William Fairbairn1,2

(27 May 1817 - 22 Jul 1878)
FatherJohn Fairbairn3,4,2 (circa 1788 - Jun 1863)
MotherJanet Henderson3,4 (circa 1791 - bet. 1851 - 1856)

BDMs

     William Fairbairn was born on 27 May 1817 Earlston, BEW, SCT.4 He was baptized on 18 Jun 1817 at Earlston, Berwickshire.4 Some sources show William as born circa 1819 SCT (his dth cert.)2 Yet other sources show William as born circa 1820 at Earlston, Berwickshire, (1851 census.)1
     William Fairbairn married Margaret Cunningham on 27 Feb 1840 Par. of St George, Edinburgh, MLN, SCT, entry shows banns proclaimed 9th, 16th, 23rd, William joiner residing Gattonside, Parish of Melrose; Margaret residing 15 Coates Cres. St George Parish, d/o William CUNNINGHAM, Mill-wright, Colinton.1,5
     William Fairbairn remarried on 17 May 1869 St John the Evangelist, River Plenty, New Norfolkd, TAS, AUS, to Elizabeth Julia Westwood (nee Shaunesy). Cert. shows William FAIRBAIRN as full age, widower, Elizabeth Julia WESTWOOD as full age, widow. William signed, Elizabeth X her mark; Wit.: X the marks of ?Fellary? & John HINDS;
(Rites of the United Ch of England & Ireland.)2,6,7,8,9
     William Fairbairn died on 22 Jul 1878 in the Hosp., Christchurch, CBY, NZ, at age 61; cert. shows William as 59, carpenter, d. Chch Hosp: Verdict of Jury accidentally crushed by sacks of grain (Post Mortem); Father John FAIRBAIRN, farmer; Mother not known; Buried 24th at Addington Cem; Presby. Minister Rev I ?Elenshe?; Born Scotland, in NZ 3 mths; Married Tasmania to Elizabeth Julia.2,10,11,8
The mystery of how come some trees have William as the 1878 dth registered Christchurch NZ, married at age 50 in Tasmania to an Elizabeth Julia WESTWOOD as the one married to Margaret CUNNINGHAM is now resolved.
Family information is that first wife Margaret died in Tasmania and William remarried, coming to Christchurch to be with his son.
Unfortunately for William, a short stay, given his death 3 months later being killed by falling sacks of grain.
One mystery remains however, his dth cert showing he had 3 living sons, which implies that one or other of the Johns from his first or second marriage are yet to have their fate identified.2,12,13,14

Census

     William Fairbairn and Margaret Fairbairn appeared on the census of 1841 Mill, Mellerstain, Par. of Earlston, BEW, SCT, and are assumed to be husband and wife. They were enumerated as FAIRBAIRN: William 20 carpenter b BEW; Margaret 25 b SCT.15
     The census of 1851 showed William with his wife Margaret, their sons John and William, their dtr Ann Mellerstain, Par. of Earlston, BEW, SCT, household enumerated as FAIRBAIRN: William 32 carpenter b Earlstown, BEW; wife Margaret 38 b Collinton, MLN; Children: John 9, Ann 5, William 4 all scholars b Earlstown.1

DNA Info

     William belongs to a tested line in the FAIRBAIRN Surname DNA Project. Follow this link for supplementary DNA information.

Family 1

Margaret Cunningham (circa 1813 - 1865)
Children
  • Ann Fairbairn16,17 (circa May 1845 - 1872)
  • William Fairbairn1 (circa Mar 1847 - Jan 1912)
  • Robert Fairbairn18,10 (circa Sep 1851 - Jul 1919)

Family 2

Elizabeth Julia Shaunessy (circa 1834 - 1880)
Child
  • John Albert Fairbairn12 (1874 - )
ChartsLineage 1a4: John & Helen (ATCHESON) FAIRBAIRN
Last Edited29 Oct 2019

Citations

  1. [S203] 1851 Census transcripts, Scotland, via Ancestry.com, Mellerstain, Earlston, BEW Par. 736 ED 2 Pg 16 Sched 63, hsehold of William & Margaret FAIRBAIRN, extracted Jun 2009.
  2. [S59] BDM: NZ Certificates, Dth 22 Jul 1878 William s/o John FAIRBAIRN, Chch Hosp., CBY, reg. 1878/2723, copy rcvd Nov 2011.
  3. [S3004] Anne MURPHY, "EM FAIRBAIRN/HENDERSON Earlston (BEW) ex Anne M," e-mail to Lorna Henderson, Phone conversation, Mar 2011.
  4. [S1597] FamilySearch Labs Record Search (LDS) online at http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch/, Birth 27 May Bap. 18 Jun 1817 William s/o John FAIRBAIRN & Janet HENDERSON, Earlston, BEW, from Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950 batch C11736-2 film 1067895, extracted Dec 2011.
  5. [S55] Scottish BMDB entries (to 1854), http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.php, Marr. 27 Feb 1840 William (joiner of Gattonside, Melrose) FAIRBAIRN & Margaret d/o William (millwright) CUNNINGHAM, Colinton, MLN 685/1 0660 0194, copy d/loaded Mar 2011.
  6. [S1961] Www FAIRBAIRN searches and miscellaneous correspondence by LornaHen (1) Marr. 1869 William FAIRBAIRN & Elizabeth Julia WESTWOOD, New Norfolk, TAS, online at http://portal.archives.tas.gov.au/menu.aspx, extracted Dec 2011.
  7. [S3032] Various, "Geni", Marr. c. 1869 William FAIRBAIRN & Elizabeth Julia WESTWOOD, New Norfolk, TAS, from Albert FAIRBURN data posted by Sandra HAYES, extracted Dec 2011.
  8. [S3004] Anne MURPHY, "EM FAIRBAIRN/HENDERSON Earlston (BEW) ex Anne M," e-mail to Lorna Henderson, Marr. William FAIRBAIRN & Elizabeth Julia WESTWOOD nee SHAUNESSY, TAS, phone conversation Dec 2011.
  9. [S3765] Certificate, Marr. 17 May 1869 William FAIRBAIRN (widower) & Elizabeth Julia WESTWOOD (widow), Macquarie Plains & The Plenty (New Norfolk), TAS https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9CH-4QNM, extracted Oct 2019.
  10. [S59] BDM: NZ Certificates, Dth 28 Jul 1919 Robert s/o William FAIRBAIRN & Margaret CUNNINGHAM; h/o Sophia BLOOMFIELD, Kirwee, CBY, aged 68, bur. Kirwee, copy rcvd Dec 2011.
  11. [S7] Ancestry.com - Family Trees online at http://search.ancestry.com, Dth 24 Jul 1878 William FAIRBAIRN, h/o Margaret CUNNINGHAM, from Globaltree, online at http://trees.ancestry.com.au/tree/9669312/person/-557221190, extracted Mar 2011.
  12. [S1961] Www FAIRBAIRN searches and miscellaneous correspondence by LornaHen (1) Birth 1874John Albert s/o William FAIRBAIRN & Elizabeth Julia WESTWOOD, New Norfolk, TAS, online at http://portal.archives.tas.gov.au/menu.aspx, extracted Dec 2011.
  13. [S1918] Newspaper clippings, Marr. 20 Mar 1869 Anne only d/o William (of Tasmania) FAIRBAIRN to George s/o Robert (of Hotham) MORISON, Hotham, VIC, from 'Family Notices.', The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956), 14 April, p. 4, online at http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5831872, extracted Dec 2011.
  14. [S2] Lorna Henderson, "FAIRBAIRN Analysis", Dec 2011.
  15. [S201] 1841 Census transcripts, Scotland, via Ancestry.com, Mellerstain Mill, Earlston, BEW Par. 736 ED 3 Pg 17, hsehold of William & Margaret FAIRBAIRN, extracted Mar 2011.
  16. [S3110] Scotlands People Index, "OPR Berwick, Scotland, FAIRBAIRN Births 1538-1854", Birth/bap.? 25 May 1845 Ann d/o William FAIRBAIRN & Margaret CUNNINGHAM, Earlston, BEW 736/ 0020 0085, extracted from index Mar 2011.
  17. [S5] Ancestry.com online at http://search.ancestry.com, Dth 1872 Annie MORISON, aged 28 father FAIRBAIRNE, mother Margaret CUNNINGHAM, reg. 9930, VIC, from Australia Death Index, 1787-1985, extracted Dec 2011.
  18. [S3110] Scotlands People Index, "OPR Berwick, Scotland, FAIRBAIRN Births 1538-1854", Birth/bap.? 14 Sep 1851 Robert s/o William FAIRBAIRN & Margaret CUNNINGHAM, Earlston, BEW 736/ 0020 0112, extracted from index Mar 2011.
 
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