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Messages - Stanza

Pages: [1] 2 3 4 ... 19
1
Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs / Re: Wartime pic - can it be improved?
« on: Tuesday 11 November 25 19:37 GMT (UK)  »
Thank you so much.   :)

2
Free Photo Restoration & Date Old Photographs / Wartime pic - can it be improved?
« on: Sunday 09 November 25 16:28 GMT (UK)  »
My uncle (Gordon Simpson) is on the left of this pic, taken in 1943 in Cairo, where he was serving with the RE 4th Parachute Squadron.

Any help in improving the quality of the pic would be gratefully received. Thank you.

3
Aberdeenshire / Re: William Robb
« on: Wednesday 11 November 20 22:38 GMT (UK)  »
Looking on FreeCEN for unmarried William Robbs in the area in 1871, born 1820 - 1856, comes up with:

William Robb, 17, mill worker (wool spinner), living with father (a labourer) in Strichen

William Robb, 27, farm servant, working for his father at Bluebog, Rathen

William Robb, 28, labourer, boarding in Fraserburgh

All of whom may be totally innocent.

I note that at the time of Joan Robb Ogston's birth in 1873, her mother Elizabeth was about 31 - one of the older William Robb's therefore seems more likely to be the father - although to be fair the "William Robb, Labourer, in Strichen" does point to the young man - or MORE PROBABLY, his father William Robb, aged about 40 at the time of Joan's birth and recorded two years earlier as a labourer in Strichen. [** See note at end of this message.]

The William Robb living at Bluebog, Rathen in 1871 was my Great-Grandfather - my grandfather John Simpson being born illegitimately in 1868 to Isabella Simpson in Rathen.

The same Wiliam Robb was also the father of William Kelman, born illegitimately in 1865 to Mary Kelman in Doulie, Fraserburgh.

Both the above paternity cases were determined by Sheriff Court proceedings in 1868. (The RCE's are associated with the birth records on ScotlandsPeople.)

There is also Annie Kelman, born illegitimately to Mary Kelman in May 1876. Her death registration shows William Robb to be her father - quite possible, as in 1881 Mary was working as a domestic servant at Bluebog, Rathen, while William was still living there. (The caveat is that Mary already had at least three illegitimate children; young William in 1865 to William Robb, and two others to two other men!)

Despite their tangled lives, William later married Mary Kelman (in 1885) but she died in 1893. Perhaps unsurprisingly, William remarried six months later!

If any of that tallies with the Wiiliam Robb you are looking for, send me a PM and we can discuss it further, as I've traced his ancestry back a few generations.

EDITED
[**The older William Robb living and working as a labourer in Strichen was born in Rathen, probably in 1832 to James Robb & Grace (Grizzell) Johnston. It's possible that James Robb was born in 1780 to Thomas Robb & Mary Bissett, but I have no definite proof - it fits with the OPR but it's not conclusive. It's also probable there is a family connection to "my" Robb family from Rathen, but I haven't yet found the link.]

4
Aberdeenshire / Re: Parents of Isabella Gatt (born c 1815, Aberdour)?
« on: Tuesday 16 April 19 22:59 BST (UK)  »
I've sent you an email, Kathleen.

(Not much further with the Gatts of Pennan, unfortunately!)

5
Aberdeenshire / Re: James Robb (b~1782) and Isabella Stewart (b~1780).
« on: Wednesday 28 November 18 23:25 GMT (UK)  »


From SP - the spelling of the surname may have meant it didn't come up, unless you'd selected Name Variants  :)

Campbel Alexander, Parents: James Campbel/Jannet Cullen, 18/10/1772, Aberdour, Aberdeenshire 169/10 261

D'oh! Schoolboy error!  ::)

6
Aberdeenshire / Re: James Robb (b~1782) and Isabella Stewart (b~1780).
« on: Wednesday 28 November 18 01:13 GMT (UK)  »

Mary (Stewart) Robb, if it is she (?),  claims in the 1861 census to have been born c1785 in New Deer, and I cannot see her in the 1861 census. Death registration only began in 1855 and I cannot find her death after that date unfortunately, as that would have given her parentage. The New Deer parish register shows a Mary Stewart baptised on 17 Mar 1781 to John & Jean Stewart, and this MAY be her - it was not unknown for a prospective wife to shave a few years off her age! (Note there is also a Mary Stewart baptised in 1784 in Rathen to Robert Stewart.)


There is also a Mary Stuart baptised in New Deer 11 Dec 1783 to William Stuart & Isobel Heaton. This is closer to the DoB claimed by Mary in the 1851 Census, and the spelling STUART is that used in the 1841 census (not conclusive, I know!)

7
Aberdeenshire / Re: James Robb (b~1782) and Isabella Stewart (b~1780).
« on: Wednesday 28 November 18 00:37 GMT (UK)  »
What connection, if any, is there between Elizabeth Campbell or Robb and Margaret Campbell?

I think I can answer that one  ;D

Margaret Campbell died in 1864 - her death was registered by Alexander Robb (son of George Robb and Elizabeth Campbell), and he is noted as Margaret Campbell's grand nephew, so Margaret Campbell was Elizabeth Campbell's aunt.

Margaret's parents are noted as James Campbell, quarrier, and Janet Campbell (ms Cullen). There is a suitable baptism of a Margaret Campbell to a James Campbell in Aberdour on 28 Oct 1779. There is also a baptism for an Alexander Campbell to James Campbell and Janet Cullen on 18 Oct 1772, which matches the age of Elizabeth's father, Alexander.

On Elizabeth Campbell's death registration, her parents are noted as Alexander Campbell, farmer and Janet Gordon, domestic servant, so I think it's quite likely that Alexander didn't marry Elizabeth's mother.

Ruth

I agree with that line of deduction, and I had previously come to the same conclusions. A further bit of deduction/guesswork led me to believe that the two witnesses to Margaret's 1779 baptism (John & George Campbell) could well have been James' brothers - all three were quarriers. This ties in with another Margaret Campbell who was baptised 18 Dec 1778 in Aberdour, daughter of George Campbell & Agnes Bruce - witnesses James Bruce and James Campbell. The two Margaret Campbells would then have been cousins.

One piece of information that I had NOT found was Alexander's baptism in 1772 - I can't see it on ScotlandsPeople, where did you get the (valuable) information?

8
Aberdeenshire / Re: James Robb (b~1782) and Isabella Stewart (b~1780).
« on: Monday 26 November 18 17:34 GMT (UK)  »
Quote
Jean (15) is, I think, most likely to be the child of James Robb & Grace Johnston, baptised 6 Sep 1827 in Rathen.
Maybe, but that Jean would have been only 13 years old on census day 1841, not 15. She is in the household of William Chapman, farmer, aged 20, so is likely to be a servant.

I suggested this Jean as no other Jean Robb born in Aberdeenshire seems to be a better fit, and she may well have claimed to be 15 to get the post as servant. Of course, she could have come from further afield.

Another piece missing in the jigsaw: In 1841, in the "Village of New Aberdour", Elizabeth (presumably Campbell) Robb (40) is living with her father Alexander (68) and her children James (5) and Mary (2). No sign of husband George, though, so possibly working away? There's an entry for Peterhead that fits his age but no other evidence to support it.

9
Aberdeenshire / Re: James Robb (b~1782) and Isabella Stewart (b~1780).
« on: Monday 26 November 18 16:33 GMT (UK)  »
Apologies, Forfarian, about the James Robb in the 1841 census. I was wrong.

I had been (foolishly) relying on an Ancestry transcription showing a 55 year old James Robb & Mary Stuart living in Sauchentree in AberLour, and I thought that was who you meant. But I can't find that census entry using Scotland'sPeople.

It seems an odd coincidence for the same names (even common ones) to be in two locations, exactly the same age and each marked as Crofter, and I can only conclude Ancestry have got it wrong. But where did they get "Sauchentree" (or "Sarchintrce" as the Ancestry transcription has it)? Or could James & Mary have had two properties (seems unlikely) or be in the process of moving?

I've now got the actual 1841 AberDour census and I agree it is likely that the James & Mary living at Killyquharn are the right ones.

I see on the same 1841 census pages there are also entries for Jean Robb (50) and Jean Robb (15). It's possible that Jean (50) is a married name, if not she could just possibly be the Jean (b1789) in the Prayer Book but it's a long way from Keith if that is the case. Jean (15) is, I think, most likely to be the child of James Robb & Grace Johnston, baptised 6 Sep 1827 in Rathen.

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