Help with Haldanes of Hawick

[vivdunstan]

Found the likely family in 1851 Hawick (image online at ScotlandsPeople):

Andrew Holdon, 26, Framesmith Journeyman
Wife Elizabeth, 24
Children Robert 8, Elizabeth 6, Phemy ?3 and Andrew 1
All born Dumfries, all listed at lodgers, so no clear relationships noted
Living in Kirkgate, Hawick

So they must have moved to Hawick very recently.

[MonicaL]

This looks to be the family we have discussed earlier. Elizabeth, wife, had maiden name of Welsh.

Monica 

[Dereksteven]

Hi Folks,

Thank you all for your support and input, it looks like Robert's family to me also.

Coincidently, there was another Andrew Haldane around the same area who also married a second time to another Isabella and I think that this threw me a bit.

Anyway thank again for all your help.


Derek

[MonicaL]

Derek, the family lodging in Hawick in 1851 is the one we have discussed already. Wife is Elizabeth Welsh. We also have this family in 1861. This Andrew is the one you have post a death reg for.

I thought we have been looking for an Andrew, blacksmith, and Elizabeth Middleton?

Monica

[vivdunstan]

Unless another obvious candidate family turns up, I suspect you're going to have to weigh up the probabilities of the various options.

Information on marriage records is usually more reliable than a death certificate, but could still be wrong.

Your Robert consistently thought he was from Hawick. The Innerleithen family has no apparent Hawick link (and no obvious Robert) - and Innerleithen is quite some distance from Hawick back then.

The Hawick Holdon family at least has a Robert of roughly the right age. If he moved to Hawick as a youngster from Dumfries he may not have realised/remembered he was born elsewhere. On the downside the father's a framesmith not a blacksmith. But I could easily imagine them being muddled up at registration of the marriage.

Neither family has the "right" mother's maiden name, but Robert may have been confused about that one too, especially if Elizabeth died when he was young.

Where this doesn't help is the Middleton connection. I know it's stretching, but can we be sure that 1901 census name was recorded correctly?

I also checked scottishindexes.com for any obvious mentions of the family which might have helped. But no luck.

One last thought from me for now: if the Innerleithen family had a child born in 1855 then its birth certificate, if registered that same year, should have counts of the numbers of other children (living and dead) born to the parents already. So if there might be a mystery Robert for both parents that may be helpful. Certificate image available online at ScotlandsPeople.

But I'm still personally favouring the Hawick family.

[Wee Bairn]

Robert tended to tell wee fibs regarding information on BMDs and census. On his Marriage in 1970 to Jane McIlwee he gives his deceased mother's maiden surname as Middleton. This is quite interesting if you continue looking forward to the 1901 census and find he has used Middleton as the family surname. Luckily the family names are distinct enough to clear things up. But just wait till you get to his son Robert who marries Margaret Ann Walker in 1895 then in 1942 on her death cert gives her sister's name Margaret Strachan Walker (Yes they had 2 Margarets both alive and well. I had to trace both to be 100% sure which was my Gr Great Gran. )
Anyway Robert (who had married Jane McIlwee) Father was Andrew and his Mum Elizabeth Welsh (Not Middleton) She was one of the early burials in the (then new) Hawick cemetery. Her grave would be roughly in a flower bed near the caretakers home. Now Andrew's father was also an Andrew.You will find the families in Dumfries and before that Troqueer and Kirkcudbright. Luckily the Kirk sessions are available and you will find Andrew admits to being the father of Margaret McKnight's child in 1810. And later in 1811 we find he has fathered a child with Mary McKnight and later they admit to an irregular marriage.
By far my Father's family has some of the most entertaining rellies.
(Also it is sadly true that Robert and Jane lost their 1st two daughters. Wee Elizabeth on the 5th of July 1875 registered by her father and immediately below her wee sister Prudence died on the 6th of July 1875, the day before her 2nd birthday. Registered by the Registrar himself as "neighbor" . I can't imagine losing two within hours of each other while pregnant with their 3rd. My Gr Great Granpy born in Dec 1875.
Let me know if you would like any help, I would love to see how we connect. This is the 1st time I have found anyone from our branch.