Baxter Family - Motherwell, Wishaw

[Anniebc44]

Hi. I have this information to answer some of the questions
James Kennedy
Birth:    Dec. 14, 1842, Scotland
Death:    Mar. 31, 1924
Fairfield (Jefferson County)
Jefferson County
Alabama, USA

James Kennedy was born in 1842 in Carnbroe, in the parish of Bothwell, Lanarkshire, Scotland to James Kennedy and Mary Brittan. He was baptised on Jan 2, 1842 at St. Margaret's, Airdrie, Scotland. He married Eauphiamia Storrie on December 31, 1862 in Calderhead, Lanark, Scotland. James was trained as a mining engineer at the Edinburgh School of Engineering in Scotland, along with a close friend, Mr. Baxter. Both families emigrated to the United States about 1869, where James worked at mining operations in various states, including Pennsylvania, Ohio, Tennessee, and Alabama. Children of this family were:
--James C. Kennedy born April 30, 1864, Calderhead, Lanark, Scotland, married Catherine, then married Katy Meyers January 25, 1899 in St. Charles, Saginaw, Michigan.
--Elisabeth Kennedy born January 12, 1866, Calderhead, Lanark, Scotland
--Catherine Kennedy born November 13, 1867, Calderhead, Lanark, Scotland
--John Kennedy born about 1870 in Pennsylvania
--Mary Briton Kennedy born August 1872 in Pennsylvania, married James Scott Williamson on January 22, 1892 in Jefferson County, Alabama.
--Peter Kennedy born October 15, 1874 in Youngstown, Mahoning, Ohio, married Josephine King August 16, 1896 in Monroe, Iowa, then married Bertha Jane Chapman July 24, 1906 in Hocking, Iowa.
--Margaret Euphemia Kennedy born Feb 22, 1878 in Youngstown, Twp, Mahoning, Ohio, married William R. Thornton on Oct 21, 1895 in Jefferson County, Alabama.
--George Kennedy was born November 17, 1881 and died in Jefferson County, Alabama at the age of 11.
--Willie Kennedy was born April 1884 in Alabama.
--Robert Baxter Kennedy (adopted) was born January 12, 1889 in Tennessee and died in Jefferson County, Alabama on April 8, 1972. His middle name may have been Burns.

James Kennedy's friend, Mr. Baxter, who had come with him from Scotland, lost his wife to the plague about 1889 in Jefferson County, Alabama, when his son was about 2-3 months old. Grief stricken, he could not bear the US anymore, and returned to Scotland. He left his son Robert (Bob) Baxter in the care of James and Eauphiamia Storrie Kennedy, who raised him as their own, and Robert took their last name of Kennedy.


 
Family links:
 Spouse:
  Eauphiamia Storrie Kennedy (1845 - 1892)
 
 Children:
  George Kennedy (1881 - 1893)*
  Robert Burns Baxter Kennedy (1889 - 1972)*
 
*Calculated relationship
 
Burial:
Cardwell Family Cemetery
North Johns
Jefferson County
Alabama, USA
 

[Anniebc44]

Timeline Robert Burns Baxter / Kennedy
1889
12 Jan.
Birth
 
Tennessee, USA
1916
30 Sep.
27 years old
Marriage
 
With Kathryn Idella Moore
Ensley, Jefferson, Alabama
1918
2 Dec.
29 years old
Birth of a son
 
Kenneth Kennedy
Alabama
1939
30 Oct.
50 years old
Death of a son
 
Kenneth Kennedy
Birmingham, Jefferson, Alabama
1940
30 May
51 years old
Death of the spouse
 
Kathryn Idella Moore
Birmingham, Jefferson, Alabama
1972
8 Apr.
83 years old
Death
 
New Castle, Jefferson, Alabama, USA

[Anniebc44]

On this Death notice his father is named as Andrew Kennedy and not James Kennedy as on all other info. Could this have meant to say Andrew Baxter?

[loobylooayr]

 Good morning,

The Kennedy family are in Hickory Township, Mercer, Pennsylvania at the US 1870 Census -
They are recorded with the surname Canada.

James Canada -    27 - Coal Miner born in Scotland
Eupheme Canada - 24 - Keeps House  born in Scotland
James Canada - 6                               born Scotland
Catherine Canada - 2                           born in Scotland

I think the story of the men being qualified as Mining Engineers is a family myth. I suspect both men were coal miners - maybe they worked their way into better positions in the mining industry during their careers due to their experience?

Incidentally, I wonder if the middle names Burns is a bit of a red herring.
Robert Baxter Kennedy's birth date on WW1 draft is 12th Jan. Our national bard's birthday is 25th Jan. Not impossible that he could've been given the middle names Burns in honour of Robert/Rabbie Burns.

Name on father on death certificate - that info would've been provided by whoever registered Robert's death. They may have made a mistake.

Looby

Added - Found the Kenndy/Canada family on FamilySearch

[Forfarian]

Revised time line concentrating on the most relevant events.

? Andrew Baxter marries ?, either Scotland or (more likely) USA

12 January 1889 Andrew Baxter and ?, a son Robert Burns Baxter, Bon Air, Tennessee, USA

1889/1890 death of ?; Robert Burns Baxter handed over to James Kennedy and Euphemia Storrie, ?Alabama, USA

2 March 1910 Robert Burns Baxter Kennedy marries Ida V Smith or Franklin, Ensley, Jefferson County, Alabama, USA

30 September 1916 Robert Burns Baxter Kennedy marries Katherine Idella Moore, Johns, Jefferson County, Alabama, USA

8 April 1972 Robert Burns Baxter Kennedy dies in New Castle, Jefferson County, Alabama, USA

The critical detail that is necessary to solve this matter is the name of Robert Burns Baxter Kennedy's biological mother. We can revise and review and repeat as much of the other information as we like as often as we like, but in the absence of that detail we are going nowhere with this query.

The places one would reasonably expect to find his mother's name are on his birth, marriage and death certificates.

Anniebc44 has told us somewhere in one of these threads that she has Robert's death certificate, so presumably it does not contain the name of his mother.

She has also told us that she has not been able to find his birth record.

She has not explicitly said that she has seen either of his marriage certificates, but she does have names for the parents of both of his wives. Where did this information come from if not from the marriage records?

If it came from the marriage records, what did Robert say were the names of his parents on those certificates?

If it didn't come from the marriage records, then the next step is to get hold of copies of the original marriage certificates (not the index listings and/or marriage bonds that are online at FamilySearch) and see what they say.

[Forfarian]

Might this be a possible marriage...
BAXTER ANDREW / BURNS MARGARET - 1886
644 / 3 / 306 DENNISTOUN (Glasgow)
Add - I've just noticed, Margaret BURNS has another surname...
BAXTER ANDREW / COWAN MARGARET - 1886
644 / 3 / 306 DENNISTOUN
There are at least 3 reasons I can think of for having 2 surnames, the obvious 1 being she may have previously been married although that info. would only be available on viewing the MC.

I gave in and looked at it, at vast expense (almost enough to buy half a cup of coffee or 3 whole cigarettes )

Margaret Burns was a widow and her father's surname was indeed Cowan.

Andrew Baxter was a gutta-percha worker, not a miner or an engineer.

Also, assuming that the information on James Kennedy in FindAGrave is correct, Andrew Baxter went to the USA with James Kennedy, and, from the 1900 census, James K emigrated in 1869, so this marriage was 17 years after Andrew Baxter, father of Robert Burns Baxter Kennedy, had left Scotland.

Yes, he could have gone back to Scotland to marry, but in that case his marriage certificate would have said he was a miner or engineer, and (probably) that his residence was in the USA.

So, tempting as it is, I reckon this marriage is a red herring.

[Anniebc44]

Thank you all so much for your enthusiasm . I will follow up as much as I can. X