Gordon Blair - Mystery? or Not!

[isobelw]

Hi OZScot,
Yes it was the 1861 census when she is living as a boarder in the household of Esther Jamieson. The transcript on Findmypast says she was a widow. The original entry on Scotlandspeople ( pay to view) would confirm this.
I have also found a newspaper entry in the Glasgow Sentinel of 31/1/1863 which reports that the mistress of an establishment of questionable fame in Maxwell Street was fined £5.00 with the alternative of 30 days imprisonment for an assault on Jane Norval or Blair at the premises in Maxwell Street. This suggests to me that Jane may have been working as a prostitute.
Isobel

[OZScot]

QLD BDM marriage
26 December 1865 Presby Church Ipswich
KIPPEN Jane...........widow, 28 years, b. Scotland, res. Ipswich
parents William BLAIR, hotelkeeper  and Jane BLAIR.

MARKS John........bachelor, 28 years, b. Scotland, res Ipswich.
parents John MARKS, carpenter  and Agnes FERGUSON

witnesses Gordon BLAIR  and Elizabeth DROUGHTON.

Very interesting Wivenhoe. Gordon says his parents were John & Jane Blair and I'll have to track down were he says his father was a 'Hotelkeeper' as well. Also I have mused at where his son Sir James William Blair got 'William' from? The burial record that was sent to me and posted here says John & Jane parents but they were told that probably by the undertaker/informant. Surely not more misinformation.

I often wondered how a farmer's son ended up a clerk in a law firm. Obviously very smart. I would have thought more opportunity being a Hotel keeper's son. Learning from his Dad's business structure, staff, payments, budgets etc etc.

Thanks Wivenhoe.
More food for thought ....

[isobelw]

I'm a bit confused about Georgina - Scotland Select Births have her as Georgina Lorimer Blair born z15/11/1850 to Jane Norval and Gordon Blair. What makes you think she is the daughter of Schawbe? Georgina married Paterson Janver Bamber in Anderston in 1868. The other child you mention - Jane Drummond Schawbe- married Charles Taylor in 1874. Where was she living between her birth and marriage?
Isobel

[OZScot]

Hi OZScot,
Yes it was the 1861 census when she is living as a boarder in the household of Esther Jamieson. The transcript on Findmypast says she was a widow. The original entry on Scotlandspeople ( pay to view) would confirm this.
I have also found a newspaper entry in the Glasgow Sentinel of 31/1/1863 which reports that the mistress of an establishment of questionable fame in Maxwell Street was fined £5.00 with the alternative of 30 days imprisonment for an assault on Jane Norval or Blair at the premises in Maxwell Street. This suggests to me that Jane may have been working as a prostitute.
Isobel

WoW Isobelw. That's huge!! I'm in total disbelief. If it's correct which looks certain, her wayward morals may have been the cause of the split, not as a prostitute but behind Gordon's back and caught out. I have a fertile imagination and that could be totally wrong. It looks as if she may also have been left virtually penniless and resorted to this activity to survive. I wouldn't think a woman would take that type of work unless they had to.

The assault says to me that Jane was over it and wanted to move on and the Madame was having none of it 'you still owe me etc.' It was 2yrs after Gordon left and the 'corset' business wasn't going too well or that was a sham for what she was really doing. 'Jamieson' name of the head intrigue's me as I have seen Jane's name as Jane Jamieson Norval same age. May have been related to the Madame somehow.

Great Find!!! That putting a totally different light on thing's. I'm going for more coffee.!!!

[loobylooayr]

Hello

I've been finding this thread fascinating reading folks !

Found this birth https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FMSV-H26
Jean Jamieson Norval 30 Nov 1829 , Glasgow  Parents John Norval and Jean Baird.
Could this be your lady?

Looby

[OZScot]

I'm a bit confused about Georgina - Scotland Select Births have her as Georgina Lorimer Blair born z15/11/1850 to Jane Norval and Gordon Blair. What makes you think she is the daughter of Schawbe? Georgina married Paterson Janver Bamber in Anderston in 1868. The other child you mention - Jane Drummond Schawbe- married Charles Taylor in 1874. Where was she living between her birth and marriage?
Isobel

Isobel, Everything you have stated above is correct!.Well done.

I have very bad copies of both marriages and there are comments about Gordon on Jane Drummond Blair's MC hard to read. Even under high magnification it's a bit guessy.

I have to step out for a few hours now and get back to you.
Thanks.

Still can't get over that paper article find.!

[Ruskie]

If you are having trouble reading anything on any certificates, especially any additional comments which may be vital to your research, please scan and post the relevant bits here to get other's opinions. It might give you some answers. 

If any of the offending certificates were purchased via Scotland's People - simply request clearer copies. SP are always very obliging.

[majm]

Hi all,

May I please mention that we have not yet joined the dots from the Gordon BLAIR in Queensland Australia with the Gordon BLAIR who married Jane NORVAL in Scotland.   May I suggest that one possible way to confirm those two Gordon BLAIR chaps are one and the same is to compare their signatures. 

Gordon was the informant on the 1863 Qld birth registration for Elizabeth.  A snip of that signature could be compared with the 1850 Glasgow marriage.

1850 : https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XTBS-YMB
1863 : Qld BDM online index ref C540, (deduces to 3 April 1863, remembering sadly this wee baby died July 1863) Elizabeth Jane, daughter of Gordon BLAIR and Julia DROUGHTON.  (While the index has BLAIR as Elizabeth's surname, it is likely that the actual registration does not give the baby a surname at all. So, similarly to GRO English/Welsh births, not until the late 1960s were babies given surnames on birth registrations in NSW, and perhaps Qld.)


JM

[Ruskie]

Signature comparison is an excellent idea JM. 

Added: Just a thought -  the Scottish 1850 marriage will be a parish record and won't have a signature.