John Campbell and Christiana Sinclair (?)

[rm91]

Hi all,
My great x5 grandparents were John and Christiana Campbell. The 1841 and 1851 census in Hillgate, Gateshead, Durham, say they were born in Scotland, but I am having a lot of trouble tracing them. The census gives John's rough birth year as around 1800, and Christiana's as around 1807.

As far as I can see their first couple of children were baptised in Newcastle Upon Tyne (Christiana in 1827 at John Knox (Presbyterian), and Amelia in 1834)...

Their son James was baptised in Gateshead in 1839 and the online transcription gives the mother's maiden name as Sinclair.

I've a few Scottish ancestors I'd love to know more about but I am having trouble without finding and verifying a birthplace or marriage. I am new to Scottish research so any tips would be welcome! Thank you.

[rosie99]

Scotlands people is the best place for Scottish research
https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/search-our-records

[Forfarian]

The source of almost all the basic data for Scotland is Scotland's People www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk or SP for short. It's pay-per-view but modestly priced.

SP has two marriages of a John Campbell to a Christina/Christian Sinclair, one in Bowmore and Kilarrow (Isle of Islay) in 1825 and one in Leith in 1826. Note that this doesn't mean there wasn't another one of which no record has survived.

John Campbell and Christian Sinclair had several children baptised in Bowmore and Kilarrow between 1826 and 1830, so I think you can safely eliminate them from your search.

The index listing at FamilySearch for the Leith marriage also mentions an Angus Sinclair. You would need to view the original at SP to see what it says and why it mentions Angus Sinclair.

One of the useful tools in finding Scottish ancestors can be the naming tradition -

First daughter after mother's mother
Second daughter after father's mother
Third daughter after mother

First son after father's father
Second son after mother's father
Third son after father

Subsequent children after great-grandparents, uncles/aunts, other relatives, friends, minister/doctor/laird/schoolmaster/prominent citizen or their wives.

But I don't think it will be useful in this family.

I see from the 1841 and 1851 censuses that the children were Christiana, Amelia, Catherine, James, John, William and Alexander, and that there is quite a long gap between Christiana and Amelia, so there could have been two or three missing children. If there were, and we don't know their names, we can't deduce anything from their names. The only possible inference would be that Christiana's mother's name was Christiana or a variant thereof.

It also doesn't help that the sons are James, John, William and Alexander, those being by far the commonest male given names in Scotland.

[AMBLY]

I noted the space of years between daughter Christiana 1827 and Amelia 1834 in Newcastle on Tyne (NoT) - and at first wondered if Amelia was a different mother/ 2nd wife wife.

Then I saw too, the Leith marriage in 1826, as a possibility:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XYSM-JJ4

And the two baptisms, the 2nd being a good fit between Christiana and Amelia:

Christiana, 1 Jul 1827 at Groat Market Meeting NC,  NoT, John CAMPBELL & Christian
Catherine CAMPBELL, 3 Apr 1831 NoT, John CAMPBELL & Christian

The Groat Market Meeting House, was Scotch Presbytarian
https://www.british-history.ac.uk/no-series/newcastle-historical-account/pp370-414#h2-0005

The presence of a 5 year old Catherine in 1841, doesn't negate the possibility of Catherine baptised 1831 - it was common for (especially Scottish couples) to name the next born child of the same gender, after an earlier born child who had died.

Cheers
AMBLY

[DonM]

I will toss this out based on his occupation as millwright (1851).

John Campbell (joiner) and Christina Sinclair South Leith 1826.  She was the daughter of the late Angus a shoemaker in Caithness.

Forfarian contribution and the above are the only two OPR's listed but there could be more that are lost.

Don

[rm91]

Thank you ALL for the information given, I've certainly learned a lot and there's something to go on.

The presence of a 5 year old Catherine in 1841, doesn't negate the possibility of Catherine baptised 1831 - it was common for (especially Scottish couples) to name the next born child of the same gender, after an earlier born child who had died.

Cheers
AMBLY

It was their daughter Catherine (baptised 18 Sep 1836) who I descend from, but there could well have been an earlier Catherine.

I will toss this out based on his occupation as millwright (1851).

John Campbell (joiner) and Christina Sinclair South Leith 1826.  She was the daughter of the late Angus a shoemaker in Caithness.

Forfarian contribution and the above are the only two OPR's listed but there could be more that are lost.

Don

I did just find a baptism for a Christian Sinclair in 1810, to Angus Sinclair and Margaret MacKay in Reay, Caithness. IF this is her, it would probably have to mean she was maybe a few years old when baptised...

[DonM]

Angus/McKay was the shoemaker there are two others who were not.

This Campbell/Sinclair marriage occurred in June, when was the date of the birth/baptism of Christina in 1827?

Don

[rm91]

Angus/McKay was the shoemaker there are two others who were not.

This Campbell/Sinclair marriage occurred in June, when was the date of the birth/baptism of Christina in 1827?

Don

I found Christiana's baptism online as the following:

First name(s)   Christiana
Last name   Campbell
Birth date   25 Apr 1827
Baptism year   1827
Baptism date   01 Jul 1827
Parish   Newcastle
Church   John Knox (Presbyterian)
Father's first name(s)   John
About the father   joiner
Mother's first name(s)   Christiana
Residence   St. Johns

Also note the 'joiner' link there as well.

[DonM]

Thanks, I was trying to guesstimate if perhaps she was with child which would explain why she married young.

Don