Hey Rootschatters,
I have a conundrum that my uncle and I have been trying to solve for many years. I'm hoping that some fresh eyes could point me in the right direction, or pick up something we've missed.
The Problem: My ancestor, George Brand was a convict transported to Western Australia in 1855. He was a resident of Larbert, Stirlingshire in the 1851 Census with his wife Isabella and four children (David, George, Isabella and Andrew). The family came out a couple of years later to Western Australia, where I am today. Trying to trace his ancestry is the problem, His death certificate gives his age at death in 1872 as 55, a birth year of late 1816 or 1817. However, many family histories compiled of this family quote his birth year as 1820- going by how the 1851 census has his age.
So now there are two prospective Georges, one born to a David Brand and Janet Spittal in Culross, Perthshire in late 1816, and one born to a John Brand and Isabella Anderson in St. Cuthberts, Midlothian in 1820. Both my uncle and I believe it is the former, but once again there is no conclusive evidence to link it to either.
The evidence:
The 1851 Census has his age as 30, putting his birth year at around 1821. However, his birth place is noted as Culross, Perthshire. At this time they reside in Larbert, Stirlingshire.
His marriage in 1840 to Isabella Duncan in Denny, Stirlingshire. His first four children are also all born in Denny, Stirlingshire.
He was an employee first as a carter and then as a porter of the Scottish Railway Company, and it was from there that he orchestrated his crimes.
I cannot find him in the 1841 Census so far, but he would have just been married.
All other family histories note his parents as John Brand and Isabella Anderson, but without any plausible evidence. Even after I have enquired, people have admitted they don't have proof to show me (frustrating).
There is a precognition record (still kind of unsure of what this is) in 1819 for a David Brand and an Alexander Spittal (note that Spittal is David's wife's maiden name) for the crime of housebreaking in Alloa, which is one of the districts George would later target in his crimes. That leads me to think that maybe it ran in the family, as Isabella Duncan's (George's wife) cousins George and Joseph Donnelly took part and were convicted with George in 1852.
My Additions:
George's children's names follow the traditional Scottish naming pattern:
1st daughter= mother's mother (Isabella)
1st son= father's father (David)
2nd son= mother's father (Andrew)
3rd son= father (George)
From the OPR, Isabella Duncan was born in Muthill, Perthshire on Jul 4 1818 to a Andrew Duncan and an Isabel Kay. This naming pattern fits in perfectly with the David Brand and Janet Spittal theory.
Furthermore, it makes more sense to me for 1816 George to make the journey (presumably by horse and cart) from Culross to Larbert (approx. 4 hours) than for 1820 George to make the journey from Edinburgh to Larbert (approx. 10 hours).
This is a lot of info, but please let me know what you think. Any help is much appreciated!
Thanks,
EB.
