John Fairbairn1

(25 Aug 1839 - 1 Jan 1903)
FatherJohn Fairbairn (Revd m. WILSON, TURNBULL)1,2,3 (Feb 1808 - Apr 1895)
MotherMary Wilson1,3 (circa 1813 - Jul 1843)

BDMs

     John Fairbairn was born on 25 Aug 1839 Ramsay, Bathurst, Upper Canada (ONT), CAN, Despite the "entry by desire" that father John had entered into the Greenlaw Parish Register stating that son John was born 25 Aug 1837, the family have a bible, and an 1839 letter from the Rev John to Mary's family detailing the successful birth of John. I think that wins on the evidence stakes - and 1839 tallies better with his age in he 1851 census
Entered in Greenlaw Register Dec 1846: "Entered by desire, John son of Rev. John FAIRBAIRN Minsiter of Free Church Greenlaw & Mary WILSON, formerly Minister of Ramsey, Bathurst Upper Canada where his son John was born on 25 Aug 1837", so much for family memory 7 years after the actual 1839 birth.4,5,6,1
     John Fairbairn married Jessie Taylor on 4 Jul 1871 Birkenhead, CHS, ENG, NB son John Sommerville FB's dth reg. has mother as Jessie WILSON, fam tree from Sarah has Jessie TAYLOR.7,8,9
     John Fairbairn died on 1 Jan 1903 Rockhampton, QLD, AUS, at age 63.3,10
From An Old Berwickshire Town: History of the Town and Parish of Greenlaw, from ... (1905) p196 ff:
Mr Inglis was succeeded by Mr James Young, who was ordained in 1834. During his pastorate — in December 1839 — the congregation joined the Established Church.
Mr Young's stipend was £6o. He resigned his charge in 1841, and shortly afterwards was appointed to a station in Berbicia Demerara. He subsequently returned to Scotland.

In 1842, the congregation called the Rev. John Fairbairn, from Ramsay, Canada West, on the faith of hearing his brother Patrick, then of Salton, afterwards Principal of Glasgow Free Church College, He was inducted in the July of the same year.

The congregation with their minister came out at the Disruption, and joining the denomination which was formed, became the Free Church congregation of the place. Under Mr Fairbairn's ministry the present church and manse were built. The Free Church School was also established, all these being in great measure owing to his liberality and exertions.

In 1883 Mr Fairbairn attained his jubilee, which was celebrated by special services. He removed to Edinburgh in 1891, and he died at Dunbar (to which place he had gone to spend the winter), on the 3rd of April 1895, aged 87 years. He was buried in Greenlaw churchyard. A marble tablet to his memory was placed in the vestibule of the church, by present and past members of the congregation and friends.

Mr Fairbairn was born at Halyburton, parish of Greenlaw, in 1808, being the second son of John Fairbairn, farmer, and of Jessie Johnston, of the Johnstons, farmers, Middlestots. He was licensed by the Presbytery of Cupar, in whose bounds he was at the time residing. He went to Canada in 1833, soon after receiving license, and was settled at Ramsay, from which place he was called to Greenlaw.

Mr Fairbairn was twice married, first to Mary Wilson, daughter of Mr Wilson of Campbell Field, Glasgow, and secondly to Agnes Turnbll, sister of the Rev. John Turnbull, Free Church minister of Eyemouth.
He had one son by his first marriage, John, who emigrated to Queensland, and was in business at Rockhampton.

Rev. Alexander Cameron, M.A. — In November 1875, Rev. Alexander Cameron, M.A., was ordained colleague and successor to Mr Fairbairn, succeeding to the sole charge on the death of Mr Fairbairn.11

Census

     John Fairbairn appeared on the census of 1851 Free Ch Manse, Greenlaw, BEW, SCT, in the household of John Fairbairn and Agnes Copland Fairbairn as son of John.2

Family

Jessie Taylor (Sep 1851 - Jul 1906)
Children
  • James Fenton Crawford Fairbairn12 (1872 - 1874)
  • Jessie Mary Wilson Fairbairn13 (Sep 1873 - Nov 1936)
  • Margaret Robb Fairbairn14 (Sep 1874 - Jun 1930)
  • John Sommerville Fairbairn15 (Nov 1875 - Jun 1946)
  • Emily Richardson Fairbairn16 (Jan 1877 - circa 1955)
  • William Noble Fairbairn17 (Jan 1878 - circa 1939)
  • Winifred Turnbull Fairbairn18,19 (Mar 1879 - 1966)
  • Alfred Copland Fairbairn20 (Jun 1880 - Dec 1880)
  • Douglas Lamont Fairbairn21 (Feb 1888 - Jul 1957)
ChartsLineage 1a2: John & Magdalen (BO) FAIRBAIRN
Last Edited21 Jan 2012

Citations

  1. [S1960] Sanna F Ross (Gaffney), "EM FAIRBAIRN: Borders ex Sanna G," e-mail to Lorna & GenForum FAIRBAIRN, Birth 25 Aug 1837 John s/o Rev John FAIRBAIRN, rcvd Jan 2003.
  2. [S203] 1851 Census transcripts, Scotland, via Ancestry.com, Greenlaw, BEW Par. 743 ED 1 Pg 16 Sched 75, hsehold of John & Agnes FAIRBAIRN, extracted Dec 2007.
  3. [S5] Ancestry.com online at http://search.ancestry.com, Dth 1 Jan 1903 John s/o John FAIRBAIRN & Mary WILSON, reg. QLD 4196 Pg 7873, from Australia Death Index, 1787-1985, extracted Sep 2010.
  4. [S2994] Anon, "EM FAIRBAIRN/JOHNSTON QLD," e-mail to Lorna Henderson, Birth 25 Aug 1839 John s/o John FAIRBAIRN & Mary WILSON, Ramsay Bathurst, Upper Canada, from family letter & bible, extract rcvd Feb 2011.
  5. [S2] Lorna Henderson, "FAIRBAIRN Analysis", Feb 2011.
  6. [S55] Scottish BMDB entries (to 1854), http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.php, Birth 25 Aug 1837 John s/o John FAIRBAIRN & Mary WILSON, Ramsay Bathurst, Upper Canada, entered in Greenlaw register 1846, 743/00 0040 0083, copy d/loaded Feb 2011.
  7. [S5] Ancestry.com online at http://search.ancestry.com, Dth 12 Jun 1946 John Sommerville s/o John FAIRBAIRN & Jessie WILSON, reg. QLD #3198 pg 686, from Australia Death Index, 1787-1985, extracted Feb 2011.
  8. [S2994] Anon, "EM FAIRBAIRN/JOHNSTON QLD," e-mail to Lorna Henderson, Marr. 4 Jul 1871 John FAIRBAIRN & Jessie TAYLOR, Birkenhead, from QLD Family of John, s/o Rev John FAIRBAIRN, rcvd Feb 2011.
  9. [S1599] Findmypast online at http://www.findmypast.com, Marr. 1871 John FAIRBAIRN & Jessie TAYLOR, Birkenhead, CHS 8A/682, extracted Feb 2011.
  10. [S2994] Anon, "EM FAIRBAIRN/JOHNSTON QLD," e-mail to Lorna Henderson, Dth 1 Jan 1903 John FAIRBAIRN s/o John FAIRBAIRN & Mary wILSON, Rockhampson, QLD, from QLD Family of John, s/o Rev John FAIRBAIRN (ex family bible), rcvd Feb 2011.
  11. [S1961] Www FAIRBAIRN searches and miscellaneous correspondence by LornaHen (1) Rev John FAIRBAIRN of Greenlaw, from An Old Berwickshire Town: History of the Town and Parish of Greenlaw, from ... (1905), online at http://www.archive.org/details/anoldberwickshi00gibsgoog, extracted Dec 2009.
  12. [S2994] Anon, "EM FAIRBAIRN/JOHNSTON QLD," e-mail to Lorna Henderson, Birth 1872 Dth 1874 James Fenton Crawford s/o John FAIRBAIRN & Jessie TAYLOR, HKG, from QLD Family of John, s/o Rev John FAIRBAIRN (ex family bible), rcvd Feb 2011.
  13. [S2994] Anon, "EM FAIRBAIRN/JOHNSTON QLD," e-mail to Lorna Henderson, Birth 28 Sep 1873 (Hong Kong) Dth 5 Nov 1936 (Edinburgh) Jessie Mary Wilson d/o John FAIRBAIRN & Jessie TAYLOR, from QLD Family of John, s/o Rev John FAIRBAIRN, rcvd Feb 2011.
  14. [S2994] Anon, "EM FAIRBAIRN/JOHNSTON QLD," e-mail to Lorna Henderson, Birth 23 Sep 1874 (Hong Kong) Dth 28 Jun 1930 (NZ) Margaret Robb d/o John FAIRBAIRN & Jessie TAYLOR, from QLD Family of John, s/o Rev John FAIRBAIRN, rcvd Feb 2011.
  15. [S2994] Anon, "EM FAIRBAIRN/JOHNSTON QLD," e-mail to Lorna Henderson, QLD Family of John, s/o Rev John FAIRBAIRN, rcvd Feb 2011.
  16. [S2994] Anon, "EM FAIRBAIRN/JOHNSTON QLD," e-mail to Lorna Henderson, Birth 14 Jan 1877 (Hong Kong) Dth c 1955 (UK) Emily Richardson d/o John FAIRBAIRN & Jessie TAYLOR, from QLD Family of John, s/o Rev John FAIRBAIRN, rcvd Feb 2011.
  17. [S2994] Anon, "EM FAIRBAIRN/JOHNSTON QLD," e-mail to Lorna Henderson, Birth 27 Jan 1879 (Hong Kong) Dth c 1939 (Transvaal) William Noble s/o John FAIRBAIRN & Jessie TAYLOR, from QLD Family of John, s/o Rev John FAIRBAIRN, rcvd Feb 2011.
  18. [S2994] Anon, "EM FAIRBAIRN/JOHNSTON QLD," e-mail to Lorna Henderson, Birth 9 Mar 1879 (UK) Dth (Dunedin, NZ) Winifred Turnbull d/o John FAIRBAIRN & Jessie TAYLOR, from QLD Family of John, s/o Rev John FAIRBAIRN, rcvd Feb 2011.
  19. [S56] Scottish BMDB entries (from 1855), http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.php, Dth 5 Nov 1936 Jessie Mary Wilson d/o John FAIRBAIRN & Jessie TAYLOR, aged 62, reg. Haymarket, Edinburgh City, MLN 685/01 0606, copy d/loaded Feb 2011.
  20. [S2994] Anon, "EM FAIRBAIRN/JOHNSTON QLD," e-mail to Lorna Henderson, Birth 24 Jun 1880 (UK) Dth 2 Dec 1880 Alfred Copland s/o John FAIRBAIRN & Jessie TAYLOR, from QLD Family of John, s/o Rev John FAIRBAIRN, rcvd Feb 2011.
  21. [S2994] Anon, "EM FAIRBAIRN/JOHNSTON QLD," e-mail to Lorna Henderson, Birth 25 Feb 1888 (AUS) Dth 25 Jul 1957 (QLD, AUS) Douglas Lamont s/o John FAIRBAIRN & Jessie TAYLOR, from QLD Family of John, s/o Rev John FAIRBAIRN, rcvd Feb 2011.
 
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