9th: Venturing into Peebles

I'd either not looked, or not found, Helen, dtr of James and Joan (FORSYTH) FAIRBAIRN in the 1841 census until now.
Whilst looking for something else, I happened across a proclamation for her marriage to Robert "SAFLAY" in the Peebleshire OPRs (Traquair) "Robert Saflay of the Parish of Melrose, Helen Fairbairn of this parish".
Having previously been satisfied that they had married in Melrose, I'd not looked further afield.
Spurred on by this find, I searched Peebleshire 1841 census, and found her as a female servant at Cardrona House (James & Elizabeth KER), supposedly along with an Isabella and Mary FAIRBAIRN as well, according to Ancestry transcriptions.
However, FreeCen says the latter are THORBURNs instead. There was an Isabella FORSYTH, not born county, with her though, possibly a cousin?

1st: Buffalo anyone?

As I worked thru the Surrogates Notice I realised that it referred to a nephew of Barbara's that I'd assumed had died young.
Last year Betsy had thought she might have found William George son of James and Elizabeth (O'CONNELL) FAIRBAIRN as a riveter in Detroit in the 1880 census.
At the time I couldn't find him to work out whether or not I agreed or disagreed, but now, with the Surrogate Notice implying that he was still alive in 1896 I became rather more determined, and found suitable candidates in Buffalo, Erie Co, NY 1900, 1910 and 1930, but so far 1920 eludes me.
I am now convinced the 1880 riveter is our William, particularly as the 1871 Canadian census is now more readily available and the full images are available instead of just a heads of household index and he was indeed in Canada with his parents then.
This has added names like Lillian (MARK), Anna, Lester, Edmund, Marion, Eugene and Evelyn to the descendants of James and Joan (FORSYTH) FAIRBAIRN, along with the ever present William, James and Robert names. There may, or may not, also be an Ermina.
So, if you recognise any of these names with Buffalo connections, we would love to hear from you (particularly if you are FAIRBAIRN son and willing to represent this line in the DNA project as we still don't have a representative of a line with a fully confirmed paper trail back to Archibald and Alison (CROSSER) FAIRBAIRN to support our inferred dna signature for Archibald.

The Portsmouth CHIPP/WARE updates will appear in my next upgrade to Rootsweb db LornaHenderson. Yet another instance of two sisters marrying two brothers. Thanks Helen for bringing this to my attention, and Colin for his ancestry tree (with photos).

18th: Archie updated

Further to the new FAIRBAIRN dna results, from yesterday, I've updated the page for the Archibald who married Janet SCOTT.
Still want to find a representative for the dna project down from Archibald's assumed brothers Walter, marr. Agnes ROBISON/ROBERTSON, David, marr. Jane HERD, and James, marr. Joan FORSYTH, to prove this Archibald is really their brother, not to mention the much more speculative "brother", Robert, marr. Kate (SCOTT?).
Must be someone out there willing to help out.

14th: Confused William

Between marrying Rosa KUHNLE in 1896 and Josephine MARCOTTE in 1904, William E, son of David FAIRBAIRN and Charity WALKER seems to have had a brainstorm about who his parents were. By his second marriage he says they are Wm FAIRBAIRN and Deviza WADE !!!
I'm fully convinced that the two marriages are the same William E FAIRBAIRN because of census data that places his children from the first marriage with William and Josephine in a later census, and William shows he's on his second marriage in 1904.

The Michigan marriages data also includes the marr. of Phyllis I LAMPSON dtr of Joan Helen LAMPSON nee FAIRBAIRN as well, Joan being the granddaughter of James FAIRBAIRN and Joan FORSYTH.

Jun 6, 2008: Even fewer James'

Another very successful FAIRBAIRN day, culminating in 3 fewer James FAIRBAIRNs in my database.
For some reason I decided to check the actual marriage entry for Alison, dtr of James and Joan (FORSYTH) FAIRBAIRN. What a bonus. She was described as of Melrose bridge bar, and a few entries down the page was a James FAIRBAIRN of the same place, marrying an Elizabeth LAIDLAW. I'd stumbled across James' 2nd marriage!
I then found I already had James and Elizabeth in 1851, but hadn't known who she was, so had never connected them, but had tentatively identified that James as the one an Elizabeth LAIDLAW or FAIRBAIRN, relict of James of Lantonhall, and if that held, he was highly likely to also be the James F. who erected a headstone to his uncle James CROSSER. So, all these James' have now been combined, and James FAIRBAIRN's web page updated.
Several more twigs have been identified from US census records as well, and more snippets received from Melinda to add to the picture of our Civil War veteran, John FAIRBAIRN aka FAIRCHILD.

Jun 4, 2008: Orkneys to Edinburgh

GenesReunited has come up trumps again. A while ago I found another FAIRBAIRN twig had married a FOTHERINGHAM from the Orkneys. And there she was on GR. The descendant (Diana) has now been in touch, extending the family of James and Agnes down to present day (Hampshire mainly).

In the process of getting John, son of James and Joan (FORSYTH) FAIRBAIRN onto the web as Melinda has come up with a couple of photos and some family snippets that illustrate the relationship evidence.