Robert and Christina Armit, Kirkwall

[Chiad Fhear]

Hi there Orcadians

Can I have a bit of assistance please?

I recently discovered that a maternal 2nd Great Graund Aunt - Christina/Christian PEARSON - married Robert Armit, a Farmer (son of John Armit, Minister of Westray and his spouse Jean Oliphant) on 30 October 1844 in Westray & Papa Westray, Orkney by the Reverend James Brotchie.  The witnesses were James Stewart, an Engineer, and Miss Catherine Armit (perhaps Robert's sister).

Christina/Christian was from Fife - daughter of David Pearson and his spouse Christian Wyllie - Willie on their daughter's Death Register.

Christina died on 11 March 1889 at Palace Road, Kirkwall and Robert on 28 June 1892 at the same address.

I have copies of the records of their marriage and respective deaths from General Register House, Edinburgh.

They appear to have had at least one daughter since the informant of Robert's death on the Death Register was his Son-in-Law - (possibly) COWPER, Glaitness of Kirkwall.

Can anyone shed any more light on this branch of my tree for me please?

Regards

Chiad Fhear

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1851
Parish Number 33
Westray and Papa Westray
Island of Westray
Orkney
address Tuquoy


Robert Armit age 40 Westray farmer of about 150 acres employing 12 lab
Christina wife age 36 Kellauqur Fife
John Armit son age 5 Westray
Christina Armit dau age 3
David Armit son age 2 Westray
Alexander son  Armit age 7 months Westray
Christina Pearson age 70 visitor born Kennek Fife farm managers widow
Christina Mackay age 22 servant
Margaret Mackay age 20 servant
Betty Leslie age 18 servant
Thomas Rendell age 21 servant
John Tullock age 18 servant
James Angel servant age 17
Robert peterson servant age 16

Pam

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1861
 registration No 21

Kirkwall and St Ola
Orkney
Farm House of Wogland?
Robert Armit age 50 Westray farmer of 160 acres employing 7 lab
Christina wife age 46 Kilunguhas Fifeshire
Christina W R Armit dau age 13 Westray
David Armit  son age 12 Westray
Alexander A son age 10 Westray
Jeand D Armit dau age 9 schonil? Fifeshire
Fotheringham Armit dau age 7 Kirkwall Orkney
Mary G Armit age 1 dau born St Ola Orkney
Catherine Irvine servant
Janet heath servant

Pam

[Chiad Fhear]

Hi Pam

You're posting faster than I can send my thanks!

Appreciate the help.

Can any Orcadians decipher the name 'Wogland' ... seems a wee bit politically incorrect 

The Fife addresses look weird but they are Kilconquhar - pronounced locally Kin-u-char ('ch' as in Loch)

Regards

Chiad Fhear

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1871 Registration No 21
Kirkwall and St Ola Orkney
Rose Bank House


Robert Armit age 60 Kelp Agent Westray orkney
Christina wife age 56 Kilconqhhar Fife
Fetheringham Armit age 17 dau Kirkwall and St Ola Teacher Private
Mary G dau age 11 Kirkwall and St Ola
Mary Mackay servant age 41

Pam

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I have no seen the original census pages so the transcriber could have put their own definition of the address.

Love the name Fetheringham.

1881
Registration No 21
Kirkwall and St Ola Orkney

High Street
Robert Armit age 70 born Westray Orkney Retired Farmer
Christina Gibson age 66 wife Kilconquhar Fife
Christina W R Robertson age 33 daughter Master Mariners wife
Mary G Armit age 21 sewing Mistress born St Ola

1891 Registration  No  21
Kirkwall and St Ola

Palace Road Coburgn  Ho
Robert Armit age  80 Westray retired Farmer
Mary Lucie servant

Pam

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1841

Parish No 33
Westray
Orkney and Shetland
address Touckway
Robt Armil age 30 born orkney and Shetland
Christina Pearson age 25  Female Servant born Scotland
Mary Logie age 25 orkney Female servant
Margaret reid age 20 Female servant orknie
Balfour Rendel age 15 Male servant  born orkney
James Rendel age 15 Male Servant Orkney

Pam

[Chiad Fhear]

Cheers Pam

The email notification of your last two responses never arrived in my Inbox and it was during a final check on the site before retiring that I found them!

So ... Robert married his servant lassie ... and there's a married name for their daughter Christina in 1881 as well?  That pretty well completes their story I think and, once again, I'm most grateful for the assistance of Rootschat ... and all of it in the space of four minutes short of two hours

I was amazed to see in your first response that Christina's mother - Christina Pearson m.s. Wyllie, aged 70 - had travelled all the way from Fife to the Orkney Isles in 1851!  Alas she died back home in Fife the following year

A great record this one.  I'm now wondering if Christina had travelled to Kirkwall with the fisher lassies who followed the shoals of herring around the coast and landed herself a young farmer. 

Robert was the son of the Minister of Westray - from the death register - so it's possible she was with 'The Mission' catering for the spiritual well-being of the young lassies.  Given his connection to 'The Kirk', I'll do a search on SP for OPRs for the children.  Hopefully they'll all have been recorded!!

Wasn't the daughter's name 'Fotheringham' an unusual one though?  I've never come across a Christian name like that before.

Best regards

Chiad Fhear

[Chiad Fhear]

Hi all

Just thought I'd let you know that the reference to:

'Farm House of Wogland?' ... reads ... 'Farm House of Weyland'

and

'Palace Road Coburgn  Ho' ... reads ... 'Palace Road, Colwyn House'

Thanks to a Member of the Orkney Family History Society for the answers!

A little perseverance gets me there ... eventually

Thanks to all for the assistance.

Regards

Chiad Fhear