Robert Hunter - Tinwald, c1849

[Silverhawk]

I'd appreciate any help in finding the birth and parents of my great-great-grandfather, Robert Hunter.  He's on the 1881 Scottish census, age 32, living at Kirkgunzeon, Kircudbright.  His birthplace is listed as Tinwald, Dumfries.  I've been to the Scotland's People website though and there's no-one of that name coming up in the search for births in Tinwald from 1847-1853.

Any ideas?

[irret]

Hi
I have found seven births in 1849 Scotland for Robert Hunter,Clackmannon,Renfrew, Lothian, are any of these places near Dumfries? I am showing my ignorance here.

[ganache]

 A search on the  <a href=http://www.dumgal.gov.uk/historicalindexes/census.aspx>1851 D & G Census</a> shows two Hunters in Tinwald. Helen,22 in the house of John Pattie, and more interestingly Robert Hunter, 30.

 Searching Roberts address shows his wife Sarah Black, 32 and his daughter, Mary S Black,1. Is it possible that these are your Roberts parents? All three were born at Kirkmahoe. The address is Shaws(849), household 4/23.

Hopefully this may be of some help to you.

[Silverhawk]

According to his marriage certificate, Robert's father was also called Robert, so that sounds promising.  Where is Robert Jnr though?  Allowing for a year's leeway either side when considering his stated age in 1881, he should be between 1 and 3 on the 1851 census

[ganache]

 Does the marriage cert give his mothers name? You could try looking him up on <a href=http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp>FamilySearch.org</a> with his parents names, it may bring something up, or even just his parents names to find possible siblings.

Have you found him on any of the other censuses? They may give different ages for him, I'd allow for more than a years leeway either side. Also his childrens names could give you a few clues as well.

  My great-grandfather, George Dunbar,  was also in Kirkgunzeon in 1881, working as a railway surfaceman. Who knows. maybe the knew each other!

[Silverhawk]

Does the marriage cert give his mothers name?

He was married in England, so unfortunately not   The family actually seemed to travel around quite a bit.  Three of his kids were born in Cumberland, one in Kirkcudbright and two in Durham.

You could try looking him up on <a href=http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp>FamilySearch.org</a> with his parents names, it may bring something up, or even just his parents names to find possible siblings.

I've had no joy on the IGI either.  It brings up one in Moffat and another in Sanquhar, that's it.

Have you found him on any of the other censuses? They may give different ages for him, I'd allow for more than a years leeway either side.

He's on the 1891 census, age 40, boarding with the McShane family in Havannah, Durham.  It must have been a temporary thing for work purposes.  His wife and kids are back home in Crook, Durham.  In 1901 the family is in Chester le Street, Durham.  He's 51 there.

Also his childrens names could give you a few clues as well.

His children were in order of birth: Wilhelmina, Mary Catherine (my great-grandmother), Robert John, Margaret, Jane Ann and Elizabeth Ellen.

My great-grandfather, George Dunbar,  was also in Kirkgunzeon in 1881, working as a railway surfaceman. Who knows. maybe the knew each other!

That would be a small world   Their exact address in 1881 was Drumcoltran Farm - is that near George's residence?

[Silverhawk]

I went back to this line recently, looking up Robert on the 1911 census.  He pinpoints his birthplace more accurately as Tinwald Shaws, so the family Ganache found looked very promising.  However upon researching this family, I found that while yes, they did have a son named Robert, he wasn't born until 1855 (at Blackerne, Parish of Crossmichael) and died the same year.

So... back to square one.  This is turning into a real mystery

[Silverhawk]

Still no further forward. I've done a search every couple of years to see if anything new has cropped up which may help, but to no avail. I'm guessing I've exhausted any leads by now, but thought I'd come back to this one last time before admitting defeat. If anyone can pinpoint him, you'll be solving a 15 year old mystery.

[Forfarian]

I have found seven births in 1849 Scotland for Robert Hunter,Clackmannon,Renfrew, Lothian, are any of these places near Dumfries?

From Tinwald, County of Dumfries (Dumfries-shire)
Clackmannan, County of Clackmannan (Clackmannanshire), is 92 miles away
Renfrew, County of Renfrew (Renfrewshire) is 77 miles away

Lothian isn't a single place. There are three counties making up Lothian: East Lothian (Haddingtonshire), Midlothian (Edinburghshire) and West Lothian (Linlithgowshire). From Tinwald to Edinburgh is 75 miles.

In the 1881 census Robert Hunter says he is 32. The census was taken on 3 April 1881, so if Robert's age is accurate he was born between 3 April 1848 and 2 April 1849 - in other words, he is three times more likely to have been born in 1848 than in 1849.

www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk lists 10 baptisms of Robert Hunters in 1849 in the Church of Scotland parish registers and two more in the Other Churches registers. Of these 12, the nearest one to Tinwald is in Ayr, County of Ayr (Ayrshire), 57 miles from Tinwald. Three of those in the OPRs have a father named Robert.

There are 13 baptisms of Robert Hunters in 1848, 10 in the OPRs, two in Other Churches and one in the RC registers. Four of those in the OPRs have a father named Robert. The nearest to Tinwald are in Glasgow, County of Lanark (Lanarkshire), 73 miles from Tinwald.

If your source, whatever it was, found only 7 in 1849, then I strongly recommend using Scotland's People in future, as your source obviously does not have all the available information.