5 Freer St , Edinburgh C 1850

[DavidJ]

I have discovered that a relative yet to be named was a police constable living at this address . C1850 can anyone point me in the right direction to find this in the census please

[WilmaM]

This topic may help viewtopic.php?t=17109
It seems to be in St Cuthberts parish, I'm not sure what area that is on census records.

I put police Edinburgh in 1851 on freecen.org.UK and got 157 hits!
The Old Church records are all in one household in Chessels Court, obviously Police Station.
If he was a Constable on the census too that may narrow the list down.

[DavidJ]

Many thanks WilmaM
At least I now have a starting point thanks

[AndrewP]

Hi David,

At the time of the 1851 census, it looks like Freer Street had not been built. The 1851 Ordnance Survey map shows that it had not been built at that time.

See:
https://maps.nls.uk/view/74415495

Freer Street was off the south side of Fountainbridge, immediately west of where Fountainbridge went over the Union Canal. It is shown as open ground with trees on it on this map.

The Edinburgh street index for the 1851 census doesn't show Freer Street.

https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/files//re ... -leith.pdf

Freer Street does not appear in the 1861 census Edinburgh street index.

https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/files//re ... nburgh.pdf

Freer Street does appear in the 1871 census Edinburgh Street index.

https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/files//re ... nburgh.pdf

In 685/1, enumeration district 23. In 1871, Enumeration District 685/1 was Edinburgh City, St George District.

Going by the various maps on the following webpage, Freer Street was built in stages from about 1864 to 1870.

https://maps.nls.uk/towns/#edinburgh-city

On that basis, your policeman was not living in Freer Street in c1850.

All the best,

AndrewP

[WilmaM]

On that basis, your policeman was not living in Freer Street in c1850.

Which begs the question David, what do you have that made you think that?
Certificate, family tales [there's usually a grain of truth in them], newspaper cutting or what?

Do tell, as we love unraveling a mystery.

[DavidJ]

Thanks Andrew and WilmaM
I dug a little deeper and discovered I had the wrong timeline but the same name
I am tracing family via Ancestry .
I have a name of James J Irving born in Edinburgh on 25/4/88
He died in Northumberland in 1965 .
So I have realised that it must be my great grandfather James Irving dob 1860 living at no 5 Freer st Edinburgh in 1885/6as a Police constable .
It maybe my grandfather James J Irving was born there but I have found him living in Gretna in 1891 as a 4year old with his grandfather William Hamilton !!

[WilmaM]

The 1881 census has the Goodlet family living at 5 Freer Street. I was hoping for a policeman lodger too but only James & Mgt. with their family [ Mgt., John, Jane, James - no imagination in names ]

There is a James J Irving in Edinburgh in 1881 - but he's an unemployed tailor from Annan in Dumfrieshire aged 22 . Wonder if he made the leap to Police if he couldn't find work? Annan isn't far from Gretna.

The valuation roll for 1885 does indeed have him living there.

IRVING JAMES Tenant Occupier HOUSE 5 FREER STREET ST CUTHBERT'S

I'm not sure if the actual record will give much or any more information.

[DavidJ]

WilmaM
Many thanks for taking the time with my query .
It actually brings up more questions !!!
At least I have the right person ! And he was at 5 Freer street .
in 1885 (Great grandfather)
It opens up other problems as I am struggling to find his wife and family now .
He had a son James J Irving 25/4/88 (grandfather)born in Edinburgh but in 1891 James as a 4 year old was living in Gretna without his father . He was living with his possible maternal grandparents the Hamilton’s (5 of them)
My mother has passed on so I missed the opportunity to find out what happened
My mother Mary J Irving was born in Northumberland and lived in Kirkwhelpington .