Jas. Robertson emig. to Australia, reputed daughter, born Montrose Scot. 1843

[hebbie72]

Hi,

A long shot....
Helen Ann Gordon Robertson was born illegitimately in Maryton, by Montrose to Jessie/Janet Campbell and James Robertson, a day labourer, in 1843.

Nothing else is know of James Robertson's origins.
His daughter Helen later married John Hebenton and had a large family in Montrose.
Family lore says thatJames Robertson emigrated to Australia and put an ad. in the local Montrose newspaper some years after settling there asking for his daughter to get in contact.
Perhaps she hadn't told her family she was born out of wedlock, in any case the ad. went unanswered, and any knowledge of the specific timing of it too, to find it again.

Does any Robertson researcher  in Australia have a smiliar tradition of a James Robertson looking for his daughter back in Scotland?

thanks for reading,
George

[cando]

I wonder if the informant for Helen's birth actually knew the biological father's occupation.  If James ROBERTSON was living in the Parish of Montrose then these are all I can find in the 1841 census.

1841 Census
ROBERTSON James 35, school teacher boarding in Union Place, Montrose
ROBERTSON James 35, farmer, living with what is obvioulsy his wife and family Charlton, Montrose
ROBERTSON James 21, ship's carpenter living in Queens Lane, Montrose
ROBERTSON James 15, caster app living in Bridge St Montrose
ROBERTSON James 15, carpenter's apprentice, living in Ferry Street, Montrose

Of course he may not have lived there at the time of the census.

Unfortunately family lore about a newspaper advertisement which we in Australia have no hope of researching, doesn't really help locate your person of interest

Are there archives for the Montrose newspapers of the era?

Cheers 
Cando 

[Seaton Smithy]

The  Arbroath Herald and Advertiser for the Montrose Burghs can be searched online at http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/.

Searches are free, a download costs but you get 15 credits (enough for one download) when you register.  I've found birth and funeral notices, so the type of personal advert you mention might come up if it existed.

[cando]

What good information for the OP. 

Hope he finds the notice.

Cheers
Cando

[hebbie72]

thanks to you both for the advice and information.
I have already tried the British newspaper archive. Although there are a number of Angus/Forfarshire newspapers online the Montrose one isn't so it would take a long slog to search through what could possibly be decades of papers
Maryton is a rural parish just outside of Montrose so the fact he was a hired daily farm labourer would mean James could have been passing through and may not even have lived in the area for any length of time.
It was a long shot.... but I live in hope!
Thanks again for your help