Searching for a Paton who was a gold beater and a random family from Middlesex

[PurpleSky11]

Hi,

I’ve recently learnt that my husbands great grandfather originated in Scotland.  I have no familiar resources to ask questions to due to some of the ups and downs of life.

His great grandfathers name was Robert Paton who moved to and married in England, however his birthplace is listed as Edinburgh about 1868 for his age.

I’ve found a census which I’ve verified every way I can, that he was living in Salford as a lodger to a family from Middlesex who the ‘head of’ was a gold beater , and Robert Paton’s occupation is listed a s gold beater on that census report and all following ones after.  The family he was lodging with had a daughter aged 6 who was born in Edinburgh, so logic tells me he probably made friends with his landlord in Edinburgh whilst being a gold beater and then work moved them both to the Salford area.

My problem is Roberts father is also listed in his marriage banns as Robert (a carter) and in Scottish terms appears to be a bloody common surname! So I thought I’d research the family he was lodging with in the hope to zoom in on where my Robert May have been living, to expand the family tree.

Most of the online resources I have access to don’t list that very English family being in Edinburg (the family name looks to be Olton, Alfred Olton is the gold beater and his daugher born in Edinburgh is called Mary Olton.  All my searches have come up blank.

So the questions I’m asking are :
1) Is there a good online source of census or occupations for Scotland that I could find?
If it needs a manual visit, that’s fine - I have family in Glasgow so not too far away, but I don’t know what to ask them to search.  I’d like at least to find the listing of the landlords child’s birth, I’m sure that would give e some clues on the area to focus on.

2)Are there any known listings of gold beating companies in the Edinburgh area, and if so what would I search for?

Note : re question 1, searching for a Robert Paton in Scotland with little other information yields too many roberts, hence why I’m focusing on the family he was living with to yield some clues!

Thanks in advance for anyone who can offer some advice

[MonicaL]

Welcome to RootsChat, PurpleSky11 

There are two Robert Paton birth index entries showing on Family Search around the right time, with father also showing as Robert:

1866 www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7HR-GXK
ADDED: This family in 1871 and 1881 has father Robert as a baker by trade

1867 www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F7HR-GXB
ADDED: Can't easily see this family in 1871

Let's see if we can find them in the 1871 census first...

Monica

[Milliepede]

Hi and welcome

There is a site called Scotlands People which would be a good start for you.

Re the Salford family the name has been corrected to Otton so 1891

Alfred Otton 31 born London
Helena Otton 28 born London
Mary Otton 6
Robert Paton 24

[Mabel Bagshawe]

Which fits with this electoral register entry

Alfred Churchill Otton
Residence Year:    1885-1886
Address:    8 Barony street, Edinburgh
Occupation:    Goldbeater

[Mabel Bagshawe]

Alfred and Ellen Reeves (presumably Helena) marry in 1883 in London, so they're not in Edinburgh for long

Think this is "Mary"

OTTON,  MAY HELENA
1884
Ref: 685/2 635
St Andrew (Edinburgh)

Also potentially
OTTON, EDGAR ALFRED b and d  1885  St Andrew (Edinburgh)

[MonicaL]

Is this Robert with family in 1911? www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XWBP-YNT

Monica

[MonicaL]

The second birth on the FS index has parents showing as Robert Paton and Ann Shaw. Jumping back, this looks to be the family in 1861:

Robert Paton 34 carter b. Parknuck, liberton
Ann Paton 27 b. Inveresk, musselburgh
Jessie Paton 6
Andrew Paton 4
Martha Paton 2
George Paton 9 Months

This entry shows in Edinburgh St Cuthberts, Newington district

I wonder if this is young Robert in 1881:

Jessie Cullud 25 b. (Portobello), Midlothian
Robert Paton 14 brother message boy b. Edinburgh

Address: 2 Grant Place, Edinburgh St Cuthberts, Canongate district

ADDED: I wonder if Cullud is a mistrascription of Cullen? There is a marriage in 1877 for a Jessie Paton to a Martin Cullen in the Newington District of Edinburgh. The original image for the marriage would include full names of parents for the bride and groom, including mother's name.

Original images are available to view on Scotlands People.

Monica

[MonicaL]

1881 entry for parents:

Robt Paton 50 labourer b. Liberton, Edinr
Ann Paton 45 b. Prestonpans, Haddington
Andrew Paton 22 son labourer b. Edinburgh www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FQBL-NMZ
James Paton 16 son bellhanger b. Edinburgh www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FQBL-NMZ

This entry shows in Edinburgh St Cuthberts, Newington district

Monica

[MonicaL]

Ann Shaw Paton looks to have died in 1903 at the age of 62. Death registered in St Giles area of Edinburgh.

3 possible death entries for Robert  Snr working with his birth year of 1830 +/- 5yrs.

Newington - age 58
Canongate - age 65
St Giles - aged 83

Finding Robert and/or Ann in 1901 would help with this.

Their marriage shows on 1 January 1856 in Duddingston www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XYMQ-GN5  The original image of their marriage would help you confirm their parents' names. Their death certs also will include full parents' details (if known to the informant) to let you compare and confirm details.

Monica