Gordon Blair - Mystery? or Not!

[isobelw]

Can I just point out that the 1871 entry is simply for a Mrs Blair ( not even a first name). Age is about correct and right area which is why I offered it up as a possibility.
My own feeling is that Jane possibly followed her daughter South. I have scoured the Scottish deaths and she definitely doesn't seem to be recorded there.
Isobel

[OZScot]

Thanks for clarifying that Isobel.

I'm still hoping it's her otherwise you just threw a bucket of ice cold water on me. 

Let's not let the truth get in the way of a good story ...

Still would like to scan those hospital entries.
Thanks.

[sparrett]

The theory of the "seven year rule" is certainly worth keeping in mind, but it may not in fact be the basis for the delay in the Australian marriage for Gordon.

There is nothing in Julia DROUGHTON's background offering impediment to an earlier her marriage to Gordon.

I suspect therefore the delay was due to Gordon's existing marriage to NORVAL.

I further conjecture it likely that the moment he was notified of her death in UK, he took action to marry DROUGHTON.

The family connections which Gordon had in QLD must have been aware of his NORVAL  marriage.  (though possibly it was not mentioned to his children).

 He had a "respectable position " in the community and would wish that his personal files and  credentials were above reproach.  It was a case of bigamy or delaying marriage until he was free to take the step (i e NORVAL's death)

As a researcher mainly in Australia, I have noted often how there was a surprising amount of correspondence between the old country and the residents in the new colonies.

People really did keep in touch to a great extent, especially if they possessed the level of writing and skills of a man like Gordon. Information about her may have been sent to him.


I think Jane NORVAL's death may be after the possible 1871 census sighting, but quite close to the marriage of Gordon to DROUGHTON as it was this which made it OK.

[isobelw]

Birth information Blair - Norval children and some timeline:

Marriage 7 June 1850. OPR - Gordon Blair clerk in Glasgow & Jane Norval residing there.

Georgina Lorimer Blair born 15 Nov 1850. OPR - Gordon Blair clerk 18 Clyde st Calton & Jane Norval
                                         had a lawful daughter 1st child. witnesses Thomas Scot, James Norval.

Census 1851 7 April - Gordon Blair - Head - M - 23 solicitor's clerk Stirlingshire - St.Ninians
                                       Jane Blair - Wife - M - 21 Lanarkshire - Glasgow
                                       Georgina - dau - 4 m  - Lanarkshire - Glasgow       

Unnamed child boy born 10 July 1852 - [F] Gordon Blair [M] Jane Norval - from FamilySearch.

James Gordon Blair born 13 Dec 1853. OPR - [F] Gordon Blair [M] Jane Norval - only document I
                                        could find was unreadable. Transcript only.

Jane Blair born 15 Jan 1855 - 116 Thistle st. Gordon Blair - clerk - 26 yrs Stirling - 1 female living
                                        3 boys [unreadable] Jane Blair MS Norval - Informant Gordon Blair ...
                                        and it looks as though he 'signed' it that way even though faint.

James Gordon Blair born 10 July 1856 - 4 Wellcroft Place Glasgow - James Gordon Blair writer - this
                                        is the 1st use of 'writer'. Jane Blair MS Norval. She is the informant and
                                        mother and it appears as though it could be her signature? not 100%
                                        certain but 'Blair' may have started as 'N' and overwritten by a 'B'.
                                        Her mistake? Also 1st use of 'James' was it a registrar mistake?

Thomas Gordon Blair born 27 Sep 1857 - 8 Crawford st. Glasgow. James Gordon Blair writer - Jane
                                       Blair MS Norval. Informant - J Gordon Blair father and it's looking much 
                                       like a signature but ... it appears that the 'J' has been squeezed in later.                           

very helpful summary provided by OZScot earlier in the thread. Thought it might help to refresh memories.
Isobel

[loobylooayr]

Trying to attach la snip from little James Gordon Blair's death cert.

[loobylooayr]

Good it posted.
The snip is from little James Gordon Blair's death in Aug 1856.
He was 4 weeks old. Cause of death "Sudden"
That is definitely our Gordon Blair's signature with its distinctive D ( Thanks GorDon  )
I would assume that Gordon was the father of this child if he accepted responsibility to register his death and organise his burial at Catherdral burying ground.

Can I just point out re. Jane Norval/Henry Schwabe. It is entirely possible that the two were never in a relationship .
Jane was according to her daughter's marriage certificate a housekeeper (maybe sounded better than "Servant" ?) .
Henry Schwabe was allegedly a ship owner/shipping merchant.
You don't need to read Catherine Cookson to see where I'm going with this !
But just because Jane fell pregnant by Schwabe and gave birth to a daughter does not mean that the couple were in a proper relationship. Indeed we , so far, have uncovered nothing to link Schwabe to Jane Norval other than her first daughter's marriage.

Looby

[Skoosh]

I think your general assumption that people entering the Belvedere wouldn't come out alive is doubtful to say the least, what you don't know you don't know. The hospital (now gone) was in Parkhead, not the Calton.
  Paupers in that quarter of the city were buried in the Eastern Necropolis which had a contract from the Poor Inspector, these new cemeteries opened following the scandal of irregular burials during the cholera epidemic of the 1840's,

http://www.glasgowhistory.co.uk/Books/Tollcross&Dalbeth/TollcrossCHapters/BelvedereHosp.htm

http://archives.gla.ac.uk/gghb/collects/hb65.html

Skoosh.

[Ruskie]

A couple of brief comments:

Just because there was an infectious deseases hospital in Calton does not necessarily mean that area had more infectious diseases than anywhere else. It was probably located centrally for easy accessibility or vacant land or premises. As a comparison, a hospital for tropical diseases or an eye hospital's location does not mean there are more people in that are who have tropical diseases or eye problems.

I note in the above d/c for little James Gordon, the distinctive D in the name Gordon, his father, however the rest of the certificate looks to be written in the same hand?

As Jane Norval's death can't be found in Scotland or England  ... is it too much of a stretch to consider the possibility that she went to Australia too?

Added: apologies if any or all of this has been covered earlier in this long thread. 

[carolineasb]

I'm with Ruskie, I'm afraid I think that the signatures posted by various people on the register pages all appear to me to be the hand of the Registrar or the Clerk completing the Register.

On another note, I see that Jane's daughter, Jane, states that she was a Cotton Power Loom Weaver when she married in 1874. Herman/Herman Schwabe seems to have had a link to this industry and his full name appears to be Herman Levi Schwabe (possibly the owner of H L Schwabe & Co of 146 West George Street, Glasgow?). Could he also be linked to the Schwabes also who appear to be from the far north of Germany and of the same age group and who had a factory in Middleton in the Manchester area? He also appears to have been a steward at a banquet in honour of Sir Robert Peel being elected Rector of Glasgow University in 1837.

I don't know if this takes us anywhere but you never know when some clue will link up!