My genealogy research diary. What changed, where, sometimes even why.
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Wednesday, 13 May 2009

13th: Don't you just know it!

The minute that you run a major update, new findings always hove into view!

I'd been avoiding checking the newly available online (from ScotlandsPeople) Scottish OPR Deaths and Burials as I knew
a) they were very sparse records
b) often didn't have much conclusive details
c) that I'd get sidetracked from all sorts of things as a result.

Not even sure why I decided to check for something today, but for whatever reason I've started looking at some of the Roxburgh FAIRBAIRNs, and have already found the burial, or at least the mortcloth payment, for Archibald FAIRBAIRN of St Boswells, and a rather more puzzling, but very informative, entry for Margaret PURDIE nee FAIRBAIRN and her son William, in the Melrose OPRs.
The least of the puzzle is trying to figure out where the family was in 1848, so if anyone can point me to what I interpret as Cairlion, presumably in the Parish of Melrose, I would appreciate it, as my web searches to date only bring up Arthurian references to Cair Lion.
The more major part of the puzzle is that it clearly states that son William PURDIE died the day after she did, and was aged 23, which age is plausible as Margaret and Charles PURDIE married in Melrose in 1821.
However, I already had a son William for this couple, whose 1864 marriage cert to Ann ROBSON says he was a 19 yr old shepherd, so born c 1845/6ish. Census data mostly corroborates this, although the 1901 transcription on ancestry does imply 1843ish. Whichever you believe, all point to a birthdate prior to the death of an older brother William in the family.
A closer search of the IGI showed I'd missed a couple of baptisms in Melrose for the family with mother Margaret spelt as Margt. The relevant FAIRBAIRN chart has been updated.

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Wednesday, 21 May 2008

May 21, 2008: Hello hello hello !

Birth certs have arrived to confirm my educated guesses as to the fate of John A T WIGHT. Yes he did move south into Northumberland, become a member of the Constabulary, and marry Elizabeth PERCIVAL. Son John George WIGHT was born Stocksfield Broomley where J A T W was a Police Constable, and dtr Janet Hobkirk WIGHT was born in the Police Station at Rothbury where J Q T W was by then a Sergeant of Police.
Having fun checking FAIRBAIRN loose ends and tidying all sorts of things up as I realise I have duplications in my database, now that I can access census records more readily.
I had previously concentrated on all the Archibald and Alison/Alice FAIRBAIRNs I could find, but given the recent-ish DNA revelations, I've extended investigations to Roberts, and Georges - but keep getting sidetracked, surprise surprise.
Did stumble across the death of Robert son of George FAIRBAIRN and Janet PURDIE, so there are several more twigs on that tree, which someone else has obviously been interested in, as there are patron submissions on the IGI for the family of Robert and Elizabeth (WAYNESS) FAIRBAIRN.
All of which gave some light relief from trying to sort out the discrepancies in the family of William FAIRBAIRN & Sarah FARRELL.

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