Gordon Blair - Mystery? or Not!

[OZScot]

Have done a bit more digging to see if I could find who the other sibling, Elizabeth, married. Located three births in the 1840's in St Ninians to Robert Atkin and Elizabeth Blair - Jean 1847, William 1851 and Elizabeth 1853. There is a matching Aitken family travelling out on the William Miles in Jan 1855 - Elizabeth Snr has a year of birth of 1830 in Stirlingshire.
Isobel

There is no doubt that Isobel is the 'Queen of research'!!!
Now I have to get my nearly 70 yro head around it.
Thanks Isobel.

[Ruskie]

Although I haven't contributed to this thread I would like to congratulate Isobel for her stirling efforts and determination to unravel the facts of this mystery, and also those who have added additional valuable facts. It is a long and at times confusing thread, and there are probably some loose ends still to tidy up.

I think it is good to consider that just because someone, or their descendants, holds a position of power in the community that they may not have skeletons in the cupboard, as appears to be the case here.

Having said that, Gordon is being painted as a bit of a fibber and a wife deserter, which may be unjustified. A bit more speculation, but it may be that Gordon went ahead to Australia to settle before sending for his family - it often happened that families travelled to the colonies separately -  but his wife may have decided she did not want to make the journey?

We will probably never know. Well done to all researchers.

[OZScot]

Falkyrn, I bought that 1855 BC of Jane Blair child and you were right, the earlier Certificates did have more information on them. 2nd page gradually unreadable.

Jane Blair - female -  15 Jan 1855 born 116 Thistle Street Glasgow father Gordon Blair clerk 26 yrs Stirling married 18850 Glasgow 1 female living 3 boys deceased:  Jane Blair maiden name Norval - Glasgow 23 yrs [unreadable below that] Informant - looks like Gordon? Blair - everything else after that unreadable.

[Rosinish]

DC under the title of - 1911 BLAIR, JANE DRUMMOND it states again that her father was Henry Schwabe, ship owner, deceased, Jane Norval, housekeeper subsequently married to Gordon Blair, Law Clerk.

An odd title seeing she was married to Charles Taylor and he's on the DC as widow and present.

All married women in Scotland are Indexed with both their maiden & married surnames as they never lose their maiden names.
However, in this case, her parents were never married & her husband may have assumed Jane should be known on death by the same surname as her mother's marital surname of Blair.
Here are both Indexes although they both contain the exact same info.

BLAIR JANE DRUMMOND
61
1911
644/15 357
Hutchesontown

TAYLOR JANE DRUMMOND
61
1911
644/15 357
Hutchesontown

Annie

[OZScot]

Well said Ruskie 100%.
I started one way 95% then as Facts not speculation started to roll in I started to turn.

Nice book maybe.? My wife always says to me as I sit on the computer constantly ... 'You still digging up the dead people AGAIN?' ... as she reads nearly 2 books a day on her Kindle. 

I'm only an amateur at this game and you never stop learning from more experienced people such as on here. I do this work for people at no cost, if I need to get a certificate when I hit a wall I buy it for them. I do as best as I can for them as if it's my own tree and if I get stuck I have contacts who gladly help and if they hit the wall as well I ask on sites like this ... well this is a 1st time here for someone else.

I'm sure my story isn't unique. I'll bet most of you do as well for others and well done. I get a kick out of revealing a long hidden past or an unseen face or story.

Just remember amateur's aren't completely hopeless, Australian amateur Astrologists a few day's found 6 new undiscovered planet's from their homes that the experts with monster telescopes couldn't. 

[OZScot]

DC under the title of - 1911 BLAIR, JANE DRUMMOND it states again that her father was Henry Schwabe, ship owner, deceased, Jane Norval, housekeeper subsequently married to Gordon Blair, Law Clerk.

An odd title seeing she was married to Charles Taylor and he's on the DC as widow and present.

All married women in Scotland are Indexed with both their maiden & married surnames as they never lose their maiden names.
However, in this case, her parents were never married & her husband may have assumed Jane should be known on death by the same surname as her mother's marital surname of Blair.
Here are both Indexes although they both contain the exact same info.

BLAIR JANE DRUMMOND
61
1911
644/15 357
Hutchesontown

TAYLOR JANE DRUMMOND
61
1911
644/15 357
Hutchesontown

Annie

Thanks Annie.
Someone mentioned similar earlier & I forgot ... DUH to me.

[majm]

Show me where the dots join.

Sue

Hi isobelw
Your reply #109 is very persuasive.

I'm sure your thoroughness and careful setting out of the information will be greatly appreciated by Ozscott when he/she takes time to read it and to acknowledge it properly.

I can see now there is a good definite thread of relationships from the family in Scotland and the group who immigrated, and I agree with you that the KIPPEN link is the one which is a deciding factor.

I for one thank you for your record search.  Primary sources of information will always be the backbone of proper family history research and you have managed in your post to keep it free of speculation and story-telling. 

The dots are joined 

Sue

   

and

Yes,  dots joined, well done.      

JM

[majm]

The Mangerton departed Plymouth 15 April 1861, ie AFTER the 1861 UK census....  Now where was Gordon on 7 April 1861 .... was he already in Devon?

        

JM

[Ruskie]

There is an A Gordon Blair aged 23 b Scotland enumerated in Hampshire, though this one is a Lieutenant at Gosport Barracks.   

One other living and born Lancashire but only a child.

He could be in Scotland lost in poor transcription and not easily found on the pay sites.