Saturday 30 April 2011

30th: A DAWE connection?

An Isaac DAWE in a recent burst of activity on the DAWE Rootsweb Surname Message Board caught my attention, so I've been fossicking around in his family, that of John DAW (or DAWE) and Grace BEAL.

This Isaac was a shipwright in Stoke Damerel rather than one of the millers who proliferate in my tree, so it's probably a bit of a stretch that his father John, born abt 1791 at Pyworthy (Holsworth) is related to my Isaac, who married in Tavistock in 1796.

However, as I dug I noticed what looks like Sidney FUGE, one of my HAMLEY descendants, boarding with John's Isaac's son Frederick Cornelius DAWE in the 1891 census. Admittedly he was also enumerated on his ship in port, but he was shown as of the right age, birthplace and occupation, so it may well be him.

As a result of all of this, I have done a long overdue update to the patriarchs page of the DAWE Surname DNA project to include a couple more of the DAWE families I have an interest in/connection to, that of the Buckland Monachorum tribe of Sampson and Joan (BLANCHARD) DAWE, and an inter-related William and Johanna (HUNT) DAWE of Blackawton.
There's also a stub for the above John & Grace (BEAL) DAWE - just in case.

Friday 22 April 2011

22nd: The MABON connection

Further to the happenstance a few years ago that found an Alison added into the tree of Walter and Agnes (ROBINSON) FAIRBAIRN, my FAIRBAIRN research into the family of John & Alice/Alison (AINSLIE) FAIRBAIRN of Swinton has just netted a connection to this latter family.
Alison's daughter Agnes STEWART married a Thomas MABON.
Likewise, Isabella FAIRBAIRN, a grand-daughter of Walter's contemporary, the above John FAIRBAIRN of Swinton, married Thomas MABON's brother James.
This isn't any evidence of a connection to John unfortunately, and may well be simply coincidence.

Sunday 10 April 2011

10th: Robertson or Robinson?

On reflection, I've decided to plump for ROBINSON for Agnes' name.
Reviewing which version (and excluding the slightly less commonly found ROBISON) was more frequently used when she herself could influence what was written down, ROBINSON wins.
So I've updated Agnes FAIRBAIRN nee ROBINSON's page slightly, and had another (brief) look to see if there's any obvious marriage floating around for her parents, cooper John ROBINSON and wife Ann. There's one in Berwick on Tweed, NBL that might fit the bill - and An(n) is a ROBSON !!!
Some day it will get investigated to see if there's something handy like John's occupation stated.

It's all Ed's fault, this bout of activity.
He asked what Agnes' name should be.
And reported that not only had he found John's Civil War Town Clerk's record, which showed his parents, but the same set of records had an entry for John's son Walter - recorded as Watkins FAIRBURNS no less, with New York paying a bounty of $600 for his service. Which seemed a lot, but a quick web search found an article discussing the draft, and indicates that it wasn't my misinterpreting a $6.00 sum at all.
Walter aka Watkins' record adds yet another birth date to his collection, 29 Mar 1843, as opposed to 31 Mar 1842 or about 1841.

Further to yesterday's post re Archibald MILLER & Margaret BAIN's family, I've now confirmed that both sons Archibald and William did indeed go to Canada, as did father Archibald, although he must have returned, given he died in Wick.

The ANDREWS descendant chart has been converted to the new interactive format now too.

Saturday 9 April 2011

Few more twigs

My BAIN descendant chart has been republished, both because it has a few more twigs on it thanks to Caroline who kindly sent me the Pulteneytown (Wick, Caithness) 1911 census for Archibald and Elizabeth (FORBES) MILLER, and because it has now been updated to the newer interactive expandable format I'm gradually converting most charts to.
This inspired me to also tidy up Archibald's siblings by checking his father's 1911 census.
Supposedly 2 of the sons & 1 dtr (Jessie) were in Canada when he (Archibald Snr) died in 1925.
As the 1911 shows 8 children, 3 no longer living, and by 1925 another son had died (WWI), that only leaves Archibald and William for Canada, as Donald was in Scotland.
More digging needed.

Friday 8 April 2011

8th: Never give up

Proof that you should never give up hope.
Email from Ed awaited me this morning. Short and to the point:
"Hallelujah, Proof positive at last"
Attached was an image of a "Record of Soldiers and Officers in the Military Service enlisted since Jul 1863 and credited to other places".
Second entry from the bottom was one FAIRBAIRN, John, of Hardenburg, born June 9, 1812, Scotland being discharged from service for being over age.
The miracle was that it stated his parents as Walter (FAIRBAIRN) and Agnes ROBINSON.
So, after 12+ years we have finally eliminated the other Walter, of an age and place, from being the Walter of Roxburghshire known to be John's father.

(this has been edited to show John's entry next to the headings)
Welcome, formally, to the family Ed, we always knew we were cousns, didn't we!

John and Walter have been updated on my web pages, and John updated on the DNA project.

Saturday 2 April 2011

2nd: Transformation

Love what can turn up in this hobby.
I think I've just found a chap aging from 36 to 51 between leaving England 3rd Sep and arriving in Montreal on the 15th, via Le Havre.
He and his wife were the only FAIRBAIRNs on the voyage, and the ticket number on leaving England is the same as that arriving in Montreal.
When they left England they were both 36, and he was a mechanic.
When they arrived in Montreal, he was 51, coal merchant and horse dealer, and she was 48.
I was looking, still am, for an Alexander FAIRBAIRN, uncle of the artist Andrew Fairbairn AFFLECK, born 1857 Edinburgh who disappears after 1881 (when he was a Commercial traveller, in Edinburgh).

Any inventive explanations for the aging effect of the sea air?

Wonder if they did a swap in France? Or is it a simple case of bureaucratic bungling?
Anyone interested in the family (James and Ann (WALKER) FAIRBAIRN) may care to look at the Patriarchs page of the DNA Project.