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From: "Margaret L Staton" <>
Subject: RICHARDSON - ANDERSON (long)
Date: Thu, 7 Sep 2000 10:22:54 -0400
References: <200009071100.e87B0CG15188@lists5.rootsweb.com>


I spent several hours at my local FHC last night, viewing their Scottish
records. I am still relatively new at genealogy research (although I have
been reading everything in sight), and I am hoping for some help from
individuals with more experience.

My g-g-grandfather, JOHN RICHARDSON (b1826), wrote a long and expansive
letter to his children citing the circumstances behind his parents
immigration to Canada, among other things. In his missive, and in a
subsequent reposting of the essentials to the Essex-Kent Atlas, he mentioned
the details of his parent's births without giving an actual birthdate and
parish name.

JOHN RICHARDSON, born about 1798, in "Roxburghshire, Scotland"
ISOBEL ANDERSON, born about 1796

Their marriage register entry is in Lilliesleaf Parish on Oct 26,1822. In
the entry, it states that John is a member of the Bowden parish and the
Isobel is a member of the Lilliesleaf Parish. Of their four children born
in Scotland, the eldest was born in Bowden, Roxburgh and the other three in
Earlston, Berwick. It is was also mentioned that JOHN (b abt 1798) was a
tailor by trade. After looking at several maps, I now have a rudimentary
knowledge of some of the villages and towns in the Borders, so I headed off
to the FHC.

There are easily 50 each JOHN RICHARDSONs and ISOBEL ANDERSONs. Even
narrowing down the possibilities (I discounted several JOHNs from Dumfries)
left me with close to ten possible Johns within the 1797-1799 span. And
Isobel is even worse. Because of the variation of spelling used, I feel I
cannot discount a more standard spelling or even another variation, and
there are PLENTY of those.

Then I tried applying a little logic. JOHN (b abt 1798) had 6 sons (in the
following order): JAMES (b 1823), JOHN (b 1826), WILLIAM (b 1831), the
family immigrated then HENRY (b 1833-1836), THOMAS (b 1833-1836) and GEORGE
(1837).
Son JAMES had 2 sons : JOHN (b 1856) and WILLIAM (b 1858).
Son JOHN had JOHN (b1849), JAMES (b1852), WILLIAM (abt 1857), GEORGE
(b1862), HENRY (b1863), BENJAMIN (b1865).
Son WILLIAM had 2 sons: JOHN (b1855) and PETER (b1859)
Don't Know anything about son HENRY, THOMAS died in infancy, and WILLIAM
died before the age of 30 leaving two daughters.
There were also several grand-daughters named Isabel and Isabella.

One other note of interest/logic. JOHN (b 1826) left his parents in the
Montreal, Quebec vicinity, and with his wife and several young children set
off in 1852. I think the Plains of the midwest States were his ultimate
destination, but for some unknown reason he sidetracked out of Detroit and
back up into Kent Co, Ontario where he stopped on, and I quote " One of the
most uninviting spots on that road was the middle of the township of Tilbury
East, afterwards known as Valetta, the only attraction being a Scotch
settlement and a Presbyterian church on Lot 16 Middle Road. I bought Lot
15." From that point on he became quite an entrepreneur, started all sorts
of businesses, and began moving and urging to move, family members, friends,
and acquaintances to Tilbury East. John and Isobel and all their children
followed and by 1861 the township was heavily populated with Scottish
emigrants, the most common being Campbelle, Coutts, Ferguson, McLeod,
McLween(sp?), McSween, Robertson, Smith, and Stevenson. None of those names
showed up in the parents name search. Hmmmm...seemingly a dead end; back to
family names.

Knowing that naming the firstborn son after the husband's father was a
custom at the time, and relying heavily on the Roxburghshire locality, I
think I have the JOHNs narrowed down to three, maybe four, if I include the
one from Hawick. I don't have a clue on ISOBEL. There are none in the
right time frame (I used 1796 +/- 1 year) that are also in the right area.
If I pitch out any of those parameters, it jumps the field back up to at
least 25 variations on Isobel.

Anybody have any matches, information, advice, leads, ideas, clues,
suggestions, hints, stray thoughts????........do I sound desperate yet????
...LOL. I am planning a trip to the Borders probably next May and could do
some onsite research if I knew some basic information. But I'm not certain
even that will help, if I can't got wend my way through this tangle. Thank
you in advance for any help offered.
Meg Landseadel Staton


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