Jane Watson Paterson

Jane was my great grandmother. She was born in 1841 in Irongray, Kircudbrightshire, Scotland. Her first marriage was to James Gordon with whom she had four children. After James' death in 1875, she married again, to Robert Whittaker, having one more child, my grandmother, Lydia.

My father wrote this about her:

According to the family bible, my grandmother was born on 29 October 1842 and on the 1891 census her place of birth is quoted as being Irongray, Kirkcudbrightshire.

Her parents were John and Lydia Paterson and he was the third of a family of eleven.

In the 1841 census for the Parish of Irongray, her parents were living at 37 Larbreck with four children, one from John Paterson's first marriage. In the 1851 census forthe same parish, the family had moved to 4 Brochmore Cottage and my grandmother, aged 8 years, was included in the census.

In the 1861 census for the Parish of Kells, Kirkcudbrightshire, the family was living at 7 Marchwell, New Galloway, Kirkcudbrightshire. As she was not included in the census for that address it can be assumed that she had left home by that date, probably to take up service somewhere.

On 23 December 1867, she gave birth to a daughter, Catherine at High Street, Dalbeatie. There was no father quoted on the birth certificate so it can be assumed that the child was illegitimate. Catherine was in fact my Auntie Katie. The surname Gordon was later added to Catherine's name and on 23rd May 1890 she married David Boyd at 183 Main Street, Bonhill and subsequently had six children, the eldest of which was Jane, better known as Jean who married William Bennie on 26 October 1918.

My grandmother married James Gordon, a ploughman, on 24 June 1870 at Midpark, Crossmichael, Kirkcudbrightshire, when she was 27 years of age. The marriage certificate states "After banns according to the form of the Church of Scotland".

I had difficulty when I visited Crossmichael in locating Midpark but an old resident advised me that it was a small settlement of houses near where the road to Lauriston crosses the Crossmichael to Castle Douglas road.

Her second child, John Patterson Gordon was born on 12 July 1870 at Creebridge, Minnigaff, Kirkcudbrightshire. I have a photograph of a man and woman on the back of which is written "John and Maggie". Is this John Patterson Gordon?

My grandmother had two further children who were born in Old Kilpatrick, Dunbartonshire, and who both died in infancy.

     James Hall Gordon born 14 December 1872 died 8 February 187?

     Margret Hall Gordon born 22 May 1875 died 17 March 1879

    (Also referred to as Margret Lydia in the bible.)

My grandmother's mother and father died at Old Kilpatrick, Dunbartonshire, in 1872 and 1873 respectively although why the family moved to that part of Scotland is a mystery.

Her husband, James Gordon died on 26th May 1875 according to the family bible but I have yet to find where he died. His death followed four days after the birth of their last child, so it must have been a traumatic time for my grandmother. 

In the 1881 census for the parish of Bonhill, Dunbartonshire I find the following entry for 27 Burns Street:

     Jane Gordon               Head          38     Printfield Worker

     Catherine Gordon        Daughter     12           "         "

     John Gordon               Son            10     Part time Printfield Worker

The age of 12 given for Catherine Gordon in the census does not agree with the date on her birth certificate of 23 December 1867.

Presumably my grandmother moved to Bonhill from Old Kilpatrick to obtain work in one of the many printworks that existed in the Vale of Leven area at that time, possibly the very factory in which she met the Englishman who was to become her second husband and my grandfather.

In the 1891 census for the Parish of Bonhill, Dunbartonshire my grandmother and her second husband, my grandfather, were living at 183 Main Street, Bonhill with the two remaining children from her first marriage and the daughter from her second marriage, Lydia Jane Whittaker, my mother.

What is known as the Vale of Leven is made up of Alexandria, Balloch, Bonhill, Jamestown and Renton. The main industry was bleaching introduced in 1768, to be replaced later by Turkey-red Dyeing of which the area had almost a world monopoly. However after the first world war it was hit with the general slump and many of the factories closed and my memory of them is of empty shells.

Documents

1. Marriage Certificate 1     James Gordon     24/6/1870

2. Marriage Certificate 2     See Robert Whittaker

3. Marriage Certificate        Catherine Patterson/David Boyd

4. Marriage Certificate        Jane Boyd/William Bennie

5. Birth Certificate             Catherine Patterson

6. Birth Certificate             John Patterson Gordon

Robert Whittaker

Robert was my grandmother's father. He was English, born in 1853 in Chorley, Lancashire. He married a widower, Jane Watson Paterson in 1885 in Bonhill, Dunbartonshire, Scotland.

I can trace his residence from census and other documents:

1853 - Chorley, Lancashire
1861 - Chorley, Lancashire
1871 - Chorley, Lancashire
1885 - Bonhill, Dunbartonshire
1885 - Alexandria, Dunbartonshire
1891 - Bonhill, Dunbartonshire
1901 - Bonhill, Dunbartonshire
1906 - Bonhill, Dunbartonshire
1918 - died in Bonhill, Dunbartonshire.

He worked in the print industry as back tinter for calico printer, print field hand, printfield engine keeper and printfield worker.

I assume that he moved to Scotland for work as there was increasing industry and jobs in Jamestown (where Bonhill is located) at the time.

I know that he and my grandmother, Lydia were involved in St Mungo's Episcopal Church in Alexandria and were both very religious people.

Helen McIntosh

Helen was Thomas' wife. Again, I have no photographs of her. I know she was born in 1849 in New Tyle, Forfarshire Scotland, and died in 1927.

From census and other records, I can trace her residence:

1849 - New Tyle
1851 - New Tyle
1861 - Alyth, Perthshire
1874 - Meigle
1881 - Bonhill, Dunbartonshire
1891 - Bonhill, Dunbartonshire
1901 - Bonhill, Dunbartonshire

Her parents were Lauchlan McIntosh (1825 - 1905) and Henrietta Hardie (1826 - 1905). Helen was the eldest of nine children.

Thomas Roberton

Thomas was my great grandfather. I have no photographs of him. He was born in 1841 in Pollockshaws, Glasgow, Scotland. My father's notes included the following entry about Thomas.

I started with no knowledge whatsoever of my grandfather. I do not remember my father talking about him nor have I any photos of him.

The only source of information originally available to me was my father's birth certificate. This provided several items of interest:-

- my grandfather's name was Thomas Roberton and he was a blacksmith.

- my grandparents were married on 5 June 1874 in the parish of Meigle.

Their marriage certificate provided the following information:-

- Thomas Roberton's parents were,

       Thomas Roberton, clerk, deceased

       Janet Roberton, ms Taylor, deceased

- Thomas Roberton was a widower at the time of his marriage to Helen McIntosh. (Subsequently I obtained the certificate for his first marriage which was on 19th July to Agnes Abercrombie).

- The witnesses were James McIntosh and Annie McIntosh. Anne McIntosh appears in the 1881 census as sister in law to Thomas Roberton but this is the first time James McIntosh appears. Is he a brother in law?

- Thomas Roberton was a blacksmith and Helen McIntosh was a domestic servant.

- Thomas Roberton's usual address was recorded as 17 Levenbank Terrace, Jamestown.

From the IGI at Huddersfield I obtained the information that Thomas Roberton was born on 4 March 1841 at Renfrew/Eastwood and that his parents were Thomas and Janet (ms Taylor) Roberton.

This date of birth is in conflict with the age quoted in his two marriage certificates.

- In the certificate of his first marriage on 19th July 1870 his age is given as 25, but if he was born in 1841 he would have been 29 by this date.

- In the certificate for his second marriage on 5th June 1874 his age is given as 30 but if he was born in 1841 he would have been 33.

The 1881 census showed his living at 55 Levenbank Terrace, Jamestown in the parish of Bonhill, Dunbartonshire. His birthplacewas recorded as Renfrewshire, Pollockshaws. His age was quoted as 38 years but again if he was born in 1941 he would have been 40 at the time of the census. Also quoted in the census as living at the same address were:-

- Helen Roberton, wife, age 30, born Forfarshire, New Tyle

- Thomas, son, 5

- Henrietta, daughter, 4

- James L, son                  1

- Charles, son, x days (my father)

- Anne McIntosh,  sister-in-law

Levenbank Terrace was one of three terraces built by the owners of the textile mills as homes for their workers. When I was at primary school in Jamestown the three terraces had become almost representative of three different levels of class. Milton Terrace was at the lower level followed by Napierston Terrace while the 'better people' lived in Levenbank Terrace.

In the Alexandria cemetery the gravestone for the familly plot carries the following inscription:-

                 "In Memory of

                  Thomas Roberton

                  Died 31st July 1898 aged 57 years

                  His Wife

                  Helen McIntosh

                  Died 30th April 1927 aged 77 years

                  Their Daughter

                  Henrietta 

                  Wife of Hugh Paton

                  Died 12th February 1904 aged 27 years

                  Janet

                  2nd daughter of above

                  Thomas and Helen Roberton

                  Died 19th February 1966 aged 82 years

                  John Roberton

                  Died 4th June 1968 aged 81 years"

In a search of the 1851 census for the parish of Eastwood I found an entry for a Roberton with the head of the house a Thomas Roberton, a widower aged 45, with 2 sons and 2 daughters. The youngest son was a Thomas aged 10. This ties up with the age my grandfather would have been in 1851.

My grandfather had eight children (four sons and four daughters) and died on 31 July 1898 at the age of 57 years. He is buried in Alexandria cemetary.

His wife, Helen (nee McIntosh) lived a further 29 years after his death.

My paternal grandmother, Lydia Jane Roberton nee Whittaker

This was my father's mother, Lydia. From what my father said, she was a kindly, hard working, religious woman. Here's what he wrote about her.

My mother was born on 4th December 1885, the only child of Thomas and Jane Whittaker, in the parish of Bonhill in the county of Dunbartonshire.

 Her father was English and from stories she told me of visits to her relations in Bradford and Chorley, I know that she was very proud of her Englsh background. However, she seemed to drift apart from those aunts and cousins she talked about with affection and she never visited them to my knowledge after she was married.

Her mother was from Kircudbrightshire and was a widow when she married my grandfather.

The great love of my mother's life was her church, St  Mungo's Episcopal, Alexandria. This was known locally as the English church. When she was born, St Mungo's was not in existence and she was confirmed in St Augustine's, Dunbarton. She and her father were among the founder members of the church in Alexandria and she worked for it in almost every capacity. She was in the choir, she was a Sunday school teacher and I remember the armfuls of flowers that came from my father's garden when it was my mother's turn to "do the flowers". My father was brought up as a Presbyterian which is the established church of Scotland, but to please my mother he joined 'her' church and was confirmed into it.

My father was in regular employment and with the garden we were never short of fresh vegetables so there was always plenty of food in the Roberton household. This, added to the fact that my mother was a superb cook, meant that mealtimes were something to be looked forward to.