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Bit late to ask him if has been up to something with my ggGran Helen but agree anything is possible. Had thought Agnes may have been in England or outside chance Ireland when she conceived the children but that makes life even more difficult. That was one explanation for her not appearing in the 51 census, others were a nickname or living under another surname but as she surnamed two children Stewart think the surname switch unlikely.

Long-shot ... This is a married man .... occupation Stone Mason. Living in East Lothian.

Piece: SCT1851/689 Place: Inveresk -Midlothian Enumeration District: 4
Civil Parish: Musselburgh ED 1-5 Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island: Inveresk
Folio: 755 Page: 4 Schedule: 16
Address: 21 Westpans

Surname First name(s) Rel Status Sex Age Occupation Where Born Remarks
WHITSON William Head M M 42 Stone Mason East Lothian - Prestonpans
WHITSON Elizabeth Wife M F 42 Midlothian - Westpans
WHITSON William Son U M 17 Agricultural Labourer Midlothian - Levenhall
WHITSON John Son U M 15 Agricultural Labourer Midlothian - Levenhall
WHITSON Abraham Son - M 12 Scholar Midlothian - Levenhall
WHITSON Isabella Dau - F 9 Scholar Midlothian - Levenhall
WHITSON Mary Dau - F 6 Scholar Midlothian - Levenhall

From the info on the birth cert of Janet is appears Agnes sees herself as coming from Edinburgh and that is what she would be likely to put on a census form but if someone else was filling in the form they may see her as from Athelstaneford.

Yes, tht is stange but it is also stange that it was months before Janet's birth was registered?

On the birth cert of Janet, daughter of Agnes they ask for the Maiden name, Age and Birthplace of the mother which she gives as:_
Agnes Stewart, 34 years, St Cuthberts Parish, Edinburgh.
She signs as Agnes Stewart and Janet is named as Janet Stewart.
Janet was born on 29th July, 1855, Drem, Athelstaneford
the birth was not registered until 4th Feb, 1856 at Haddington.

only strange thing on birth cert I dont understand is under
PARENTS -
Father -
When and where married:
Issue, living and deceased
is the line
1 boy living
she obviously had two boys living then and both reached adulthood.
Agnes is the informant on the Certificate.

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.

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.

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

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 .

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

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?

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.

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.

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.