HUTTON, Edinburgh, ca 1792 - 1847

[baardsgirl]

Hi there :-)

I'm on the hunt for an ancestor of mine - Robert HUTTON, who lived and worked in Edinburgh between 1816 – 1847. I've got quite a lot of info about him and his family (relatively speaking) but I'm struggling to get to the next step. Here's what I have:

Robert HUTTON born about 1792 / 1796 (deduced from birth certificate and OPR burial records).

From 1816 to 1828, Robert is listed in The Post Office Annual Directory (Edinburgh) as a haberdasher / merchant working out of 36 South Bridge.

On July 4, 1825, Robert became a Burgess in the Edinburgh Merchant Guild. Fourteen years later, records show that  Robert HUTTON, haberdasher, 36 south bridge rd, burgess of before, [has become a] guild brother 12 march 1839. There's no mention of how he he became a Burgess so I don't know if it was hereditary or what...!

28 Oct 1829, Robert marries an English lass by the name of Eliza WARWICK, in London. I haven't found any mention of the marriage in Scottish records, only English.

In the 1829 Post Office Annual Directory (Edinburgh), he’s listed as a ’Silk Mercer’ with his business premises at Silk Mercer, South Bridge 24 and Buccleuch Place 29 (House)’ which corresponds to and confirms the information on Dinah Clark and Robert Joseph HUTTON’s birth certificates.

Robert and Eliza had eight children that I know of Dinah Clark (1829), Peter Hutton (1833 – 1914), Eliza Warwick (1836 – 1885), George Frederick (1837 – 1908), David (1840 – 1844), and John (1846 – 1925).

The 1841 census shows Robert HUTTON living at South Bridge 50 and working as a silk mercer. Also present at the address are his family Robert (aged 10), Peter (age , George (aged 3), David (aged 1), Eliza (age 35), Dinah (age 11), Eliza W (age -  5).  Visiting them are Hannah Warwick (age 30), John Jarvis (age 65) and Tamar Irvine (age 25). John Jarvis is a Strawhat Maker.

Robert HUTTON died October 9, 1847 of ’paralysis’ and was buried in ”the family tomb” at Calton Cemetery, Edinburgh.  

Eliza WARWICK, relict of the late Robert HUTTON, draper, died January 24 1854 in Mayfield Loan, St Cuthberts. Aged 50 years, 1 month and 2 days. Cause not given.

Over the next decade, all of the kids seem to disappear from Scotland and re-surface in Australia.

Here's some of my questions / conundrums:

(a) I haven’t been able to find any record of Robert HUTTON’s birth, and the only death details I have come from the Calton Burial records of 1847. Also, I’m wondering if the ’family tomb’ comment in the Calton burial grounds record can be seen as a long tie with the area, or if it was just preening on his part?!
(b) I’ve found his wife’s death record, but no mention of her burial. Would she also be buried in the ‘family tomb’?
(c) I’m surmising that the kids decided to use their inheritance on a one-way trip to Australia after their mother died; certainly none of them had taken up the ‘family business’ that I can tell. But I haven’t found any records of such.
(d) In light of my failing to find a birth record, how do I go about figuring where Robert came from – his parent’s names, geographical area, etc?
(e) Are there any obvious paths that I’ve missed in my research to date?! I’m still pretty new to all this and may well be missing the trees for the forest!

Thanks for reading
baardsgirl

[Little Nell]

The 1841 census indicates that he was born in Midlothian - so that might narrow it down a wee bit!

Looking at a Pigot's directory of 1825, there are a number of Huttons listed, including another Silk Mercer, David, at 9 South Bridge Street.  Food for thought?

Nell

[baardsgirl]

Hi Nell,

Thanks for the reply. I hadn't seen David there, but I did seem him (or maybe another David Hutton) in the Edinburgh burgh's apprentices register. Certainly something to think about - may mean their father, for example, was also a merchant... hmmm.

Also, do you happen know where I can find out about the old boundaries? Midlothian, for example, defining which towns were included in that county...

Cheers
baardsgirl

[Little Nell]

This is a good starting point:

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/sct/MLN/index.html

I can't find an online map at the moment of the parish boundaries    I feel sure I have seen one but can't remember where.

Nell

[cubbyhill]

In September 1810 John GRAHAM was in lodgings in Edinburgh and writing to his brother:
"I'm now with Mrs. Rose no. 5 E.RICK STREET, a very comfortable lodging I have and a good room I find I could live very comfortable and happy in Edin. - if I had plenty of cash. I have drawn about 20£ from Mr. HUTTON. We expect to open our new shop a week or two now."
Mr HUTTON's shop might possibly have been a linen or silk mercer.
From your post Robert HUTTON looks a strong candidate but the 1825 Trade Directory entry for David HUTTON makes it a more challenging search. Whichever Silk Mercer we are talking about, the following, from the same letter dated 9th September 1810, will be of interest: "We expect to open our new shop a week or two now It is just about finished. A man who lived above it opposed Mr. Hutton and would not allow him to take down a partition till it was determined by law in favour of Mr. Hutton that is the reason why it is so late in opening"
John Graham, the author, came from a farm just north of Longtown (Cumberland border with Dumfriesshire) and went on to establish a partnership in London, first in Oxford Street and then in High Holborn. John might have served an apprenticeship with Mr Hutton. If you know more about Mr Hutton's apprentices I would be really interested to know.

[baardsgirl]

Hi cubbyhill,

An interesting conunmdrum without a doubt! But I think in this case your Mr HUTTON will be Mr David HUTTON as my ancestor was only about 16 at that time so it would be doubtful that he had £20 to lend, and just thinking about it, he probably would have had an issue legally speaking as he had not yet 'attained his majority'. Not sure, but....

The source I have used thus far for apprentice / merchant / guild details is from Scotsfind.org. They have a number of free databases including an extremely user-friendly series of PDF documents that have been transcribed from old records (don't want to even imagine how many hours it took - but am v.v.v. grateful!)
The direct link to the guild records pdf file is http://www.scotsfind.org/burgesses_access/burgesses.pdf

There are a lot of 'legal' documents relating to Edinburgh also available on the 'Open Library', for example, http://openlibrary.org/b/OL6315896M/Roll_of_Edinburgh_burgesses_and_guild-brethren_1761-1841

Hope that these are of use and good luck with your search! baardsgirl

[cubbyhill]

Really sensible. Thank you.
Why didn't I "do the math"! before posting?
The links you have given are really helpful.

[baardsgirl]

Hi again, I'm exactly the same! I get so excited when I see something that 'just may fit' that I somehow, not purposely mind you, overlook the facts that don't fit (wishful thinking is what my mother says). I choose to take it as a positive trait - though I'm not sure everyone thinks the same! Typically I figure out something is wrong when ancestry says 'the person you have chosen as mother was only 4 years old at the time of giving birth. Do you really want to confirm this fact.' Or something along those lines anyway!

Good luck with your search