27th: McADIES

Big brother, my main family tree web site, has been updated. Needed to fix a few broken links, realised I hadn't included my McADIE direct line as yet, despite linking to it from the McADIE Surname dna project pages.
This update should also improve some of the Google map links from the place index. I understand that Google changed something that made the links not open at the correct place, and an update has been provided from John Cardinal of Second Site (developer of my web page generation software) that should overcome this until Google come up with a fix.

Other updates that may show:
A few extra twigs on the tree of James & Mary Bell/Mabel (THOMSON) FAIRBAIRN.
Thanks to the efforts of Gordon in BC and Andrea, and Facebook, a couple of the mystery lines have been advanced, Robert Henderson FAIRBAIRN having been confirmed as the one in Vancouver in 1958, and finding that his son moved to Denver.
Still looking for his brother John's son John Douglas FAIRBAIRN however.

Pending updates include the line of David H COOPER, a PIKE/HELSON descendant (see Guestbook), and some updates to the Devon line of Fred WARE, thanks to MyHeritage SmartMatching.

10th: Couldn't resist the 1911

Still meant to be doing other things, but I couldn't resist checking for one of the FAIRBAIRN families in the 1911, that of Archibald Henderson & Fanny Waite (FAIRBAIRN) FAIRBAIRN. The index showed them living in Gateshead but with slightly different names to those expected, so I shelled out for the image.
Nellie has turned into Helen Douglas, born Ednam; John into John Douglas; Isabella from earlier census records has become Elizabeth (which does match her birth registration).
The address of 73 Crossley Terrace allowed me to connect up the Edward FAIRBAIRN I'd found travelling to and fro between England and Canada between 1931 and 1936 (and possibly earlier) as Archibald and Fanny's son.
This FAIRBAIRN family is an amalgam of that of James & Mabel/Mary Bell (THOMSON) FAIRBAIRN of Eckford, and that of the Ednam blacksmiths. Still working on getting a dna representative for this line.

3rd: WIGHT updates

Given my WIGHT activity at the moment, I thought it was time to publish what I had on the supposed earliest WIGHT in my tree, James, marr. to Jennat SWORD.
However, as I say on the page, reviewing them after a number of years, I have to admit I need to recheck the links given I have them as having two sons named James, and the youngest looks rather unlikely to be the parents of James who married Issobel THOMSON.

Also published, on the WIGHT Surname DNA Project, is an abbreviated chart of their descendants in the hope a representative may be found.

Looking at the gaps in my knowledge, I started trying to find what happened to Robert the son of Robert WIGHT and Janet SCOTT. And quickly realised why I appear not to have progressed far with that line. Can't find them after 1881 in England or Scotland, and as yet, nor in USA or Canada. All I managed to advance was to finally find his marriage to Mary, despite Scotland's People having indexed Robert as WRIGHT, instead of the WIGHT his certificate states (correction lodged), and changed her from UnknownSurname into Mary BOYD.

Web pages updated to include an introductory page for The Wights.

17th: At least John was a DAVIDSON

Another set of DNA results just in, the representative for my DAVIDSON line of John DAVIDSON of Chirnside, whom I've suspected of being illegitimate given that his 1900 death cert merely gives a mother's name (Ann COLLINS), and no father at all.
At least it does look like he was a DAVIDSON as there a couple of low level matches. Nothing to get excited about unless the matches' upgrade to 67 markers shows a great match, or a paper trail can be worked out to link an 1841 Earsdon, Northumberland DAVISON with presumed Scottish forbears, to my brick wall, John, born abt 1817 Chirnside, Berwickshire.
The DAVIDSON DNA project chap pointed out that our non-Davidson surname matches had a lot of Chisholm's, adding that this would suggest a ancient connection before the advent of surnames. The Chisholm's according to legend saved the life of one of the Scottish kings in the 14th century and were granted land in Inverness-shire. This area in Scotland was also the home of the Davidson Clan or Clan Dhai or MacDaibheid.

John has been my brickwall for many years, and some years ago I decided to see if the story that Nana told her little boy (my Dad Les), that the people living on Conroy's Gully on the back road into Alexandra, with the huge old walnut tree, were our DAVIDSON cousins.
The first part of the story was indeed true, yes a family by the name of DAVIDSON used to live there. Memory has played false with me however, in that I remember that my research led me back to an Aberdeen family, but no, it looks like they were of Muthill, Perthshire instead, with absolutely no obvious connection to John, so Nana was telling porkies.

Looking at the family again today reminded me that the research turned up another connection to the Bounty in that both this DAVIDSON family, and my Great Aunt's husband, Doug FLETCHER, were descendants of the THOMSON family, early settlers in Port Chalmers, Otago, NZ. This THOMSON family leading back to the HEYWOOD family of H.M.S. Bounty fame.

9th: The kindness of others

Something I've always loved about this hobby is the thoughtfulness and kindness found within the genealogical community, with most people sharing their finds and helping out.
Today this was exemplified by two emails which arrived in my inbox overnight from one of the lovely people who belong to Find A Grave (wonderful site where you may often be able to find headstones in far distant cemeteries).
He had photographed the headstone of George E & Eda M (CRAWFORD) HENDERSON, and then gone on to do some research about them, found my WorldConnect db and brought the headstone photo to my attention. Not only that, but suggested that I also look in the same cemetery, Mountain View Memorial Park, Barstow, San Bernardino Co, California, for their son George C HENDERSON. He hadn't submitted the latter's headstone photo, but the lovely people who had, also had his obituary listed, which has enabled me to track down at least some of the descendants on Facebook. Don't yet know if they are at all interested in their HENDERSON ancestry, time will tell.

Another recent story is that of the far flung impact of a casual comment after a committee meeting last week.
One member mentioned that his family solicitor was a FAIRBAIRN, and he'd mentioned to him that he knew someone (me) heavily into researching FAIRBAIRNs.
At this point in the story I was privately a bit dismissive as very few of the FAIRBAIRNs in New Zealand appear to come from the Scottish Borders families that I'm researching most heavily. He then mentioned that the chap concerned had been born in Samoa. Likelihood of connection didn't rise at this point, but I did remember that many years ago I'd squirreled away some information about a James FAIRBAIRN of Glasgow who had been a policeman in Samoa. Again, no known connection, just information that may well come to be of use later. And so it turned out.
I pulled out the information and re-examined it for further clues, "just in case".
Sure enough, this was the solicitor's father, and I found sufficient information to identify James' birth in Govan in 1901, shortly after the Scottish census for that year. By now you'll have guessed there's a point to this story. No, at the time I'd squirrelled away the information I had no known interest whatsoever in Glaswegian policeman. But time moves on. Descendants of the family of James and Mary Bell/Mabel (THOMSON) FAIRBAIRN had moved to Glasgow, and yes, this James was one of them.
I've been searching all over the world for this family, found descendants in Washington State, Brisbane, Leicester, knew some had emigrated to Canada, and only recently had found one of them in Saskatchewan in the 1916 census on the FamilySearch Record pilot (which resource seems to have vanished now, so timing was everything there). But no-one ever knew any had come to NZ, let alone were living in my next door town.
Alf and I have now met, and he has provided some more leads for families in the States, and we've swapped our known information. Now I have to work to co-opt him into the FAIRBAIRN dna project to determine whether or not, and if so, how closely, our respective Eckford families may be related.

8th: What have I been up to?

Not really sure what all I've changed since the last posting. Looking at the "Recent Changes" index from a rebuild of my Big Brother website I can see a clutch of Henderson updates, most of which aren't really visible changes, apart from Archibald, whose baptism entry gave me a new place to play with, Craigmill, which is now included on the map of Hatch Match and Despatch Events on the Henderson page.
As I say in his blurb, I'd noted in the past that there was a Robert HENDERSON, Smith at Craigmill, which may or may not be significant as to Archibald's grandfather's forbears. The two Craigmill HENDERSON smiths are rather separated by time however.

Reasonably sure that the changes shown for 31 Jan and 5 Feb were cosmetic rather than real, but those shown for 7th & 8th Feb are real updates.

Behind the scenes Bobby has provided some updates to the BAIN family which are being investigated and will be reflected in WorldConnect db LornaHenderson updates in due course.

The FAIRBAIRN page has had a minor tweak or two, including the descendant chart of James and Mary Bell/Mabel (THOMSON) FAIRBAIRN being brought onto this site instead of pointing off to my WorldConnect db LornaPotential, in the hope that one day (soon?) we may be able to prove a relationship between James and my family of Archibald and Alison (CROSSER) FAIRBAIRN, given that both were involved with the Gateshaw Secession Church at Morebattle and lived for at time in Eckford Parish.

Oct 10, 2008: Do these names ring a BELL?

FAIRBAIRNs and BELL/THOMSON families. Wondering if it is complete coincidence that there are two FAIRBAIRN families connected to the same BELL/THOMSON family, or whether there just might be a link between them.
One family is that of the latest participant in the FAIRBAIRN Surname DNA Project, the other the subject of a Borders Family History Society Journal way back in Feb 1998 about Granny FAIRBAIRN the Bone-setter of Kelso - "Isabella (ROBERTSON) FAIRBAIRN 1859-1940".
The possible connection being made by adding 2 and 2 and probably getting 5.

Robert FAIRBAIRN, Isabella ROBERTSON's husband's lineage works back to a Robert FAIRBAIRN and Agnes JEFFREY, via a Robert FAIRBAIRN, writer in Duns (reputed father) and Ellen BELL.

Robert FAIRBAIRN and mother Ellen BELL are in the 1881 census with Ellen's sister Janet and her (2nd) husband John THOMSON at Kelso.

In 1901 Janet THOMSON nee BELL is at Kelso with a boarder, John FAIRBAIRN, 25 (he later married an Ellen THOMSON).

John's pedigree is now on the FAIRBAIRN Surname DNA Project Patriarchs page, with no known connection to Duns or Robert above.

Anyone actively researching Robert's family? Found part of it on OneGreatFamily
but the email address of the researcher (dtr of John M FAIRBAIRN, a journalist who emigrated to Australia) bounced.

Back to Meavy for a break. ANDREWS this time. I'd not taken the family of Henry Willcocks & Lydia (HELYER) ANDREWS beyond 1871 until contacted by Pauline, who has a family connection with them.
Merrily checking them off in census and BDMs and finally realised I was duplicating data. Dtr Mary Willcocks ANDREWS firstly married John SHILLIBEER, then remarried a Richard Henry BICKLE (I calculate they were 5th cousins once removed, or at least I did once I realised he was the son of John Creber BICKELL and Susanna HELYER).

Pedigree, and latest results, added to the ROWE Surname DNA project.

Mar 11, 2008: Following further FAIRBAIRNs

Having great fun sorting out and revisiting assorted FAIRBAIRN families.
Roy mentioned blacksmiths today. So I reviewed what I knew about the Ednam blacksmith families only to find one connection I hadn't realised before, and another potential one, and of course, a new puzzle or two.
Reading the Galashiels OPR the other day re-checking that William F. definitely wasn't there, I came across the 1802 birth/baptism for John F. son of William FAIRBAIRN and Margaret THOMSON of "New Wooll". I believe this John to be the one who married Margaret SINTON and emigrated to Blandford, Ontario between 1835 and 1838. Two of their children were born when they were at Fairnalee, Galashiels, so when I found an 80 year old William FAIRBAIRN in the 1841 census at Fairnalee, I assumed he was John's father.
So far so good, apart from the fact that I also have a William FAIRBAIRN and Margaret THOMSON as the grandfather (via their son Edward) of a William FAIRBAIRN born New Wooler 1823. And I also have that William as buried in Ednam aged 61 in 1817. So, of an age, and place, but can't be both dead and alive in 1841. More work needed.
The potential connection with this family of blacksmiths is via this 1823 William's dtr Fanny who married an Archibald Henderson FAIRBAIRN, a potential descendant of one or t'other of the Archibalds.
FAIRBAIRN Surname DNA project Patriarch pages updated with the pedigree of the above Archibald Henderson FAIRBAIRN's family in the hope that a descendant might join the project and help pinpoint where that family fits too.

Jan 23, 2008; There had to be an Alison

Having been found by the descendants of the newfound (to me) dtr Isabella, to Peter SINTON and Janet DONALDSON, and having done a lot of digging around to find as many of the descendants as wanted to be found, I then went digging to find other researchers of the new names added into the tree: ROBSON, MABON, HILSON, TURNBULL, BRODIE, THOMSON, INGLIS, SCOTT, MIDDLEMIST, GRAHAM, TAYLOR, RENWICK, HUNTER, WAUGH.
On the Borders FHS site, the Surname interests came up trumps for TURNBULL and MABON. At the time I found the TURNBULL researcher and looked at the web page, I wasn't sure it was the same family, but a bit more digging, and bingo. A couple of Isabella's great grdchildren had emigrated to Canada after WWI.
For MABON I picked one researcher for no better reason other than she had a NZ address. Such decisions can be fateful.
This evening, I received a pedigree chart from Amanda, and completely forgot about checking MABONs further, as she was a FAIRBAIRN relation of mine from a daughter I didn't have, for Walter FAIRBAIRN and Agnes ROBESON/ROBISON/ROBERTSON, but I knew had to exist somewhere. In a family with several sons and daughters I was missing a son named after the mother's father, and a dtr named after the father's mother, but am no longer missing the latter. The former may well still be the John in New York with father Walter of Roxburgh, SCT, but DNA participants are yet to be found to aid this conjecture.
Figured out who Mary BUCKHOLM is (but not what happened to her after 1871), but the rest of the grandchildren of Richard and Isabella ROBSON are yet to be "fitted in".

Sep 13, 2007: Back to BAINs & no luck with LUCOCK

Hope to get Thomas SCOTT on the web soon as I've had fun chasing assorted Cumberland SCOTT families around the records the last couple of days. No great conclusion re Eleanor's relationship to them though. Someone, somewhere might hold the key to where Eleanor fits in.

Also hope to get out an update to my WorldConnect db LornaHenderson as there seems to have been a sudden rush of updates.

GenesReunited hot matches has put me in contact with another of the BAIN/SUTHERLAND/THOM descendants in Australia, so that's a few more dots on i's and t's crossed (how are you meant to write that, doesn't look right with "is" for plural of i!). Thank you Peter M., 4th cousin once removed. The BAIN chart has therefore had a few twigs added.

Received a reply from the LUCKOCK researcher, but dipped out on enough information to solve the Agnes Gair HENDERSON & Joseph LUCOCK marriage mentioned below, at least not without paying for a certificate anyway.

Linda H called my attention to the McGREGOR GenForum activity in response to one of her posts. Looks like we've been found by another HENDERSON descendant of Margaret H, sister to my James H. Not sure where as yet, but her husband is a descendant of James Addison McGREGOR.

Update: digging around from the hints on GenForum and the fact that Canada might be a good place to find James, I came up trumps as he started off in Ontario where I can access BDM data online via Ancestry, and there were a couple of dths in the British Columbia index too so the HENDERSON chart has a few extra twigs under James McGREGOR now.

Aug 29:2007 apples & eggs; Gretna marriage

Simeon WINES apparently stole some eggs, and had previously stolen apples. Ta Jenni for the fuller details of his record.
Still haven't seen proof of his parents however. Has anyone seen it to show which of the Simons of an age born Sth Petherton he is?

The details of the Gretna marriage of James THOMSON and Betty DALGISH didn't help with her identification, but did confirm the 1874 date, albeit 2 days later than they recorded on their children's birth certs.

The Margaret WIGHT mystery from a few days ago has deepened. Jan had also tackled this, but from a different angle. I haven't fully digested her version of events, but it looks like Margaret WIGHT married her shoemaker James WHITE and then took off. Neither of us can find her as WHITE 1851 thru 1881 but James is living in Jedburgh with his Mum and sister in 1851 and 1861, and alone in 1871 & 1881, his dth cert in 1887(?) apparently saying he was a widower (a lie).

Paul R has provided some details about PC Robert RICHARDSON of Blyth, which may get him onto my web pages in the near future, lack of sidetracks willing...

Aug 24, 2007: DALGLIESHs et al

Ran out of ideas and sources to reach any conclusions about the assorted Betsy/Eliza/Elizabeth DALGLIESH or ELLIOTs, so decided to write up investigations to date and pop them on the web. Someone, somewhere might have the answers.

Mary's DALGLIESH family (of Bigholms, Par. of Langholm, Dumfries) appear to be well documented, and it looks like rellies ended up in both America and New Zealand, but too far away in relationship to James THOMSON to be of great interest to me, so I'm refusing to get sidetracked (that must be a first).

James THOMSON is now written up, as are the associated Elizabeth and Eliza's, and his Mum, Cecilia THOMSON nee SINTON, along with a revised SINTON chart.

Aug 23, 2007: Was Betsey an Elliot or Dalgleish?

The plot thickened even further. Found James THOMSON in 1871 as THOMPSON, widower, which cast severe doubts on the marriage date year of 1870 given in son John's birth cert. in 1876. Hsekeeper with the family was one sister-in-law Betsey, unmarried, 25, b Canonbie, all as expected apart from the age, AND the surname, ELLIOT. I still can't find her in earlier census data as DALGLIESH or ELLIOT unless she's Mary's sister Eliza aged 6mths in 1841.

Went for another of the children's birth certs, Jessie's 1878 cert. It showed her mother as Betsy m.s. DALGLEISH, and gave a marriage date for James and Betsy of 22 Feb 1874 Gretna, which fits better with the 1871 census showing James as a widower.

Mary & Eliza(beth) DALGLEISH's mother Mary was a CARRUTHERS. There's a WorldConnect tree for the family that has Mary's parents in Ontario by 1843. Given I found Walter and Mary with family in 1841 in Dumfries, but 1851 the children were all living with their uncle at Bigholms, Langholm, maybe Walter didn't die, perhaps he emigrated? Pure speculation. And nothing to do with solving the mystery of Eliza/Elizabeth. I wonder what details would be on a Gretna marriage?

Aug 22nd, 2007: A Gretna marriage

Can't even remember how or why I started this trail today, but I found Cecilia THOMSON nee SINTON in 1841 where expected, in Castleton (as Celia). This added a Jessie into the family whom I am assuming is a dtr. Ancestry transcribed her age as 32 and James as 30, but FreeCen has 12 and 10.

Spurred on by this I tried to extend the rest of the family forward to 1901, with mixed success. Son James did indeed marry Elizabeth DALGLEISH, or so his 1899 dth cert says. The informant for his dth was a (new to me) son William THOMSON of Hawick. By naming pattern, he should be the 1st son, so pre 1874. Still to find the family, or James, in 1871.

The plot thickened. Found William's dth and then his birth, but his mother on both was a Mary DALGLIESH, not Elizabeth. Sure enough, James married Mary in 1861 and I couldn't find a marriage to Elizabeth, in either the Scottish or English indices. The two groups of children do indicate two families. Can't find Elizabeth in census data prior to 1881 with any certainty, but her 1898 dth cert indicates she's Mary's sister, & of extremely variable age in assorted records. She may well be the Eliza, 2 yrs younger than Mary, living with their uncle in 1851 at Bigholms, Langholm.

I eventually succumbed to the birth cert of a son from the 2nd "marriage" (can't stand a mystery that's easily solved). John Walter's birth cert shows his parents as having married at Gretna in Feb 1870. And yes, they appear on a list of Gretna Green marriages at Achievements and certainly do NOT appear in the English marriage indices for that quarter anyway.