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AGNES STEWART was my ggGrandmother (paternal) and has been a huge thorn in my family tree for about twenty years of researching.
She was born in St Cuthberts, Edinburgh in 1821 (fairly sure) and baptized in Athelstaneford 22/05/1822 which is the first problem when researching her. Scotlands people have her as born on 22/05/1822 which I believe wrong and is her baptism.

She died on 16/04/1859 in Ormiston, East Lothian from the home of her parents James Stewart the retired schoolmaster from Drem, East Lothian and her mother Annie Gordon.

She left 3 illegitimate orphans who were all born in the parents schoolhouse at Drem, East Lothian within a 6 year period.
John 1849, James 1852, Janet 1855.

She (Agnes) does not show on the 1841 or 51 census, John the first born has a William Whitton (a mason) as his father on his birth cert. The other two have fathers section blank. I think it reasonable to assume that three illegitimates born in a short period of time are from the same father. John was married as John Whitton to Margaret Hendry in Edinburgh, 28/06/1872.
The first son of John (James b. Edinburgh 1873) was born a Whitton then
an application for name change (at Edinburgh, Sheriff Court) from Whitton to Stewart was made (by John) on Oct 19th, 1874 and on 27th Aug, 1875 the Whitton name was dropped. Family never mentioned the name Whitton, even James who was born with it but always used Stewart.

A huge mystery for me, I have traced the three illegitimate from birth to death but never cracked the William Whitton name as to who he was. Agnes returned to her mother and father each time to give birth but is not on the 1841 or 51 census, I cant find her. The born in Edinburgh and baptised in Athelstaneford doesnt help either. Would appear the birth near the father was not an option nor the children being brought up there as the grandparents were the ones left to rear them.

What I am looking for is Agnes in 1841/51 and who the William Whitton was.

Anyone daft enough to give this a go I will gladly open my tree to, only posted on here once before (really stuck) and must thank people who helped trace an ancestor who emigrated to Canada.

Just posting this for ref.

1861

Name: Janet Stewart
Age: 5
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1856
Relationship: Grandaughter (Granddaughter)
Gender: Female
Where born: Athelstaneford, Haddington
Registration Number: 715
Registration district: Ormiston
Civil parish: Ormiston
County: East Lothian
Address: High Street
ED: 1
Household schedule number: 54
Line: 3
Roll: CSSCT1861_135
Household Members: Name Age
Ann Stewart 61
Jane Stewart 28
Elizabeth Stewart 23
Alica Stewart 16
John Stewart 12
James Stewart 8
Janet Stewart 5
Elizabeth Stewart 5 MO Granddaughter

Source Citation: Parish: Ormiston; ED: 1; Page: 11; Line: 3; Roll: CSSCT1861_135; Year: 1861

Is this your Agnes in 1841 please?

Name: Agnes Stewart
Age: 15
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1826
Gender: Female
Where born: Scotland

Civil parish: Haddington
County: East Lothian
Address: Somnerfield
Occupation: F S
Parish Number: 709
Household Members: Name Age
Hellen Reid 55
Jane Reid 25
Margaret Reid 25
James Reid 20
Agnes Stewart 15

Rootgatherer,
It could be but could it be a certainty ?
Alan.

Intriguing, badly rounded down to 15 do you think.

Instructions to enumerators of the 1841 census were that ages of adults 15 years old or older should be rounded down to the nearest 5 or 0. As Agnes would have been 18/9 when the 1841 was taken then rounding her age down to 15 would have been appropriate.

I think it is a possibility Alan, depending on what age she gave to the enumerator.

I don't see many Whittons in the area in 1841 or 1851!

Also, I wouldn't be too sure that the children all had the same father. My great grandmother-in-law had 7 children with 4 different fathers and never married any of them even though she was free to do so.

Notice a Whitson family next door just a T away from Whitton but have come across the Whitton name so often I know Whitton is correct.

also for ref:-

1851
Name: James Hewart
Age: 56
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1795
Relationship: Head
Spouse's Name: Anne Stewart
Gender: Male
Where born: Langesbar, Dumfries
Parish Number: 703
Civil parish: Athelstaneford
Town: Drem
County: East Lothian
Address: Drem
Occupation: Schoolmaster
ED: 2
Page: 5 (click to see others on page)
Household schedule number: 12
Line: 1
Roll: CSSCT1851_191
Household Members:
Name Age
James Hewart 56
Anne Stewart 50 born: Crawton, Lanark
Janet Stewart 26 born: Dirleton, E Lothian
Marianne Stewart 24 born: Athelstaneford, E Lothian
Elisabeth Stewart 16 born: Athelstaneford, E Lothian
Isabel Stewart 11 born: Athelstaneford, E Lothian
Alice Stewart 8 born: Athelstaneford, E Lothian
John Stewart 2 - Great Grandchild born: Athelstaneford, E Lothian
Anne Stewart 2 - great Grandchild born: Athelstaneford, E Lothian

........there's also an Anne also aged 2yrs, could she be another child of Agnes?

When Agnes died, was she still using the name Stewart?

I wouldn't disregard the possibilty of Whitson. There is a Whitson family in Dirlington (Agnes's sister Janet was born in Dirlington).

1851

Name: William Whitson
Age: 22
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1829
Relationship: Son
Father's Name: William Whitson
Mother's Name: Mary Whitson
Gender: Male
Where born: Dirleton, Haddington
Parish Number: 705
Civil parish: Dirleton
Town: Gullane
County: East Lothian
Address: Smiths Tow
ED: 6
Page: 9 (click to see others on page)
Household schedule number: 37
Line: 13
Roll: CSSCT1851_191
Household Members: Name Age
William Whitson 60 Ag. Lab.
Mary Whitson 63
Richard Whitson 32
Margaret Whitson 24
William Whitson 22
Mary Whitson 18

Source Citation: Parish: Dirleton; ED: 6; Page: 13; Line: 9; Roll: 984; Year: 1851

The more I look at the census, I think that Whitson is a more likely surname for William. There are Whitsons giving birthplace as Athelstaneford.

Agnes died as a Stewart,
Buried in graveyard for Ormiston (West Byres/old yard) as are her parents, both unmarked. Possibly Weathered/Broken stones removed.
Ann or Nancy are internet suggested as nicknames so searched them but no joy.
Would not disregard Whitson but have seen copy of papers from Edinburgh Sheriff court and it is clearly Whitton, also marriage of John Muir Stewart/Whitton but take your point and as John was 10 when his mother died unless his father took an interest or his grandmother kept him informed then the name may have been confused. I do suspect there was a trigger for the Stewarts to dump the Whitton name, dont know what but it makes sense there was some sort of argument or disappointment with William Whitton to act as a catalysis in changing the name. The other two illegitimate children were both single with no children when the name change was made.

Probably not but here it is anyway:-

1841 Scotland Census about Agnes Stuart
Name: Agnes Stuart
Age: 20
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1821
Gender: Female
Where born: East Lothian, Scotland

Civil parish: Garvald
County: East Lothian
Address: Nunraw Barry
Occupation: F S
Parish Number: 707
Household Members:
Name Age
James Dods 50
Ann Dods 40
James Dods 8
Richard Dods 7
Mary Ann Dods 3
Isabella Dods 1
Agnes Stuart 20
Isabella Stuart 18

John Stewart/Whitton married about 15 months before his grandmother (Annie Gordon) died so there was a source of information available to him.
Very annoying as the Whitson fits so nicely, now thinking that Agnes may have been around the Lothians on the 51 census and needed to work to pay the childrens way but is just thought with no real facts to back it up.

There was an Isobel sister of Agnes but 18 years younger, dont be put off though, this has been hurting my head for years but dont intend giving up.

Have you tried searching Poor Relief records - just in case the grandmother needed financial assistance with the children?

There is only 1 William Whitson (b. 1809) showing on the census with the occupation of Stone Mason but he is married to someone else .

What makes you think Agnes was born in Edinburgh ?

Did you get the Edinburgh information from her baptismal record.



Father: James Stewart,
Mother: Ann Gordon

1. ELIZABETH STEWART - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Female Christening: 20 NOV 1834 Athelstaneford, East Lothian, Scotland
2. AGNES STEWART - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Female Christening: 22 MAY 1822 Athelstaneford, East Lothian, Scotland
3. ALICE REID STEWART - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Female Christening: 01 MAR 1842 Athelstaneford, East Lothian, Scotland
4. MARIANNE STEWART - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Female Christening: 24 DEC 1826 Athelstaneford, East Lothian, Scotland
5. ISOBEL STEWART - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Female Christening: 01 OCT 1839 Athelstaneford, East Lothian, Scotland
6. JANE STEWART - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Female Christening: 01 APR 1829 Athelstaneford, East Lothian, Scotland
7. JANET STEWART - International Genealogical Index
Gender: Female Christening: 18 DEC 1824 Athelstaneford, East Lothian, Scotland

The grandmother spent her last days in a gratis house provided by the Duke of Buccleugh who would also have given her a small pension for the length of time her husband spent as the schoolmaster in the Dukes school at Drem so no need for alms, also still some working children at home on her death (and prior) so the house had income.
If William Whitson was married then all the more reason for them not living together, had high hopes of getting some sort of geographical closeness for them (Agnes and father of children) on 51 census but frustratingly no definite sign of Agnes on it.

No, I can't see Agnes in 1851 either! I tried following the Reid family from the 1841 census with an Agnes Stewart but no joy there either although there is a Walter Reid farming in Drem.