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Hi All,

Again, many thanks for all of your help.

I have been on Scotlands People and found the David Robertson / Helen Robertson marriage 21.6.1839.

"David Robertson, Sprit Dealer. Residing in Simpsons court, No. 74 Potter Row in this parish and Helen Robertson residing in No. 151 High Street, Musselburgh in the Parish of Inveresk. Daughter of George Robertson, Tailor and Clothier."

I think this is possibly where "George" comes from, but again there is no mention of "Duff".
I'll try and trace George's family back a bit and see if there is any Duff or Erskine names.

Kath, I think the tree you found on Ancestry is mine. I was quite sure i had got it right until an enquiry on Isabel Bennet put me in doubt,. I will look back in my records to see where i got Robert from.

Getting nearer all the time!! looks like David has named his son for his grandfather. What a smashing entry in the OPR, you don't often get that much detail - luck is on your side Robby. Your just meant to find this family.

I wonder if this is Helen's brother? Look at the address and occupation.

Name: George Robertson
Age: 30
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1811
Gender: Male
Where born: Midlothian, Scotland

Civil parish: Edinburgh St Cuthberts
County: Midlothian
Address: Potterrow
Occupation: Tailor
Parish Number: 685/2
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
George Robertson 30
Margaret Robertson 30
Thomas Robertson 7
John Robertson 4
Elizabeth Robertson 10 Mo

Could this be George Senior:
Piece: SCT1841/689 Place: Inveresk -Midlothian Enumeration District: 6
Civil Parish: Inveresk Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island: -
Folio: 1 Page: 18
Address: High Street



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Surname First name(s) Sex Age Occupation Where Born Remarks
ROBERTSON George M 55 Grocer Spirit Dealer Outside Census County (1841)
ROBERTSON Elizabeth F 52 Outside Census County (1841)
ROBERTSON Daniel M 21 Tailor Midlothian
ROBERTSON Elizabeth F 17 Midlothian
ROBERTSON David M 15 Joiner Apprn Midlothian
ROBERTSON James M 12 Midlothian
ROBERTSON Alexander M 10 Midlothian

If that is Helen's parents in the 1841, this could be her birth:
HELEN ROBERTSON Pedigree

Birth:
Parents:
Father: GEORGE ROBERTSON Family
Mother: BETTY MELVILLE

Afraid the 2 deaths in Scotlands People for Helen Robertson age 80 are not what we are looking for. She was single!! (doesn't say widow) and her father was George Roberston Scott. Death registered by M. Robertson, 2nd cousin.

I think you may be right that George b. 1811 could be her brother.
I have looked for Helen Robertson birth and found 2

12/2/1813 Inveresk and Musselburgh, father George (private in the Aberdeenshire Militia) and Betty Melville
6/8/1827 Edinburgh City, father George (Golf ball maker) and Helen Skead


Also found birth and baptism for George, brother?
Same parents, George Robertson (now a grocer in Inveresk and Musselburgh), wifte Elizabeth Melville.
Son George b. 25.8. 1815 bapt. 4.9.1815
Son Daniel b. 10.6. 1819 bapt. 20.6. 1819
daughter Elizabeth b. 3.2.1822 bapt. 14.2. 1822
son David b. 12.2. 1825 bapt. 25.2. 1825
son James b. 15.6. 1928 bapt. 29.6.1828.

All births and baptisms registered by the same by the same person, Robert Baxter - even Helen's in 1913.

Same family?

I don't think the George that Potty found is George senior. George was a Tailor and Clothier in 1839. He could of course have become a Grocer / Spirit dealer by 1841 but I think it is unlikely.

Robby the Golf Ball maker is still making Golf balls in 1841.

Here he is with his family.


Name: George Robertson
Age: 40
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1801
Gender: Male
Where born: Midlothian, Scotland

Civil parish: Edinburgh St Cuthberts
County: Midlothian
Address: 20 Ponton Street
Occupation: Golf Ball M
Parish Number: 685/2
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
George Robertson 40
Helen Robertson 40
Stewart Robertson 17
George Robertson 12
Walter Robertson 7
John Robertson 4
Margaret Robertson 5
Mary Robertson 2

There is this George who is a Tailor but I think he is too young and it looks like siblings that he is living with and he's not in Musselburgh!

Name: George Robertson
Age: 40
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1801
Gender: Male
Where born: Midlothian, Scotland

Civil parish: Edinburgh St Cuthberts
County: Midlothian
Address: St Leonards St 65
Occupation: Tailor J
Parish Number: 685/2
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
Margaret Robertson 55
John Robertson 31
William Robertson 25
Richard Robertson 20
George Robertson 40
Peter Robertson 15



Here's the Spirit Dealer in Inveresk

Name: George Robertson
Age: 53
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1788
Gender: Male
Where born: Scotland

Civil parish: Inveresk
County: Midlothian
Address: High Street Musselburgh
Occupation: Grainer Sp Deal
Parish Number: 689
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
George Robertson 53
Elisabeth Robertson 52
Daniel Robertson 21
Elisabeth Robertson 17
David Robertson 15
James Robertson 12
Alexander Robertson 10


EDIT

Pity it doesn't give the number in High Street, Musselburgh. In the OPR marriage it said Helen's dad was at 151 High Street, Musselburgh!

Good Morning All,
I've been giving this Helen Duff/Helen Robertson some serious thought.

I've got this gut feeling that we have gone off track somewhere, maybe I'm wrong but that is what my instinct is telling me.
When David Robertson married Jemima Anderson, why would David have given his mother's name as Duff if she was born Robertson?
I am now thinking that the minister could have easily written it down wrong.

I went through the whole Hugh Wallis site for Midlothian & found only one real possible birth for Helen Duff.

HELEN DUFF B. 1823 DUDDINGSTON MIDLOTHIAN
FATHER: DANIEL DUFF
MOTHER: HELEN PENNY

Okay, if she married David Robertson in 1839, she would have only been 16, but they did get married young then didn't they.

What if Helen Duff's husband, David Robertson died & Helen married again to a George ???? It's possible that this George brought David up.
I found 9 deaths for a David Robertson, all St.Cuthberts, 1843 - 1854, so I think a trawl through the St.Cuthberts monumental inscriptions is needed.
I'll have a look later.

Rootgatherer, what are your thoughts on this? Am I going way off track???

Regards
Kath

If my previous post makes sense, do you think this marriage is Helen's second marriage, possibly to David's brother or cousin?

HELEN DUFF Pedigree
Female Family

Event(s):
Birth:
Christening:
Death:
Burial:

Parents:
Father: DANIEL DUFF Family

marriages:
Spouse: GEORGE ROBERTSON Family
Marriage: 26 APR 1850 Saint Cuthberts, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland

Messages:
Extracted marriage record for locality listed in the record. The source records are usually arranged chronologically by the marriage date.

If this is the case, David would be only about 4 years of age.

Oh maybe I'm just making things worse!!!!

Kath

Good Morning Kath

If David's mother had remarried, the normal way this would be described on the marriage certificate would be "Helen Robertson, now Robertson maiden surname Duff". I agree that because both surnames were Robertson that this could have been omitted and just record as "Helen Robertson maiden surname Duff". I think the flaw in the argument would be that on her marriage to David's father, her father George Robertson seems to be still alive and living at 151 High Street, Musselburgh. A look at Trades Directories for this time may confirm or disprove this.

There is always the possibility that, as you say, David's father died when he was young and he gave a stepfather's name on his marriage certificate. The other possibility is that he was illegitimate. From experience, illegitimate boys often give a "made up" name for their father - usually their own name!

Of course, we have been searching the 1841 census for Helen and her father. If fact we only know that Helen was alive. Her father may have died after she married and before the 1841 census.

The search is complicated because there are so many Robertsons in and around Edinburgh. As I said in an earlier post, my husband's mother was a Robertson and her family came from Leith and moved throughout the Edinburgh area. They also stuck to the same names throughout - loads of Williams and James and Helens and Joans !!