EDWARD ROBERTSON BORN 1821 LEITH.

deano · Post by **deano** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 8:48 pm

Hello All,

According to Scotlandspeople, or Gross, his name is John Robertson.

Now by that i mean i was the person who supplied Robbie, with the death certificate, and i enquired about a enhanced image with the result that it was not the image that was poor, rather the writing.

I then enquired about what the first name could possibly be, and i was told it was definately John, as they looked at the register to confirm this.
At this point i was unsure of this statement, because if i remember the last time i was in Registration House Edinburgh, about 30 years ago, the death index were in yearly books and i dont the think the parents names were on the index, of course thats a long time ago so i could be wrong.

The Edward Robertson, who married Christina Duncan Hornsby, has all the credentials to be this Edward, ie his mother is a Margaret Moore, and his father is Alexander Malcolm Robertson, he is also a Glass Maker, but the evidence is inconclusive, so at this point i have not told Robbie, about this possibility.

Regards,
Jonn.

Post by **SarahND** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 9:18 pm

Hi Jonn.
So you're the "friend's brother"? Pleased to meet you

I think it must be the same Edward, because the marriage now ties in the two halves of his life, i.e. his two occupations:

He is a bottle maker 1841-1871
He is still a bottle maker at the death of Elizabeth Glen
A glass maker at his marriage to Christina
1881 he is married to Christina and working in a sugar refinery
"Private means" while staying with his son in 1891
At his death he is the widower of Elizabeth Glen and a sugar boiler

It all ties together!
Got to be the same man, I think.

All the best,
Sarah

Post by **SarahND** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 2:42 am

I'm not sure if this explains anything, but it might...

Ancestry.com has a database called Midlothian: Leith - Registers of Episcopal Congregation, 1733-1775

In it are several entries of baptisms (1772-1774) of children of James Robertson, mirror maker. One of the witnesses is Alexander Robertson.

Not to say he is the same Alexander, of course, or he'd be a bit old to be Edward's father! Just that here are some Robertsons in Leith –– Episcopalian so that their birth and marriage records won't be in the OPRs, and of a profession that could definitely fit in with Edward's glass blowing.

Could be relations? Who knows, but it made me think.

All the best,
Sarah

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 10:52 am

Hi all
If they are Episcopalian, then the christening records are likely to be held at NAS. I've seen a book of Episcopalian records for Leith there.

Best wishes
Lesley

Post by **joette** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 3:50 pm

I have Robertson from the the same area maybe they're Episcopalian too as were later generations.
One married in Cof s so I always assumed the other entries hadn't survived,Never gave a thought they might be other than Cof S.

robbiej · Post by **robbiej** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 9:33 pm

My ... You people are a mine of information.

What about KEN as the christian name ? Does that get anywhere ? I was given the mother as Margaret More - so that part could be right !!

I wonder if he was in the Bottle making business too !

robbiej · Post by **robbiej** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 3:48 am

Hello all,
This signature has me puzzled as well. I have looked at all your comments, so on an idea had a look around the Net and came up with a site which is about OLD Scottish handwriting. www.scottishhandwriting.com.
I contacted them, sending a copy of the cert. They have replied that they think it is JOHN, and gave examples which I will post onto the photos page. IF I can that is...

This is what I would go for, as although some say Alexander etc, there is a change of trade, - I am told this is not uncommon, but I thought that from a bottlemaker to into a Lab in Sugar refining was maybe too much of a change - no offence meant...
SO.... I am looking for Edward Robertson B/1821 HIS parents of possibly... Edward (?) Robertson to Margaret More.
Jonndean has told me that prior to 1855, I think he said - births etc were not officially recorded and this ofcourse makes it more difficult to find him.
Needle in haystack stuff....

Someone just might be a rescue here. I hope so.
Thanks everyone for their input on the signature. very much appreciated. [/img]

robbiej · Post by **robbiej** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 4:02 am

Thank you for your enquiry. I have looked at the image you sent and looked at the full page on ScotlandsPeople to compare the writing and I think the name is as simple as John Robertson. I have attached two images to try and illustrate my reason for thinking the name is John.

Hi All...I have contacted the Moderator and sent copies of the variations I received with this below.

The first image shows where the R of Robertson starts – it’s quite a florid R so it would be easy to think that parts of it belong to the first name.
The second image shows that the shape is like that of John, written in the same hand at the bottom left hand side of the register (entry no 561). You can just make out part of the stroke below the line in the J of John Robertson and notice how closed the o is in the example that is clearly a John it’s not as round as we might expect. There is also the faintest indication of the tall vertical stroke of the letter h.

www.scottishhandwriting.com
cheers. and thanks
robbiej

Post by **SarahND** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 4:22 am

Hi Robbiej,
I'm perfectly willing to believe that he invented a fancy name for his father on his second marriage certificate, or that his granddaughter, the informant on his death cert, didn't know her great grandfather's first name... but I do believe that the death cert and the marriage cert to Christina are the same person.

robbiej wrote: This is what I would go for, as although some say Alexander etc, there is a change of trade, - I am told this is not uncommon, but I thought that from a bottlemaker to into a Lab in Sugar refining was maybe too much of a change - no offence meant...

Notice that his death cert (which I think you are convinced is the right one?) also has his occupation as a "sugar boiler". He is the widower of Eliza Glen, which you also knew independently, and his mother is Margaret Moore/More in both documents. If you believe that this sugar boiler is your Edward, then you can't discount the marriage cert because of the change in occupation!

Maybe his father was John and he fibbed about his father's name when he married Christina. His son Edward was certainly less than truthful about his details when he married again in the U.S.-- remember?

Well, that's my take on it...

All the best,
Sarah

Post by **AndrewP** » Sat Mar 29, 2008 5:41 am

Robbiej's samples of handwriting have been uploaded as follows:

Compare John
http://talkingscot.com/gallery/displayi ... ?pos=-1511

Compare R o f Robertson
http://talkingscot.com/gallery/displayi ... ?pos=-1510

See what you think.

All the best,

AndrewP