Robert Hunter and Jane Barnes

[josie46]

Trying to go farther back in my tree.I'm stuck on Robert Hunter and Jane Barnes.Robert was a Master Seaman in the Merchant Service I found a marriage of the same couples names in Bishopwearmouth  1798 but as no occupation is given I don't know if them.I also found a Robert Hunter and Jane Burn married Horton with children of same names but on looking up the parish online records Robert is a pitman so not my ancestor.
My Robert and Jane had 3 children at least Robert Wilkinson Hunter born about 1803 in Sunderland sister Jane and brother George .Robert was dead by 1841 as Jane is a widow running a lodging house in Aberdeen with daughter Jane. Then on her death in 1868 she left her money to George her son in the will  as son Robert died 1866 and daughter Jane 1867 in Aberdeen  Any help appreciated.

[sillgen]

Hi
How do you know Jane's maiden name and Robert's occupation?  The fact that one son is called Robert Wilkinson Hunter must mean that there is a Wilkinson ancestor somewhere along the line.   Hsve you looked at the original register for the marriage in 1798 to see if there is any further information in it?
Andrea

[josie46]

Hi Andrea Thanks for reply I know their names from Robert Wilkinson Hunters death cert the Scottish ones give both parents names also from my gt grans birth cert 1857  Elizabeth Watson Hunter [the Watson from Isabella Watson 2nd wife of Robert Wilkinson Hunter which has the Robert Wilkinson Hunter on it , censuses for 1851 /61 Aberdeen and from Jane Barnes will Aberdeen  died 21 April 1868 at 48 Constitution St Aberdeen which states widow of Robert Hunter a Master Seaman in Merchant Service. of Sunderland where according to census she came from too.
 I also discovered 2 years ago that RW Hunter was married  before on 2nd Dec  1822 to a Margaret Clark in Kilmarnock Scotland .Margaret is on 1841 census of Kilmarnock with a son Robert  born 14th July 1823 he must have left her and married Isabella who came from Anstruther in Fife [haven't found trace of their marriage date but their first son Reuben was born about 1839 according to 1851 census of Aberdeen]

[sillgen]

Have you looked at Lloyds Captain's list?   Held at Kew but various other places have.  Cleveland FH Soc will do look ups for members.  Not sure if it covers dates that early but I found my mariner ancestor on there in the mid 1800s.
Andrea

[Sylverton76]

Hi Josie, I think the George Hunter that you have mentioned is my great (x3) grandfather.  Further information can be found here at RootsChat and at Ancestry.  I don't know if you will have seen this entry at FIBIS which names George's mother as Jane Barnes of Aberdeen?

A Robert Hunter was buried 23 Jul 1842 at St. Peters Cemetery, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.  Could this be Jane's husband?  I believe Jane was buried at the same cemetery 27 Apr 1868.

[josie46]

Hi There Not 100 % sure certainly Robert Wilkinson Hunter and sons Reuben and James are all music teachers as far as i've found RWH has a sister Jane born Sunderland  about 1802 who died Aberdeen as Jane[Jeffrey] 17th June1867.When he married his first wife Margaret Clark he had son Robert  born 14th July 1823 who became a clockmaker and also on the 1841 census is a son George[both Robert and George's ages are wrong on census]census is in Kilmarnock Ayrshire where they were married  on 2nd Dec 1822 and lived
.On Jane[ Barnes] will since RWH and Jane are both dead she leaves her money to [it say's son George but no address ] I know she has a grandson George born 15th Dec 1845 in Bellie so don't know if him. Also she seems to  be on her own with daughter Jane in 1841 census she is an inn keeper no sign of Robert Hunter senior It's a puzzle
Actually I only discovered  a few years back when I found a relative that RWH had left his first wife Margaret Clark and family for my gt gt gran  Isabella Watson I had presumed that he had been widowed and only when I found Jane [Barnes] death cert  the informant was her first daughter in law Margaret Clark then Margaret Colman wife of George Colman I knew she was still alive.Will try and do more digging .Where abouts do you live I'm in Glasgow

[Sylverton76]

Thanks for your reply.  Having spent a number of years looking for the family of George Hunter; I am still quite sure that he is the son or at very least related to Jane Hunter (née Barnes).

From the Families In British India Society (FIBIS) database, there is the record of George Hunter from Massoorie (likely to be a typographical error for Mussoorie) who is the son and heir of Jane Barnes who died 22 Apr 1868 in Aberdeen.  My great x3 grandfather lived in Mussoorie in 1868 and Mussoorie was much smaller than it is now.  The population of Mussoorie was between 2-3 thousand as one needed a permit to be able to live in the town.  As far as I am aware, my George Hunter was the only George Hunter living in Mussoorie at that time and should therefore be the person mentioned in the FIBIS record.

The FIBIS record states that Jane Hunter (née Barnes) died one day after your Jane Hunter.  With just one day difference between the recorded dates, I believe the FIBIS entry maybe a transcription error.  I have come across this situation before and considering some of the other evidence, I believe that this is the same person.  For example the marriage certificate of George Hunter shows George's father was Robert Hunter and your Jane Barnes was married to a Robert Hunter.

It would also appear that although George started out on his own in India, he became quite successful and even tutored Maharajah Duleep Singh.  The Maharajah resided at the Castle in Mussoorie, the house on top of Castle Hill.  The house belonged to Mr. Henry Vansittart, the second husband of Mary Amelia Dobbie, who happens to be the ex wife of William Jervis (my great (x4) grand/great uncle).  George Hunter owned the Belleville estate which, when he married Catherine Jervis, was bought by the town and became the Town Hall.  George then resided at Sylverton house with his family until his death in 1886.  The Sylverton house remained in the family until at least 1919. 

If you would like to know more about George and his descendents then please just drop me a line.

[josie46]

Hi there thanks for reply I think I put the wrong date on my Jane Barnes death it should have been 22nd April 1868 as it's on her will.Sometimes the BMD certs are hard to read if they are a bit faint So it definitely looks like same person.I haven't found Robert Hunter Master seaman's death yet don't know if he died in Aberdeen or at sea can't find him on any census.I thought he may have left a will too but so far found nothing in the Scottish wills.That would be great if you send me all you have on that bit of the tree.  I am also stuck on 2 of the sons of Robert Wilkinson Hunter. Reuben died age 30 in 1869 in Aberdeen  both he and brother James were Music teachers.there was also Joseph the youngest son but have been looking for Joseph Watson Hunter and James Watson Hunter for the last 10 years or so but haven't found a trace of them after the 1861 census Have hunted when in Edinburgh for deaths but nothing at all.Wonder if they went abroad too? Your George seems to have done well for himself in India. By the way what is your name?
Regards Josie