jenny Lind "The Swedish Nightingale" when she visited Glasgow stayed in the Stockwell Street in an old building on the west side, (long gone), there is also a district named after her. So a connection also to the Schwabe family. Schwabe has three hits on,

 http://www.happyhaggis.co.uk

Skoosh.