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Research in Other Countries => Canada => Canada Lookup Request => Topic started by: yvoeliz2 on Friday 25 March 16 15:36 GMT (UK)
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I am looking for any information post 1906 on my great uncle Donald Robertson, born about 1867 in Scotland, who emigrated to Canada in 1886. I have found him in the 1891, 1901 and 1906 censuses. He is a farmer in Assiniboia East, Saskatchewan in 1906 and appears to have stock. I have found that he was apportioned 2 parcels of land and he seems to have made it work. However after 1906 I can find no record of him. The last finding that I have is of a gravestone in Wapella, Melville Census Divion, Saskatchewan, which gives the dates 1867 to 1945. The headstone says 'In Loving Memory' and 'At Rest', so someone must have cared for him, although I believe he was not married, certainly not in 1906. This may or may not be him, but it could fit.
I would be grateful if anyone could give me any information from this area in Saskatchewan.
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Where in Scotland was he born and do you have the names of his parent's ?
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May be worth looking on 1871 & 1881 census to find any siblings who may also have emigrated?
Annie
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He may have sold out in SK and headed elsewhere. A single farmer on a quarter section would find it difficult to manage on his own.
There is a chap in the 1911 Census in Thunder Bay, a single farmer, age seems to fit. Or it could be him in the 1921 Census in BC at an institution.
There were a lot of Donald Robertson's, can you post his parents please, finding a death without parents is impossible to identify the correct Donald.
Thanks,
Don
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Many thanks for your replies.
His father was Donald Robertson and his mother was Elizabeth Petrie. He was born in Kirkmichael in Perthshire, Scotland on 2 April 1867.
I don't know of any other siblings that emigrated. We were only told of Donald in the family.
Very grateful for your help.
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I don't know of any other siblings that emigrated. We were only told of Donald in the family.
Hi,
My reasoning behind asking about siblings on the 1871/1881 was to find out names/yrs of birth of siblings which through the channels could be eliminated/supposed as having emigrated.
Basically to find out if you have the whereabouts of any siblings up to death in Scotland?
Donald has a gravestone so it's quite possible there were other family members around if he was unmarried.
Annie
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He may have sold out in SK and headed elsewhere. A single farmer on a quarter section would find it difficult to manage on his own.
There is a chap in the 1911 Census in Thunder Bay, a single farmer, age seems to fit. Or it could be him in the 1921 Census in BC at an institution.
The only single farmer in Thunder Bay that I saw on the 1911 census was born in Ontario.
The BC death registration for Donald in the institution indicates he was in the gas manufacturing business. His father was listed as Donald but his mother as Mary.
Of course, living on the land alone doesn't mean he didn't have hired help.
Jacquie
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Thanks once again for this useful informaiton.
I can see how a relative could have erected the headstone on the grave.
Donald's siblings were:
Alexander (Sandy) Robertson b 1868
Emily (Amelia) Robertson b 1871
David Robertson b 1872
Elizabeth Anderson Robertson (my grandmother) b 1874 d 1964 in London
James Robertson b 1877
John Robertson b 1880 (living in Glasgow in 1904 as he registered his father's death and in London in 1911, when he was a witness at my grandmothers marriage).
Unfortunately I am having great trouble tracking down records in Scotland as there is limited information given on genealogy websites and there are a large number of Robertsons with the same names.
Many thanks again.
Yvonne
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1871 Census Kirkmichael, Perthshire.
Donald Robertson 33 Shepherd.
Elizabeth Robertson 31
Donald Robertson 4
Alexander Robertson 2
Birth of Donald - https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FQRL-5LZ
Birth of Alexander - https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FQRL-1HC
Sandra
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Glenballoch Rattray Perthshire 1881
Donald Robertson 42 Shepherd.
Elisabeth Robertson 41
Alexr Robertson 12 David Robertson 9
Elisabeth Robertson 7 James Robertson 4
John Robertson 1
Sandra
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N, Persie Cottage Kirkmichael Perthshire 1891
Donald Robertson 52 Farm Servant.
Eliz Petrie Robertson 51
James Robertson 14
John Robertson 11
Sandra
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1901 Dall Cottage Fortingall Perthshire - ( Registration district Kinloch Rannoch)
Donald Robertson 62 Estate Manager.
Elizabeth Robertson 44
Sandra
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Thank you for your contributions. It does seem to me that Donald was not joined by any of his family in Saskatchewan which still leaves the puzzle of where he was in 1911 and 1921 census of Canada. As he had a farm in 1906 and was (probably) the one buried in Wapella, then I imagine this is where he settled until he died.
Are the records for the 1911 and 1921 censuses complete? Also why is there no death record, unless these are still in the process of being transcribed or are not available.
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You will not find a death record for the Donald Robertson who died in 1945 at Wapella as Saskatchewan Vital Statistics website has not done the deaths for that year yet it will be some time before that will happen. If you decide to send for a death registration you would want the genealogical long copy as it would contain parents names if the informant knew. The cost is $50.00 Canadian.
I am not sure that the cemetery headstone for Donald Robertson is the right one as the only land record that I can see on the Saskatchewan Archives site is for NW Section 12 Township 14 Range 33 W1 that is from the census record for Assiniboia East region. As we are not finding any more census records after 1906 he could have been deceased or moved to another location selling the land.
There was a Scottish Settlement Benbecula around the Wapella area but did not see his name on the lists of settlers. He could have sold his land and moved on as a previous poster indicated but to know for sure you would need to contact the Saskatchewan Archives for a copy of his land record. It can take quite a while as they are very backed up and the cost is about $15.00 Canadian.
His passenger record I believe indicated he was going to Portage La Prairie, Manitoba
I have done a lot of research in Saskatchewan my home province so let me poke around and see if I can come up with anything.
Lilybell
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I did some further checking around for Donald in Saskatchewan and I think that the headstone at the Wapella Cemetery is not him. The town office only has the information that you see on the headstone.
The Whitewood Library did a look up in the in the Wapella History book and there is no information for Donald in the book.
I think I mentioned in my previous post that he probably sold his land and moved on to a new location. British Columbia was a favoured location for a lot of Saskatchewan folks.
Right now the most promising lead looks like the 1921 census listing for a Donald Robertson who was a inmate at the Colquitz Mental Hospital.
I am sending you a PM .
Lilybell
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Right now the most promising lead looks like the 1921 census listing for a Donald Robertson who was a inmate at the Colquitz Mental Hospital.
That one isn't very promising. He died 28 Feb 1945 and the information on his death registration is little help in connecting him to the one being looked for.
The informant wasn't a relative and the registration has no birth date listed. The father's name listed matches but not the mother's (first name Mary, maiden surname unknown). It says he was married but only has a given name of Mary for the wife with unknown maiden surname.
It also says he was in Canada for 34 years 8 months of which 34 were in BC. It also says he was living in the jurisdiction where he died for almost 27 years. Not even a close match for someone who emigrated in 1886.
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01hd1/ (http://www.rootschat.com/links/01hd1/)
Jacquie
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Maybe not be the closest match but certainly worth taking a further look as whoever the informant was might not really know much about him. Especially as he was a patient in a mental hospital. I have some feelers out to the BC Archives so won't know anything for sure till I hear back.
I did run across a death on Saskatchewan Vital Statistics for a Donald Robertson died in 1914
but one would have to pay for the record and its so expensive for the long copy. It would be like searching for a needle in a haystack as there is no locality or age. ??? ???
Lilybell
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Donald Robertson can be found on his homestead on Section 12 Township 14 Range 33 W1 in the Rural Municipality of Martin # 122 in both the 1911 and 1921 censuses as a batchelor farmer. He was not enumerated at this location in 1916 for some reason. I think there is a 99.9% probability that the burial in Wapella is the same individual.
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On the attached list of original title holders of quarters of section 12-14-33 W1 it is interesting to note that Lady Cathcart, the sponsor of the Benbecula settlers was holding a quarter adjacent to that of Donald Robertson. Did Donald come to this district 3 years after the original settlers to join a relative from that group?
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Oops, here's the attachment that was meant for previous post.
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Good morning all have made contact with R M Martin #122 and they have indicated they have kept a lot of old property tax information on land owners and although it might take a bit of time she is willing to look through them. Oh I could hug her if she was in front of me. :) :)
Another strong lead and its free. I have looked through the 1921 census again on A and I have not found the record that manawakian has found. Am I missing something or are my eyes playing tricks on me.
Could you post the link please Now off to check 1911.Not finding anything on 1911 either.
Lilybell
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1911 census here
http://automatedgenealogy.com/census11/View.jsp?id=142521&highlight=23
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Ancestry has Donald Robertson born 1881 Scotland in the 1921 census. Search using only first, last, bd & bp with no exacts to find our man at the top of the list.
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Oops bd should be 1889 not 1881 in search.
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In the 1921 census Ancestry interpets rhe faintly scribbled age for Donald as 32, while a good argument can be made saying it is actually 54. I found him by browsing through the images for township 14, range 33 looking to see who was on section 12 at that time.
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I just heard back from R M of Martin #122 and tax records for Dan Robertson (Donald) indicate the land NW Section 12 Township 14 Range 33 W1 was sold in 1945 taxes were paid till than in 1946 the land was sold to someone named McFayden.
Donald's residence was listed as Redjacket which is in that area of Saskatchewan.
I called Wapella and the lady in the town office mentioned she ran across a box of vital statistic records. She is going to take a look to see if there might be a death for Donald and if found she will email it to me.
If nothing found you can contact Saskatchewan Vital Statistics for the genealogical long copy of his death.
My fingers crossed that she finds a registration, she mentioned she might not get to it until next week.
I am doing the happy dance for you. :) :) :)
Lilybell
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Go to this site to see how to maybe learn to whom he left money.
http://www.sasklawcourts.ca/index.php/home/court-of-queen-s-bench/wills-and-estates
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Hi all, I am away from home at present and only picking up posts when I can get wifi. Thank you all so much for your work. I can't believe how much info you have found. Will respond more when I return.
Many thanks, you have spent loads of time on my behalf and I'm very grateful.
Yvonne
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Hi Yvonne,
After a lot of searching I believe that the death for Donald Robertson buried at the Wapella Cemetery is your ancestor. I contacted the town office again in Wapella to see if she had found anything else relating to Donald's death and her reply was no.
The funeral home that handled deaths at that time and location does not have any records for that far back.
Your only option is to send to Saskatchewan Vital Statistics and request a genealogical(long)
copy of the death record. It is $50.00 Canadian and I believe you can print off a copy of the form
requesting the registration. When I do a request I put in its for genealogical research.
As you mentioned previously someone cared enough to put a headstone on his grave. I had a
thought that maybe a family member might have come over and did that or made the
arrangements.
Lilybell :) :) :)
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Back home again.
I will be requesting a copy of the death record as you suggest and am pleased to have had so much information. I think that probably it was not a member of his family who erected the gravestone as they were unlikely to have had the funds to travel. Maybe as he had been in Saskatchewan for some time, he had friends or neighbours who contributed to the headstone.
Thank you all so much for your contributions and if I can help anyone from the UK, please get in touch.
Regards
Yvonne