name change storie to crosbie

[billyboy1948]

I have been trying for over 20 years to trace my gt granfather ( b.1834 ) back to his birthplace in Edinburgh. His name was Robert Crosbie and first appeared in the 1871 census ( Liverpool) He was a Brass Moulder. His wife was Janet/Jessie maiden name ( McGill). Their two eldest sons were both born in Edinburgh ,James 1858 and Robert 1859. Only when Gt grandfather had died (1901) did his wife put her true birthplace on a census (1911) as being in Amstruther ( Fife) This gave me new hope and I searched for a marriage of a Janet McGill from that birthplace in the 3 years before James was born. There was only 1. A Janet McGill had married a Robert Storie in Edinburgh in 1857. This is where I need the help and opinion of other Forum members. ( I will just give initials to save typing )


R.C. and R.S. were born in the same year.
both men were Brass founders/Moulders
R.S. married Janet / Jessie McGill --- Janet/Jessie Crosbie`s maiden name was McGill
both of these women were Milliners.
James S. was born in 1858 the same year as James C.
Robert S. was born in 1859, the same year as Robert. C.
The Storie family appear in the 1861 census in Edinburgh but not in any other following including south of the border
If Janet/Jessie left R.S. for R. C. there is no record of him alone or with new wife in any census.
No death record for R. S. in Scotland.
No marriage record anywhere for R.C. to Janet McGill.
After moving to Liverpool their next two children David and Alexander were never ever registered !
No record of a R. C. as a Brass Moulder/ Founder in Scotland in the 1861 census or the 1851 as an apprentice.
3 of R.Stories siblings in the 1851 census were James, David and Jane. R.Crosbie`s children in the 1881 census were James, David and Jane. ( If R.C was in fact R.S. then he named his children after some of his siblings.)

It is my belief that for some reason they had to leave Edinburgh and settled in Liverpool with a new name; perhaps on route to America/ Canada.

Any opinion would be very much appreciated as I hope to finally solve this mystery.

[AndrewP]

Hi BillyBot1948,



A parent search on the online IGI shows four children born to that couple in Edinburgh:

• James Storie
  birth: 24 January 1858 EDINBURGH PARISH,EDINBURGH,MIDLOTHIAN,SCOTLAND
  father:Robert Storie
  mother:Janet Mc Gill
  
  Robert Storie
  birth: 31 December 1859 EDINBURGH PARISH,EDINBURGH,MIDLOTHIAN,SCOTLAND
  father:Robert Storie
  mother:Jessie Mc Gill
  
  Janet Small Storie
  birth: 22 January 1862 EDINBURGH PARISH,EDINBURGH,MIDLOTHIAN,SCOTLAND
  father:Robert Storie
  mother:Jessie Mc Gill
  
  William Storie
  birth: 14 August 1864 EDINBURGH PARISH,EDINBURGH,MIDLOTHIAN,SCOTLAND
  father:Robert Storie
  mother:Jessie Mc Gill

A look at the 1862 birth certificate gives a date and place for the parents' marriage, but I see no sign of that marriage on http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk .

Then a look at the 1864 birth certificate gives a different year. The marriage is there after all on ScotlandsPeople.

All the best,

AndrewP

[billyboy1948]

Thankyou so much for taking an interest. Yes I had found those births too; I also think I found a death William age 14 months in 1865. I have found a marriage for them 4 th Sept 1857 at Greenside Parish Edinburgh. Can you give me an opinion Andrew ?

Bill

[AndrewP]

Hi Bill,

Have you looked at the marriage certificate on ScotlandsPeople? From that, you get the address where they were married, the address where they were living, and most importantly, the names of their parents.

Then doing a parent search on the online IGI, you get the birth of Robert's brother John [note surname: Storrie]. The OPR entry for that can also be seen on ScotlandsPeople. Sadly there is no sign of a birth record for Robert.

All the best,

AndrewP

[billyboy1948]

Hi Andrew
I have both of their parents names ( and address from the marriage entry) along with occupations and their witnesses. My problem is Robert Storie disappears, Robert Crosbie appears. I don`t know whether my name ( for the past 65 years ) is Crosbie or should it be Storie/ Storrie !!!

Bill

[billyboy1948]

By the way, I missed out one other sibling of Robert Storie ( you`ve just named him ) , John. Robert Crosbie also called one of HIS sons John ( my Grandfather) !

[AndrewP]

Hi Bill,

Were all the family documents from 1871 Crosbie? Did the Storie surname ever re-appear after 1871?

All the best,

Andrew

[billyboy1948]

Hi Andrew, their name in 1871 was mispelt Crosby. The eldest son James 13 in 1871 was not found anywhere in 1881; no death record either. He would have been 23 then . On moving to Liverpool about the age of maybe 11 or 12 he might have got homesick and as soon as he was old enough moved back and went back to his old surname. The Storie name has never appeared anywhere; it was only my Sherlock bit that thinks it is Storie who changed his name to Crosbie.

Thanks Andrew

Bill

[trish1]

Hi Bill

I researched a family for a friend and discovered that the family (parents and 5-6 children, can't quite remember) all changed their name between 1881 & 1891. It turned out that the father of the family was the oldest of his siblings - and his parents - as known throughout the census records married about 5 years after his birth. Per the census, they were living together from at least 2 years after his birth, but no guarantee as to who was his father. The name change involved taking his mother's maiden name - because that would have been his birth name - if his birth had been registered (it was not - England c. 1849)

Your family is looking very similar, although the reason for the name change would be different. Do you know if Robert was able to write? Could it be something as simple as an English person not understanding his accent - or his writing - still, hard to believe he would then keep the name. Is there a reason he left Scotland? New life/new name?

Have you traced any of the Storie siblings? Can they provide clues?

Trish

[billyboy1948]

Hi Trish
The easy way for a census enumerator to spell Crosbie at the door of someones house is to write Crosby; even myself when giving my name be it over the phone or in a survey etc am never asked " how do you spell that" . They always put Crosby down. in all other censuses the spelling is correct. As for Storie, that name is nowhere in my tree and the facts are that prior to the 1871 census Robert Crosbie was from Scotland and was a Brass Moulder, a skill which takes years to learn. There is no record in Scotland for a R. C. who is a Brass Moulder/ Founder. in 1861 or 1851. Like I say there is a R. S. with that occupation, who also came from Edinburgh, who married a Janet McGill,she also came from a small village called Amstruther, they also had two sons James & Robert born in the same year as my relations. R.S. disappears after 1861 along with his family ( R. C. does not exist in 1861 or before ) R. C. appears from 1871 in another city with his "wife" ( maiden name McGill from Amstruther) and two sons born in Edinburgh.

Regards

Bill