John McRobert..bookseller..where did you go?

[kall]

I am currently trying to find out what happened to my 1st cousin 4x removed John McRobert. He was a bookseller born in Dumfries in 1831 and in 1852 was found guilty of setting fire to his shop. He was given 10 years transportation and sent to Stirling Castle hulk where he was till he was licensed in 1855 due to poor health . He then went to live at Auld Mills Farm at the Racks with his aunt and uncle Alexander Hutchison…I can’t find any trace of him after that and wondered if anyone is researching the same family and can shed some light on his whereabouts. Thankyou

[CaroleW]

Are you sure you have given his correct birthyear?  1851 entry shows him as b 1822

[CaroleW]

Who were his parents?

[kall]

Yes as I have the newspaper articles and they all say he was 21… I also have the records from ancestry and they all say 21 in 1852
His parents were James McRobert and Helen Lindsay who were both deceased by 1852

[Forfarian]

1841 census has John McRobert, 40; Mary, 30; John, 10; Nichol, 8; Robert, 4; Charlotte, 1; Charlotte Lindsay, 60. If that is accurate he was indeed born in 1830/1831.

In my opinion any census indexes or transcriptions that say he was 29 in 1851 are wrong. See the attached screenshot, which gives the ages as John, 20; Nicol, 18 and Robert, 14.

[kall]

Thankyou Forfarian

[loobylooayr]

Hi,
Silly question perhaps....but have you looked for him as McRoberts?

I knew a couple with the surname who were always having to correct people who added an 's' on their name.

Looby

[kall]

Hi Looby
Yes tried wildcards and still nothing