Gordon Blair - Mystery? or Not!

[isobelw]

Between 1841 and 1901 in Scotland there are only two entries for a Gordon Blair and these are in 1841 and 1851 ( ref Scotlandspeople). In 1841 Gordon Blair age 15 is listed with Jean Blair 20 and Elizabeth Blair 19 in St Ninians, Stirlingshire. In 1851 Gordon Blair age 23 born St Ninians is living in Glasgow with wife Jane (Norval) and daughter Georgina age 9. Hard to believe these are not one and the same. Then Gordon disappears ( wife Jane says she is a widow in 1861) but a Gordon Blair, born in Stirlingshire, arrives in Queensland, Australia in 1861 ( although age is way out there is no other Gordon Blair in the Scottish records anywhere prior to that other than the one born St Ninians). This Gordon Blair very quickly finds a place in a lawyers office as a result of skills learned in the old country ( according to an obituary at the time of his death). Gordon Blair was a lawyers clerk in the 1861 Glasgow census. This is surely more than a coincidence!
In 1882 a Jane Blair died in Queensland age 82. From her death certificate ( a copy of the original appears on a tree on Ancestry) we learn that she was the wife of William Blair and daughter of John Blair and Jane Dunn and was born in Glasgow ( around 1800). She leaves three children - Jane age 54, Elizabeth, age 52 and Gordon age 50 (names which match exactly with the 1841 St Ninians census). Familysearch have an 1800 birth in Glasgow for a Jane Blair, daughter of John Blair and Jane Dunn. FS also has baptisms for Elizabeth Blair daughter of William Blair and Jane Blair in St Ninians in 1829 and Jean Blair daughter of William Blair and Jane Blair in St Ninians in 1831.
Isobel

[OZScot]

Hi all contributors, great work and suggestions.

Yes I was in the process of doing exactly what Rosinish & Ruskie have suggested.
Today I'll have the day to do just that as I've had other commitments the last few days and ...
I've found a few 'new' snippets of information that should or could be helpful and fact from
family members and or institution registers etc.

More today after I go through the thread and collate what's fact or 'likely' fact. Not whimsical or
a likely million to one chance.

Thanks.

[OZScot]

From the British Newspaper Archives -

....and Ann Stewart , for fighting with each other in the house of Jane Norval or Blair , John Street(city), were fined each, or go 30 days prison. The mistress of the establishment , Jane Norval or Blair, forfeited pledge for non-appearance to answer a charge.....

Monday 22 August 1864, Glasgow Morning Journal, Lanarkshire, Scotland


ev

Well that's rather compelling!!, adding to the earlier similar piece. How many Jane Norval - Blair couples could there be at the same time period. Very few if any and in the same area. Well done.
Another little piece of the puzzle as to what has maybe caused all this family calamity or it's certainly dreadful aftermath. No winners in all this heartache ... maybe Gordon but he had lost also 3 of his children and another likely never to be seen again.

Thanks.

[Rosinish]

Thanks Isobel,

Your simple summary makes a lot more sense & easier to read/relate to who's who/where etc.

I hadn't picked up on a Blair marrying a Blair but seeing it like this makes sense now.

My concern was about the age differing by 21 yrs which is why I pointed out Stirling/Perth/Glasgow for comparing details as Dumfries & 'to name some' had also been pointed out, leaving a bit of questioning.

I wondered why all the 'untruths' yet there seems absolutely no reason to me (yet)  ?

Annie

[Rosinish]

Thanks OS,

That would be great as I was finding it as though I was reading a book & having to search for the next page to continue as everything was a bit all over the place 

The mistress of the establishment , Jane Norval or Blair, forfeited pledge for non-appearance to answer a charge.....

It makes you wonder if Gordon found out what Jane had been up to & then doubted the paternity of his kids, couldn't cope with the shock & decided to up & off to forget the whole thing & start a fresh life?

I can now kind of understand some untruths, not wanting to be associated with his wife's life especially in the occ. he was, must have been a shock?

Very interesting thread & does read like a good book 

Annie

[wivenhoe]

The marriage certificate, 1876, BLAIR - DROUGHTON, can you please name the witnesses.

The age for Gordon BLAIR, list of passengers, 1861 - this list would be a transcription from another hand-written source. I do not think that this list is created by having passengers approach a recorder who is sitting at a desk, having arranged themselves into a  queue in alphabetical order for family name, or for port of disembarkation etc.  The age recorded for Gordon, from this particular source,  is likely a transcription error, and not an incorrect age given by Gordon.

I cannot see a death record, QLD or NSW, for James KIPPEN, who arrived QLD 1855.

This KIPPEN family, at arrival 1855, includes Isabella KIPPEN, 6 years. 

Where is Isabella 1855+?.   Where are James KIPPEN, Jane KIPPEN and Isabella KIPPEN in census, 1851?

Jane BLAIR, died QLD 1882, with death records showing years in Queensland  26 or 36 years, informant grandson William KIPPEN, would place Jane in Queensland before arrival of Gordon, 1861, and possibly before daughter Jane KIPPEN, 1855.

I cannot see her on a passenger list.

The marriage certificate, 1876, BLAIR - DROUGHTON, can you please name the witnesses.

[majm]

...... Then Gordon disappears ( wife Jane says she is a widow in 1861) but a Gordon Blair, born in Stirlingshire, arrives in Queensland, Australia in 1861 ( although age is way out there is no other Gordon Blair in the Scottish records anywhere prior to that other than the one born St Ninians). This Gordon Blair very quickly finds a place in a lawyers office as a result of skills learned in the old country ( according to an obituary at the time of his death). Gordon Blair was a lawyers clerk in the 1861 Glasgow census. This is surely more than a coincidence!......

 

There's a Gordon BLAIR in Ipswich,Qld in the 1860s who is NOT working in a lawyers office.  Please see my earlier reply giving live links to newspaper cutting.

Back shortly with reply #

In the Ipswich Customs Office in September 1868 there were several promotions.   Here’s three. One involved Gordon BLAIR.  Mr Thomas BARRILL, locker, was promoted to landing waiter in the place of Mr Wilkins who had resigned.  And Mr Gordon BLAIR, clerk and keeper of powder magazine, was promoted to be first clerk, in place of BURRILL  who was promoted ( I guess this is the  Thomas BARRILL mentioned earlier) .  Mr G M YATES, storeman became locker and keeper of the powder magazine in place of Mr BLAIR who was promoted.     

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/20320729  The Queenslander, 3October 1868

I suspect any person responsible as keeper of powder magazine would have hands-on (labouring/storeman) experience. 

JM

Also, agree Wivenhoe the very neat passenger list available online is likely a very neat transcription of the list the clerks prepared on the departure day.   Like all transcriptions, errors can creep in.   But on the other hand, we need to remember that not all those born 'overseas' and found in Queensland arrived directly to Queensland, and that not all Qld arrival passenger lists survived the 1893 floods. 

JM

[OZScot]

WoW !! Isobel !!. You've done most of the hard right there. Brilliant.
I had missed your post earlier. You have a great piece nailing the correct Gordon.

There were only 57 Blair's that are listed on the NSW 'assisted passenger lists' and 84 on the Qld lists and only ONE Gordon Blair - Qld - Mangerton 7 Aug 1861. I personally know from information supplied to me by the Qld Archives that a lot of records were lost in the 1893 flood of Brisbane. Maybe some passenger lists maybe not. I'm convinced we have our man as the time frame is near perfect as well.

In Trove the Courier Mail 13 Mar 1930 when talking about the death of Mr. John Molloy it says - One of his shipmates was Mr. Gordon Blair, father of Sir James Blair, Knt., the present Chief Justice of Qld. So the Blair on the Mangerton was the one who said he was from Stirlingshire. I'm only assuming 'born' which is usually the case.

Where it says 'Stirlingshire' the Title on the column says. 'GENERAL REMARKS, SUCH AS TRANSFER, DESERTION, DEATH, ETC, WITH DATE OF EVENT AND BRIEF PARTICULARS'.

Was it where he was born? doesn't say birth but lists later on ask for birth place. Was he saying I deserted? probably not.

More to follow.

[sparrett]

 
I hadn't picked up on a Blair marrying a Blair but seeing it like this makes sense now.

 
Annie

Not really
Informants on Death certificates are often upset and confused.  Errors do happen.


Gordon BLAIR’s  death Certificate 1900-
Father John BLAIR
Mother Jane DUNN

Gordon BLAIR’s Marriage Certificate 1876. Parents, John BLAIR. Jane.

Jane BLAIR ("senior") Death Index 1882
Father John BLAIR
Mother Jane DUNN

Jane BLAIR (MARKS, KIPPPEN) Marriage Certificate.1865
Father William BLAIR
Mother Jane BLAIR

Death index 1897
Father BLAIR
Mother Jane.

Possible parental names- William BLAIR and Jean DUNN (from online tree)