Kirkcudbright 1841?

[Candolim_Imp]

I'm looking for the family of David Blair in Kirkcudbright, kirkcudbrightshire with wife, Margaret.

There were 2 Blair families in Kirkcudbright town in 1851, both headed by Davids... the one I'm particularly interested in is the older David... who I believe was a shoemaker (tho retired and not listed as such in 51). He was 78 in 1851, with wife Margaret (60) and they were living with daughters Jane (30) and Charlotte (28). All were born in Kirkcudbright.

I would expect to find Elizabeth Carson Blair in the household at this time, as she was born 1826-1831... by 1851 she and her sister, Mary, were in Liverpool (but we have a baptism match in 1811 for Mary as daughter of David Blair & Margaret McMonies. Though we don't have Elizabeth's baptism, we know she was Mary's sister and she named her father as David at her marriage).

I've already discovered that this David Blair was the grandson of Hugh Blair of Borgue, whose marriage was annulled by his brother's court action after Hugh's wife became pregnant,  because Hugh was deemed to be unfit to manage his affairs and not mentally competent to understand his own marriage... a book was written on the case and the life of the family in 2000, in which Hugh was diagnosed as autistic. The brother wanted to avoid Hugh's expected child inheriting the family estate... which annulment achieved, by rendering the child legally illegitimate.

After the court case in 1748, Hugh moved to Kirkcudbright with his "wife", where they baptised 2 children, the eldest being David, father of the David I mention above.

Any help at all on this family would be much appreciated, or any links to sites I might search.

Impy

[BronwynJ]

I'm descended from a John BLAIR who gave his birthplace as "Galway in Scotland", which I presume was either Galloway or Galtway.  Either way, it's close to Kirkcudbright. 

My John BLAIR was born about 1815.  He moved to Manchester, & later to Australia.

As far as I know he had no contact with his family of origin after moving to Australia, & so far we know nothing of them.

[tidybooks]

Hi,

In 1841 Census, David Blair is aged 65 born abt 1776; address is Castle Street and his occupation is Precentor Shoemaker. Precentor is a lead singer in a church. Wife Margaret is listed as 60 b abt 1781 Jane and Charlotte were both shown as b abt 1821 making them 20 but this was the year that over 15 the rounded down to nearest 5. There was a younger sibling named Elizabeth aged 15 b abt 1826.

Tom

[BronwynJ]

Hi Tom,

thank-you for looking this up & for writing.

That was Castle Street in Kirkcudbright?

If this is my John Blair's family, he, at about 26, may have already left for Manchester, where he was an umbrella maker for George Todman and Mary Todman.  I understand he was married before leaving England for Australia, however I know nothing of his first wife & any children he may have had in Scotland or England.

[Candolim_Imp]

Dear Bronwyn,

I have no details of a John of this particular family in Kirkcudbright, and all the children of the family appear to have been born in Kirkcudbright itself. However, one daughter, Elizabeth (see 1841 census) is not listed in the various sources amongst the baptisms of David Blair and Margaret McMonies' children, though we know she existed.

The research is much easier now Ancestry have added the 1841-1861 Scottish census to their database, and I now know that 2 of the unmarried daughters (Jane and Charlotte) were living with their cousin, Jane Carson in 1861, which is particularly useful to add further proof of our Elizabeth being the same one as in 1841 with the Blairs, as she called herself Elizabeth Carson Blair at marriage (though I've yet to establish the link between the Carsons and the Blairs or McMonies). We also have Elizabeth's sister, Mary Blair, living with the family in Liverpool 1851-1871, being head of the family after the parents had died in the 1860's. She is listed amongst the baptisms of the family, which is how we located them originally.

If John is related to the family, I believe it's more likely that he descends from Hugh Blair's brother, John, who took Hugh and Nicky to court to annul their marriage in the 1740's. We know Hugh and Nicky had only one son, and he appears to have had just one son himself, who is the precentor & shoemaker, David.

John had more Blair descendants, amongst them his grandson, David, who was born in the manor house at Borgue and became a general practitioner but moved to Kirkcudbright town c1830. I have visited the house he owned, where he raised a large family. it's possible that one of his cousins whose family didn't inherit the Borgue estate may have been born locally. I have been puylling out some of my Blair data to see what I can find (which is why I hadn't replied as yet), and I'll let you know if I find a link to the Borgue/Kirkcudbright Blairs.

Impy