Charles Robertson, Monymusk to Montreal

[Windsor87]

Hello,
I'm hoping that some kind rootschatters could do me a favour as I know nothing about Canadian resources.

This has absolutely nothing to do with my family tree, and instead has to do with my uni work. I am currently preparing a short presentation on voyage diaries. The author of the diary I'm looking at is one Charles Robertson.

He and his family left Monymusk, Aberdeenshire, for Canada on 14th April 1846. The article I am reading shows that in the course of the voyage his morther gave birth to a premature child. The schild died and was buried at sea. Not long afterwards the mother, Ann Robertson, died due to dysentry.

The surviving members of the family arrived in Quebec on the 20th May 1846 where they were met by relatives. By July they had settled on a farm near Montreal. That is the last we know about them other than the fact that the father, Alexander Robertson, died the following year.

Charles was 13 at the time he wrote the diary meaning that he was born in about 1833.
I would be interested to know what became of Charles. I know it is probably a long shot, but if anyone can find out, Rootschatters can. 

I will be grateful for any advice.

regards
Windsor87

PS. This would not be considered cheating.

[KarenM]

Hi Windsor,

If you go to the Library and Archives Canada site, you can search the 1881 and 1891 census for free http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/lac-bac/search-recherche/anc.php?Language=eng

Also, the 1851, 1901 and 1911 Canada census are free to search at www.automatedgenealogy.com 

Karen

[Windsor87]

Ah excellent. Thank you for the links. I'm hoping he did well for himself. I think the story needs a positive twist to stop the class from cutting their wrists. It was bad enough this week! 

So hopefully he didn't die a pauper or anything depressing like that.

[Jacquie in Canada]

Does the diary give any other details on his family like the names of any brothers or sisters (if he had any besides the baby who died at sea) or the names of the relatives they met?

Jacquie

[J.J.]

There is a Charles of right age Ste-Scholastique, Deux-Montagnes, Quebec in 1881...It is near Montreal
His next door neighbour is a William who was also born Scotland, so could be a sibling...Both have wives named Mary.
Both are occupation Marchand (merchant/ vendor/ dealer) How to prove this is your man, though...I take it no siblings were named? Need to find a marriage with parent's named. With the accent, sometimes misspellings of surnames as well... Did not find on any available online databases...
Here is a list of some Quebec resources:
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,266234.0.html

we posted together, Jacquie...you saw the same fellows I presume...

I don't see him there in 1891...but Wm. still in Deux Montagnes, occupation bourgeois?? I thought that was an  adjective...middle class.. not an actual occupation?  hmmm ...apparently it can mean business person....but that's rather general. Maybe I misread it.

[Windsor87]

Thanks for your replies.

Alexander and Ann Robertson emigrated with 6 children. I know that Charles was the eldest of the children but the rest are not named in the passage.
I would look them up on Scotlandspeople, but for the second day in a row I can't seem to access their website from uni computers. I shall try again when I get home though.

I too thought that the Deux Montagnes Charles of 1881 could be him - but I have very little proof as of yet.

(Edit: 1 Dec 09 - Accidentally named the mother as Mary Ann, when it was simply Ann)

[Windsor87]

This is the closest I could find to an Alexander Robertson marrying a Mary (although not quite Mary) in the Montreal area.

Nom époux :Robertson
Prénom époux :Charles
Nom épouse :Anderson
Prénom épouse :May
Année :1863
Église :Lachine saint-andrew's Presbyterian Church
Confession :Presbytérien
Pagination 2
Source Centre d'archives de Montréal, CE601,S124

   

[Windsor87]

I have finally had access to Scotlandspeople.

This must be the family I'm looking for:

Alexander Roberston married Anne Watt 31 May 1835 at Monymusk, Aberdeenshire.

Children of Alexander and Ann born in Kemnay (3 miles away from Monymusk):
Charles Robertson - b. 11 Mar 1833
William Robertson  - b. 21 Apr 1836
Ann Robertson - b. 22 Aug 1837
Margaret Robertson - b. 27 Jul 1839
Nathaniel Robertson - b. 23 Feb 1841
Alexander Robertson - b. 11 Aug 1842
John Robertson - b. 8 Oct 1843 

So there was a son called William.

If my source is corect, one of the children must have died before they set sail. They are all still living in 1841:

1841
Charles Robertson, 25, Farmer
Ann Watt or R, 25
Charles, 8
William, 5
Ann, 3
Margaret, 1
Nataniel, 3m

[J.J.]

You might also want to look at this John also occ. "Marchand" in 1881, St-Hermas, Deux-Montagnes...( wife R. Annie?)
If we could find them in 1901 when the dates of immigration were used on census it would help give a small clue...
http://data2.collectionscanada.gc.ca/e/e327/e008164956.jpg

ah, we posted together...yes, this may be the right family then...good start. (hmmm...a lesson to get your information together first next time)   J.J.

I figured there'd be an Alexander ...these last children were awfully young when the parents died... They either had to have been taken in by family or put into orphanages...