JOHNSTON-JOHNSON lost family help

[Vimto]

I am looking for any help in tracing back the Scottish roots of some direct ancestors called JOHNSTON or JOHNSON, principally Thomas JOHNSTON, a golf professional born in Musselburgh and his wife Jane, who moved to Croydon, Surrey in the late 19th century.

On the 1891 census, Thomas JOHNSTON is aged 40, as is his wife Jane, and they are living at No. 36 Riddlesdown Road, Croydon, Surrey; the family comprising:

Thomas JOHNSTON (40); b. 1851; Musselburgh; Golf Professional
Jane JOHNSTON (40); b. 1851; Edinburgh
Thomas JOHNSTON (14); b. 1877; Edinburgh; Golf Assistant
George JOHNSTON (12); b. 1879; Edinburgh
Mary Ann JOHNSTON (10); b. 1881; Edinburgh
Jane JOHNSTON (8); b. 1883; Edinburgh
Maggie JOHNSTON (6); b. 1885; Edinburgh
Janet JOHNSTON (4); b. 1887; Edinburgh
Christina JOHNSTON (3); b. 1888; Edinburgh
Peter JOHNSTON (1); b. 1890; Purley, Surrey

From this census record, I've surmised the family moved to Surrey from Edinburgh in c.1889 (i.e. after the birth of Christina and prior to the birth of Peter).

Can anyone help with tracing this family back to Scotland? Any help with earlier census records, marriage details, maiden name of Jane, ancestry of Thomas and Jane, etc. would be really appreciated, as currently this is a dead end for me in my research.

I am particularly intrigued by the golfing profession of Thomas JOHNSTON. Could he be the inventer of the first patented golf club:

"Patent 2683 by Thomas Johnson in 1876
( Non-wooden Golf Club heads )
The first ever golf equipment patent was granted to Thomas Johnston of Edinburgh covering the making of golf club heads out of a very hard rubber substance he called  “vulcanite”, rather than wood.  Today , only a dozen of these clubs are known to exist and they are extremely valuable." as cited at:

http://www.patentlygolf.com/Golf_Equipment-_The_Early_Year/golf_equipment-_the_early_year.html

[Piglet01]

Hello 'Vimto'.  Had a look on my 1881 LDS census  |Cd for all of Scotland and can't easily see the family - perhaps having  a bad day.

However, for research in Scotland.  An investment of £7.00 (seven) will buy you 30 credits on www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk  - the official govt website.   

This will allow for the viewing and download of up to 5 bmds/or census records - allowing for first time hit.  In view of what you have, if you download one of the children birth entries it'll give both parents names - as well as fathers profession and mothers maiden name - will also give date and place of marriage.  That's 6 credits gone.  For another 6 download the marriage entry which yet again gives both sets of parents names and both mothers maiden names. 

I'm unfortunately out of credits - and it's not even halway through the month.  Shall go and have another look on my census cd.  Good luck.

Regards,   Steve   

[Vimto]

Cheers Steve

I used credits at ScotlandsPeople a while ago in my hunt, but there were too many possibles, so I burned all my credits looking. Where can I get hold of the CD you mention? That sounds like a possible way forward without investing loads in credits trying to eliminate people. It's a shame you can't subscribe to ScotlandsPeople in the same way you can Findmypast. Regards.

[flst]

Hi, I've found your family in the 1881 census. They're in Edinburgh - 3 King's Stables. Thomas has been transcribed as James in Ancestry ( as has his son!). There is a daughter, Marion, born in Edinburgh around 1873. I suggest you look for her birth certificate on scotlandspeople. It will give the full names of both her parents. You will then be able to find their marriage certificate easier as you'll have Jane's maiden name. The marriage certificate will state details of their parents thus enabling you to find them in the censuses, & deaths etc. Happy hunting!
flst

[Vimto]

I can't see how Marion fits in, unless she is from an earlier marriage. She is not mentioned in any of the later census records, so I think this is not the family I'm looking for. Thanks a lot for looking into this. I would have thought the whole family would have come down to Surrey in c.1889. Marion would have been 16 years old and I assume it would be unlikely she would have stayed behind. 

[Vimto]

The 1911 census is the first census to be filled in by the head of the household. In 1911, Thomas had died, but his widow Jane filled in and signed the census. Interestingly, she gives her surname as JOHNSTONE. Her daughter Christina is a domestic servant in Croydon in 1911, and her surname is also recorded as JOHNSTONE. So perhaps any marriage records will have Thomas JOHNSTONE marrying Jane in c. 1875 in Edinburgh.

[Canisp]

Here is a Marion Johnston on the 1901 Census, age 27, born Scotland, living in Croydon.
https://www.familysearch.org/search/recordDetails/show?uri=https://api.familysearch.org/records/pal:/MM9.1.r/18GJ-HJP/p_10241882333

[Vimto]

Marion doesn't feature in our family history so she must be from a different family. On the 1891 census the same woman is cited as a domestic servant, full name is Marion Paxton Johnston, for those who might be interested in finding out more about her it would be worth looking on the 1881 Scottish census.

[MonicaL]

Hi Vimto

I do think that flst and Canisp are likely to be on the right track with the 1881 census find. On the Scottish Anc/y transcript there has been a correction made for a name change for James Snr to Thomas. The notes included show:

Thomas rather than James
This James is definitely Thomas Johnston, as I have most of his children's birth certs and the address is 3 Kings Stables Road. Also on their birth certs is his occupation of carter which matches this census, and the birthplace and time are the same.

This is the entry mentioned - everyone showing as born in Edinburgh except for James/Thomas Snr:

James Johnston 29, carter b. Musselburgh
Jane Johnston 30
Marion Johnston 8
James Johnston 5
George Johnston 3
Mary A Johnston 1

Address: 3 King'S Stables, Edinburgh

Who of their children is the one that you are following back?

I have a hunch from what I have seen from general searches that wife Jane's maiden name may be Paxton and might connect to this whole string of posts here http://newsarch.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/SCT-EDINBURGH/2007-05/1179481402

From IGI, a Thomas Johnson married a Jane Paxton on 30 June 1871 Edinburgh Parish, Edinburgh. IGI is good for showing Scottish births up to around 1874. There are three showing for this couple up to 1874, all in Edinburgh:

1. Janet b. 19 Oct. 1871
2. Mary b. 14 AUG 1873
3. Catherine b. 10 Dec. 1874

Regarding spellings of the surname, I would use wildcards where you can for Johnston/Johnstone. Spellings were not fixed at that time as they are today and you may find different registrations show with a different spelling.

Monica