Wardrop or Wardrope of Ratho, Midlothian then Mid Calder....

[Jockbird]

Hello everyone,

This links in with my post on Stat Recs re Eliza Wardrop but goes back a generation.

I need a second...or third...or fourth...opinion on this please.

I have a Robert Wardrope born circa 1820/22 in Ratho, Midlothian, as per the 1851 census. He is living at Westfield Office House, Mid Calder. He is my Gx3 grandfather.

Unfortunately his brother-in-law, William Davidson, was the informant on the death cert in August 1857 and only knew that Robert's father was called Robert Wardrope too.

Now I've checked the IGI and there is a Robert Wardrope born in 1820, in Ratho, to a Robert Wardrope & Margaret Emslie.

Robert Jnr had a daughter, Margaret Emelia Wardrope, is how she in interpreted on the OPR but I'm wondering if, based on Scottish naming patterns, she's the second daughter (first on named Janet, as per the mother's mother), could this maybe be Emslie as the middle name? We all know what the handwriting can be like on these things.

Now I've found a Robert Wardrope in 1841, aged 20, living with a Robert Wardrope Snr, aged 56 at ...wait for it....Westfield House, Mid Calder. here's the info frm the census entry.

Piece: SCT1841/694
Place: Mid Calder -Midlothian Enumeration District: 3
Civil Parish: Mid Calder Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island: -
Folio: 3 Page: 11
Address: Westfield House


WARDROPE Robert M 56 Male Servant O/s Census County
WARDROPE Ann F 26 Midlothian
WARDROPE Robert M 20 Male Servant Midlothian
WARDROPE Andrew M 7 Midlothian
WARDROPE William M 5 Midlothian
WARDROPE Cristina F 4 Midlothian
WARDROPE David M 2 Midlothian
WARDROPE Ann F 3m Midlothian

Now, would you think that, based on where my definite Robert is living in 1851, that I can rightfully claim this one as mine?

I have the death cert for the Robert Snr on here. Regrettably another 1857, so no spouses names, and in the May of that year. The informant, as best as I can make out from the image, is Andrew Wardrope of Auchengray, Carnbath?

Seeing as that 1841 family also had an Andrew, do you think this is the death cert of my Gx4 grandfather?

In summary, do you reckon I've got the right family and have made the right assumptions based on the information I have?

Your valued opinions please in case I'm barking up the wrong tree.

Thanks for reading.

Best wishes
Donna
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[AndrewP]

Hi Donna,

An IGI search for Ann Wardrope born 1841 ± 2 years gives the parents as Robert Wardrope and Ann Chalmers.

A parent search on the IGI gives the following children to this couple.

ANDREW WARDROP - Christening: 19 JUN 1834 Mid Calder, Midlothian
WILLIAM WARDROPE - Christening: 04 SEP 1835 Mid Calder, Midlothian
CHRISTINA WARDROPE - Christening: 27 FEB 1837 Mid Calder, Midlothian
DAVID WARDROP - Christening: 04 FEB 1839 Mid Calder, Midlothian
ANN WARDROPE - Christening: 17 MAR 1841 Mid Calder, Midlothian
HELEN WARDROP - Christening: 08 JUN 1843 Mid Calder, Midlothian
ISABELLA WARDROPE - Christening: 25 APR 1845 Mid Calder, Midlothian
ALEXANDER WARDROP - Christening: 10 SEP 1847 Mid Calder, Midlothian

These IGI entries are all extracted from the OPR for Mid Calder.

Thir marriage was recorded twice, presumably in the Bride's and the Groom's home parish.

ROBERT WARDROP and ANN CHALMERS
Marriage: 04 AUG 1833 Kirknewton And East Calder, Midlothian

ROBERT WARDROP and ANN CHALMERS
Marriage: 20 JUL 1833 Mid Calder, Midlothian

The assumption that I am making is that Robert senior was probably married (at least) twice, with Robert junior (and more?) born to his first wife.

A parent search on Robert Wardrope and Margaret Elmslie gives the folllowing lot.

ALLISON WARDROPE - Christening: 17 JUL 1808 Ratho, Midlothian
JANET WARDROPE - Christening: 21 JAN 1810 Ratho, Midlothian
JOHN WARDROPE - Christening: 09 FEB 1812 Ratho, Midlothian
MARGARET WARDROPE - Christening: 29 MAY 1814 Ratho, Midlothian
JAMES WARDROPE - Christening: 24 NOV 1816 Ratho, Midlothian
ROBERT WARDROP - Christening: 14 MAY 1820 Ratho, Midlothian

The challenge is to link them as half-brothers and half-sisters to the younger family group given further up this message.

And the first marriage.

ROBERT WARDROPE and MARGARET ELMSLIE
Marriage: 20 FEB 1807 Ratho, Midlothian

All the best,

AndrewP

[Jean Jeanie]

Hi Donna

Looks like Andrew is correct about Robert being married at least twice.

Here's the family in 1851

Parish of West Calder, Reference 701, Enum Dist 2, Page 2, Schedule 7

Wardrop Robert, Head, age 70, Gardener, Born Bathgate West Lothian
Wardrop Ann, Wife, aged 36, Gardener's Wife, Born East Calder Mid Lothian
Wardrop Ann, daughter, aged 10, Scholar, Born Mid Calder Mid Lothian
Wardrop Helener, daughter, aged 8, Scholar, Born Mid Calder Mid Lothian
Wardrop Isabella, daughter, aged 6, Scholar, Born Mid Calder Mid Lothian
Wardrop Alexander, son, aged 4, Scholar, Born Mid Calder Mid Lothian
Wardrop Jean, daughter, aged 1, Born Mid Calder Mid Lothian.

Jean

[Jockbird]

Hi Andrew,

Like you say the challenge is linking these two, if only the 1857 death cert had had spouses names on it!

My only 'link' is that Robert Jnr is living at the same place in 1841 & 1851 as Robert Snr was in 1841 with him. That still doesn't give me his mother's name though.

My only other hope is that with the naming pattern for Margaret Emelia Wardrop, was she really Margaret Emslie Wardrop?

And we do this for fun?!?

Thank you Jean for taking the time to get the 1851 census, you're a gem.

When I saw it my first thought was "didn't he do well"....fathering an umpteenth child at 68/69!!! If the first lot that Andrew's posted are his too then that's 40 years and 15 children!!!!

Any ideas how I make this link with the two families???

Is that 1841 census my only hope for linking the two? Or just a coincidence?

Donna
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[AndrewP]

Hi Donna,

Another nugget of information that you mentioned was Auchengray. It is a small village in Carnwath parish, Lanarkshire, a short distance over the parish and county boundary from West Calder, Midlothian (transferred to West Lothian in 1975).

All the best,

AndrewP

[Jockbird]

Thanks for that Andrew, I've just popped that in my FTM notes.

I feel so near yet so far at the moment. I've just been going through my previous searches and can see several Wardropes for Bathgate too and, in the light of Jean's census info, I'm wondering if they are part of my bigger picture.

Can't wait for these OPRs to go on-line, just hope they tell me something.

Why couldn't Robert Snr have hung on for just a couple more years until they started putting spouse info on....mind you after fathering a potential 15 kiddies he may well have been too exhausted to hang on much more!

Donna
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[AndrewP]

Hi Donna,

In the 1861 census, widow Ann Wardrop is in West Calder with son Alexander. Ann junior is a domestic servant in the Parish Manse.

All the best,

AndrewP

[Jean Jeanie]

Donna

Just realised that I forgot to put the address in the census details.

It was Limefield Mill.

For your interest, in 1851 the population of Ratho was 1,718

Jean

[Jockbird]

Thank you Andrew.

I've just been reviewing what I've got so far. The death cert I've got is definitely for this Robert Snr, he's listed as a gardener and is living at, what looks like, Bellsquarry, Mid Calder. He's buried in Mid Calder churchyard.

I'm 99.9% sure they are one in the same family. I'm sure my clue is that second daughter Margaret Em*li* Wardrope born in 1850.

I think I'm going to have to search out Mid Calder MIs. I can't think of any other links at present as I think I've accounted for most of Robert Jnrs siblings and all have pre reg marriages and then Robert Jnr died in 1857 so he wasn't around long to register anything. I've just checked for Robert Jnr and he's buried in Dalry cemetery, was living at 1 Hamilton Place, High Riggs, Edinburgh.

Thanks Jean for that address, another piece in my Lothian jigsaw. Do ish I'd paid more attention when I was wee and we'd travel through from Glasgow to Colinton Mains....I'm on a steep learning curve with my Lothian geography!

Donna
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[Jockbird]

Hello!

I've just received an email from a lady on GR who has an Andrew Wardrope in her tree.

What I know of Andrew is that he was the informant on Robert Snr's death cert and is the one living in Carnwath. The 1841 census which shows Robert Snr, Robert Jnr and Andrew in the same household, has Andrew aged 7 indicating an 1833/1834 birth, I know from Andrew's posting he was christened in June 1834.

Here's what the lady has confirmed about her Andrew:-

Born circa 1834, married a Janet Hailstones on 17th December 1858 in Whitburn. Andrew's father was a Robert Wardrope but she doesn't know his mother's details. Andrew and Janet had 9 children one of them was called Margaret Emslie Wardrope.

Do you reckon I'm getting there? Can I claim this lot yet to be one in the same and, therefore, mine?

Ma heid sare from stotting aff this brickwall!

Donna
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