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.

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 grandfather, Charles Roberton

My grandparents all died before I was born so any impression I have of them has always been based on the stories my parents told me.

This is my father's father, Charles Roberton. He was born in Jamestown, Dunbartonshire, Scotland in 1881. This is what my father wrote about him.

My father was  born on 25th March 1881 in Jamestown in the parish of Bonhill, Dunbartonshire. His parents were Thomas and Helen Roberton and he was the fourth child and third son of a family of eight.

He was educated at Jamestown school and I can remember him telling me that when he was about eleven or twelve years old he worked what was called 'half and half'. That is, he worked part of the day and went to school for the remainder of the time.

About 1907/08 he emigrated to America and stayed there for fourteen years mainly around the Detroit area, although I believe he also had a spell working as a fireman on the Trans Canadian railway.

A search of the Detroit City Directories showed the following entries for a Roberton, Chas:-

1911                                                             Boards                       875 Congress

1914             Watchman                                      "                           37 Hamtramck

1915              Machinist          Pd & Co                  "                           241 Concord

1916                   "                    "                                                   251 Meldrum

1918             Autoworker                                 Resides                      91 Avalon,
                                                                                                      Highland Park

I have a small document holder of my fathers which contains two documents (a) an Employee Pass dated 1918 for the Ford Motor Company with his photograph attached to it and (b) a Registration Certificate in my father's name with the address 94 Avalon and the date 12 Sept 1918 on it. These two documents tied my father to the directory entry for 1918 ayt 94 Avalon.

His eldest brother, Thomas also emigrated and did in fact remain permanently in America. The fact that Thomas was in Detroit at the same time as my father is confirmned by an entry from the Detroit City Directories for 1914 which records a Thomas J Roberton, a plumber, with a house at 37 Hamtramck. This is the same address as a Chas Roberton was boarding at in 1914.

My father became a naturalised American citizen on 25th September 1917. He returned to Scotland for what was to be a visit, my my mother, got married and never returned to his adopted country. His American citizenship did in fact cause a minor problem during the second world war as he had to technically register as a foreign citizen.

He did not pass an apprenticeship as all his brothers had, but obtained a position in 1922 as a labourer in what had been a large estate on the banks of Loch Lomond at Balloch. The estate had been owned by 'the Browns of Balloch' but was later taken over by the Glasgow Corporation and run as a public park. During the thirty odd years he worked there he became an excellent gardener and our own garden was ever the envy of all our neighbours.

He was not a talkative man except when discussing his garden. Our cottage was situated at a crossroads near to the back entrance of the park and the road continued up the hill to a succession of farms. On a summer evening, my father would walk up the hill to a gate about half a mile away. There he would fill his clay pipe with a strong tobacco called Thick Black, light up, and leaning on the gate spend a contemplative half hour staring down to the vale below until it was nearly dark,then he would slowly saunter back home.

Childhood

Another piece written by my father.

The cottage and the surrounding countryside was to be the scene of my formative years and it was here that I spent a very happy childhood. When I was five years old I started at Jamestown Primary School, the same school as my father had attended as a boy. The school was about a mile from my home and the only method of transport was by 'Shanks pony'. This was in 1927 and there were a few motor cars about at that time. In fact, they were greatly outnumbered by the horsedrawn carts. The road down to Balloch was not tarmaced, in fact it was only a track marked by two wheel grooves with grass growing in between. In the winter you could walk along these wheel grooves with a foot of snow on either side of you. There seemed to be some doubt as to the name of the road, to some people it was known as Boturich Road after the estate it eventually led to. To others it was Mollanbowie Road after the farm it passed through.

I have many happy memories of time spent in the woods and farmland surrounding my home. In particular, I spent a lot of time on Mollanbowie Farm which was situated between our house and Balloch. The farm was owned by two cousins, Jock and Aggie McNeil. She was a bossy woman while he was the quiet type except when he got drunk on Market Day or on the day of the local agriculture show. There were three other workers on the farm: the ploughman, the byreman and the maid. The latter two were engaged by the old practice of 'feeing'. This meant that the farmer went along to the Michaelmas or Martinmas fairs and engaged workers who were then tied to the farm for the next six months. The maid had a room somewhere in the main house while the byreman lived in the 'bothy'. This was a stonefloored room with merely a table and a couple of chairs and an iron bed with a straw mattress and rough blankets made of sacks. There was also a fireplace which burnt logs. The byreman looked after the cattle: fed them, mucked them out and took them to pasture in the summer. The cattle were milked by hand and I can still remember the sound of milk hitting pail as the milker squeezed the teats. Everyone helped with the milking except for the ploughman.

 Most of the cottages around got their milk directly from the farmand around milking time, late afternoon, you could see the ladies arrive with their tin jugs to collect their milk for the day. This daily journey gave them a good opportunity for a 'blether', the Scottish term for a good, old gossip.

The ploughman looked after the horses and the crops and was, in fact, the farm foreman. The ploughman at Mollanbowie was Jimmy Hobson whoh was a close family friend of ours. He did not live at the farm but instead lived with his mother who was a lovely, gentle old lady withg a soft Highland accent. His father had worked in the public park with my own father but had died when I was only about six or seven years old.