James Fairbairn1

(circa Dec 1794 - bet. 1851 - 1854)
FatherArchibald Fairbairn2 (say 1760 - bet. 1800 - 1841)
MotherAlison Crosser2 (say 1760 - bet. 1800 - 1841)

BDMs

     James Fairbairn was born circa Dec 1794 Grahamslaw, Par. of Eckford, ROX, SCT.3,4,5 He was baptized on 10 Dec 1794 Haughead, Par. of Eckford, ROX, SCT; the entry in the Gateshaw Records reads: Decr 10th Baptized James Son to Archibald Fairbairn & Alison Croser in Grahamslaw, Parish of Eckford (Eckford is a neighbouring parish to Morebattle, as are Yetholm, Linton, Hounam and Northumberland. According to Groomes, Morebattle can claim the oldest Secession congregation in the South of Scotland (first Minister ordained in 1739), the original meeting house standing at Gateshaw Brae or Corbet, and the present one was built in 1866, so Archibald and Alison travelled to get their children baptised away from their nearest church, which was of the wrong persuasion for them.)2,6,3
     James Fairbairn married Joan Forsyth on 18 May 1817 Yarrow, SEL, SCT, entry isn't very informative "May 18 Jas Fairbairn and Joan Forsyth 1/2d."7,5,8
     James Fairbairn remarried on 26 Apr 1844 Melrose, ROX, SCT, to Elizabeth Laidlaw "Grandma Viele" wrote that her "grandmother Joan Forsythe died when father (John b 1832) was quite young and a step mother came into the picture. I never heard much about her except that she wasn't kind to the children".
This could certainly explain a mass emigration of the children! I assumed that this 2nd marriage was after 1841 as James didn't have a wife with him in that census, but it could just as easily have been between the c 1834 death of his first wife Joan, and the census, or she could just have been absent on the 1841 census night. However, subsequent happenstance (my curiousity about the marriage of James' dtr Alison) led to my finding this entry further down the page: "James Fairbairn at Melrose bridge bar and Elizabeth Laidlaw in the Parish of Ettrrick and married 26 April 1844" (having been "booked for Marriage on 12 April), Melrose Bridge bar being where Alison was when she married her William Scott.9,10,11,4
     James Fairbairn died bet. 1851 - 1854 ?Lantonhall, Par. of Jedburgh, ROX, SCT.12,13,4
It seems highly likely that there is a connection somewhere between the families of James married to Mary Bell/Mabel Thomson and the Archibald Fairbairn who married Alison Crosser.
Both have children's baptisms recorded in the Gateshaw Secession Church at Morebattle, Roxburghshire.

Some trees (Ancestral file and subsequently copied) show James (married Mary Bell/Mabel) as the son of Archibald and Alison, but their James married Joan Forsythe and is (now, Feb 2009, see below) accounted for.
It has not yet been ruled out that James may belong to the Archibald who married Mary Grierson, although there isn't a handy baptism, just a gap in the right timeframes - but why was their only known son called Robert, not Archibald if that's the case? More children to be found?

Research (Feb 2009) on this family has suddenly come to life again from contact with an American descendant of James Fairbairn and Joan Forsythe. Known family relationships link this family to a brother David for James. Both David and James have first sons Archibald, and 2nd daughter's Alison/Alice/Elsea, so I've bitten the bullet and decided that the mystery has been solved. Now all we have to do is find descendants of James and Mary Bell (Thomson) and link them in somewhere too!

Any descendants of James & Mabel out there willing to participate in the Fairbairn surname DNA project to help figure out where this family "fits"?
yDNA tests on descendants of both Archibalds have indicated a close relationship between them.14,15,16

Census

     James Fairbairn appeared on the census of 1841 Sloethorn Bank, Selkirk Burgh, SEL, SCT, as FAIRBAIRN: James, 46 ag lab, Alison 20, Archibald 15, Janet 14, James 12, Barbra 11, John 9, Walter 7. Only Alison b cty. (NB enumerators were instructed to round ages down to the nearest multiple of 5.)5,17
     James Fairbairn appeared on the census of 1851 Lanton Mill, Par. of Jedburgh, ROX, SCT, with Elizabeth Laidlaw, enumerated as FAIRBAIRN: James 56 proprietor & farmer 8 ac b Eckford, ROX; wife Elisabeth 51 b Ettrick, SEL.4

DNA Info

     James's line needs a/another participant in the FAIRBAIRN Surname DNA Project. Check out the Wanted! page for further information.

Links

     Click here to see James's page on WikiTree, a (free) collaborative on-line tree.18
     Follow this link for Lorna's family information on James Fairbairn.

Family

Joan Forsyth (say 1795 - circa 1834)
Children
  • Alison Fairbairn5 (circa Apr 1818 - Feb 1884)
  • Helen Fairbairn19 (Apr 1818 - Apr 1878)
  • Archibald Fairbairn5 (1822 - aft. 1860)
  • John Fairbairn20,21 (Sep 1823 - bet. 1828 - 1832)
  • Hannah Forsythe Fairbairn10,22,23 (Dec 1824 - Mar 1904)
  • Janet Fairbairn5 (Nov 1826 - Nov 1898)
  • James Edward Fairbairn5 (circa Jul 1828 - Mar 1895)
  • Barbara Fairchild5 (1830 - Aug 1896)
  • John Fairchild5,24,25 (May 1832 - May 1894)
  • Walter Fairbairn5,10 (Jan 1834 - Jan 1916)
ChartsLineage 1e: John & Bessie (fflint) FAIRBAIRN
Last Edited14 Mar 2018

Citations

  1. [S1058] Ann COSSAR, "EM FAIRBAIRN/CROS(I)ER ex Ann C," e-mail to L McIntosh (1), Mar 1996 ex OPR index.
  2. [S1058] Ann COSSAR, "EM FAIRBAIRN/CROS(I)ER ex Ann C," e-mail to L McIntosh (1), Bap. 10 Dec 1794 James s/o Archibald FAIRBAIRN and Alison CROSSER, Gateshaw Assoc Session, Morebattle, ROX, ex OPR index, rcvd Mar 1996.
  3. [S2757] Morebattle, ROX: Gateshaw Associate Session & Free Church Records: Item 4 (Gateshaw 1775-1907) & 8 (Free Church 1847-52), Bap. (at Haughhead) 10 Dec 1794 James s/o Archibald FAIRBAIRN & Alison CROSER, of Grahamslaw, Par. of Eckford, ROX, extracted Jul 2008.
  4. [S1610] FreeCensus, UK online at http://www.freecen.org.uk/, 1851 Jedburgh ROX SCT1851/792 ED 3 Pg 12 Sched 55 hsehold of James & Elisabeth FAIRBAIRN, extracted Mar 2008.
  5. [S1960] Sanna F Ross (Gaffney), "EM FAIRBAIRN: Borders ex Sanna G," e-mail to Lorna & GenForum FAIRBAIRN, Mar 2001 ex 1841 SEL.
  6. [S1634] Francis H Groome Groome: Gazetteer of Scotland, 1891 edition, Morebattle,Vol V, p 68, extracted Jun 2008.
  7. [S888] FAIRBAIRN, International Genealogical Index (IGI).
  8. [S55] Scottish BMDB entries (to 1854), http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.php, Marr. 18 May 1817 Jas FAIRBAIRN & Joan FORSYTH, Yarrow, SEL Dist 779/000 0020 0113, copy d/loaded Jun 2008.
  9. [S2752] Melinda NORTON, "Corres. re FAIRBAIRN/SAFELY between Melinda N & LornaHen," e-mail to Lorna Henderson, From Reminiscences of "Grandma Viele", rcvd Jun 2008.
  10. [S2] Lorna Henderson, "FAIRBAIRN Analysis", Jun 2008.
  11. [S55] Scottish BMDB entries (to 1854), http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.php, Booked for marriage Apr 12 1844 James FAIRBAIRN & Elizabeth LAIDLAW, Melrose, ROX Dist 799/0050 0371 pg 366, (on same page as Alison FAIRBAIRN & Willia SCOTT), copy d/loaded Jun 2008.
  12. [S1960] Sanna F Ross (Gaffney), "EM FAIRBAIRN: Borders ex Sanna G," e-mail to Lorna & GenForum FAIRBAIRN, Genforum posting re Lanton Muir transaction with consent of Elizabeth LAIDLAW, relict of James FAIRBAIRN, formerly Hind, Clarilaw, latterly Lanotnhall, dated May/Jun 1854, posted Apr 2006, extracted May 2006.
  13. [S1017] Borders FHS, MIs: ROX Eckford, #5 James CROSER, portioner Lanton Hill, extracted c 1995.
  14. [S2] Lorna Henderson, "FAIRBAIRN Analysis", Mar 2008, updated Jun 2008, and Feb 2009.
  15. [S2753] Mrs Shari Nees (55491), "FAIRBAIRN/THOMSON/BUNYAN ex Shari NEES," e-mail to Lorna Henderson, Bap. 10 Dec 1794 James FAIRBAIRN, Morebattle, ROX, rcvd Jun 2008.
  16. [S2757] Morebattle, ROX: Gateshaw Associate Session & Free Church Records: Item 4 (Gateshaw 1775-1907) & 8 (Free Church 1847-52), Bap. (at Caverton Mill) 4 Oct 1824 Robert s/o James FAIRBAIRN & Mable (sic) THOMSON, extracted Jul 2008.
  17. [S1610] FreeCensus, UK online at http://www.freecen.org.uk/, SCT1841/778 Selkirk ED 3 Selkirk Burgh F 3 Pg 18, Sloethorn Bank, hsehold of James FAIRBAIRN, rechecked May 2008.
  18. [S3217] WikiTree online at http://WikiTree.com/, https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Fairbairn-36, uploaded Oct 2011.
  19. [S1596] Online search: assorted surnames, International Genealogical Index (IGI), Birth 15 Apr 1818 Helen to James FAIRBAIRN & Joan FORSYTH, batch C117792, Yarrow, SEL, extracted May 2008.
  20. [S55] Scottish BMDB entries (to 1854), http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.php, Birth 7 Sep 1823 Bap 2 Nov 1823 Jedburgh, John s/o James FAIRBAIRN & Joan FORSYTH, Jedburgh, ROX Dist 792, copy d/loaded Jun 2008.
  21. [S1596] Online search: assorted surnames, International Genealogical Index (IGI), Bap. 2 Nov 1823 John to James FAIRBAIRN & Joan FORSYTH, batch C117928, Jedburgh, ROX, extracted May 2008.
  22. [S1596] Online search: assorted surnames, International Genealogical Index (IGI), Birth 11 Dec 1824 Hannah Forsythe to James FAIRBAIRN & Joan FORSYTH, batch C117928, Jedburgh, ROX, extracted May 2008.
  23. [S55] Scottish BMDB entries (to 1854), http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.php, Birth 11 Dec 1824 Bap 7 Jan 1825 Jedburgh, Hannay Forsythe d/o James FAIRBAIRN & Joan FORSYTHE, Jedburgh, ROX Dist 792, copy d/loaded Jun 2008.
  24. [S2752] Melinda NORTON, "Corres. re FAIRBAIRN/SAFELY between Melinda N & LornaHen," e-mail to Lorna Henderson, Family of Hannah Fairbairn REID, rcvd Jun 2008.
  25. [S55] Scottish BMDB entries (to 1854), http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.php, Birth 17 May 1832 Bap 29 Jul 1832 John s/o James FAIRBAIRN, Hobkirk, DIst 790, copy d/loaded Jun 2008.
 
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