Robertson's in Inverness and Orkney

[aomething]

Good Morning,

I'm trying to determine where my Robertson's originated from.  I'm helping a friend to search for his Robertson family in Inverness, and we think there might be a connection with my Robertson family in Orkney.  I'm trying to determine how my Robertson's came to Orkney and if there is a connection to the Robertson's of Inverness. 

The furthest back for my family is George Robertson (b. about 1701 in Orphir) and his wife Jean Gray (b. about 1700 in Orphir).


For my friend I've been able to get back to John Robertson (no dates - born North Uist, Invernesshire) and his wife, Catherine Macqullis. I don't know if that is the correct spelling or not.

Any thoughts or help would be greatly appreciated. 

Thank you,

Jenn (Robertson) Linn

 

[Forfarian]

I don't know if that is the correct spelling or not.

Sorry I can't help with your Robertsons, but please don't get hung up on spelling. Until the 20th century spelling simply did not matter. Names were spelled any way that the person writing them down felt like spelling them at the time, and it's not unusual to find the same individual's name spelled in more than one way in a single document.

[Paul Michael Robertson]

Hi Jenn,

It is more probable than not that George descends from one James Robertson, who supposedly arrived in Orphir in 1630 from Downie Hill, Strathardle, in Perthshire.  You can read about that Robertson family here: https://archive.org/stream/stemmatarobertso00robe#page/26/mode/2up.  I conclude that your Robertson family (George and Jean) is connected to this Robertson family because dna tests show matching in the descendants of both lines.  I do not know, however, exactly where the two lines tie together. 

Paul Robertson

[Skoosh]

Have a look at the "Cursiter" website.          http://www.cursiter.com/

Skoosh.

[aomething]

Thank you for the link for the Robertson's.  This is awesome!  I will be reading through it to try and determine my connection.  I've looked at the Curister website, but it only goes back to 2nd great grandparents.  I've been able to search back to my 8th Great Grandparents, George Robertson and Jean Gray. I'm hoping I can find who George's father is and keep going! 

Thank you again!
Jenn 

I will share this with my friend.  He will be amused to see that there may be a connection!

[Paul Michael Robertson]

Hi Jenn,

You and I are stuck at the same place as we try to make the connection back.  Could I ask, do you descend down through the side of the Robertsons that went to the island of Walls, via George and Jean's son Thomas (married to Euphan Taylor)?  I am facing two road blocks - the one we talk about here, and also where my ancestor, Alexander, fits into this line at a later time, and I am trying to understand the tree to address that second block too.

Paul

[aomething]

Hi Jenn,

You and I are stuck at the same place as we try to make the connection back.  Could I ask, do you descend down through the side of the Robertsons that went to the island of Walls, via George and Jean's son Thomas (married to Euphan Taylor)?  I am facing two road blocks - the one we talk about here, and also where my ancestor, Alexander, fits into this line at a later time, and I am trying to understand the tree to address that second block too.

Paul

Hi Paul,

Yes, I do descend from George and Jean's son Thomas, married to Euphan Taylor. 
My line is:
George Robertson  and Jean Gray
Thomas Robertson and Euphan Taylor
Edward Robertson and Margaret Sutherland
James Robertson and Elizabeth Bremner Cromarty
James Cromarty Robertson and Jean Sutherland
James Robertson and Mary Ann Davidson (my great grandparents)

Maybe between the two of us, we'll be able to figure this mystery out!  I have been able to go back to George and Jean with documents (difficult to read, but was able to figure out they are Thomas Robertson's parents. 

Wish I could go back further!!

Jenn

[Rosinish]

For my friend I've been able to get back to John Robertson (no dates - born North Uist, Invernesshire) and his wife, Catherine Macqullis.

Hi Jenn,

Can you tell me with a quesstimate when John & Catherine were born please & was Catherine from N Uist 

I am trying to work out what the surname should be as I have a feeling MacQuillis may be a variant of something else 

Annie

ADDED.........I forgot to say I think it may be MacCuish or MacQuarrie or MacKiggan???

Just looking at possibilities with what I have.

[Paul Michael Robertson]

Aha!  I hadn't paid attention to that!  I had James Robertson under Edward Robertson's second marriage, to Christina Groat, and hadn't paid attention that James mother is listed as Margaret Sutherland in the statutory death records. I'll put James in the right place!  (I have lots on the Edward/Christina descendants, but had nothing on the Edward/Margaret Sutherland side.)

When you say the document for Thomas and Euphan's parents being George and Jean, do you refer to the baptism? That's what I used too, but I wasn't sure at first. But I was more persuaded when I got the rest of Thomas and Euphan's kids, and saw that the first girl was Jean, and the first boy was George, following Scottish naming patterns. Is that how you got there too?