James Sinclair and Wife Isabella Sabsiston

[Annie_Forsyth]

Hi,

Hoping someone can help as I am getting a headache

From 1891 Census, I have my GGrandfather James Sinclair and family living in District: 5, Property No: 64 - John St, Stromness, and he is the Gas Works Manager aged 62.

I also have Isabella's (nee Sabiston) death in Saltcrats, Ayr July 1908. What I can't find is James death or when Isabella moved to Saltcrats, with/without James.

So the family has moved sometime between 1891 1907 - as my Grandfather, William Peter Sinclair was married in Glasgow in 1907 and lived there for the remainder of his life.

Two things I would like to know is James's death and if anyone has info around the Gasworks that would be great, as in 1871 James is listed as a Mason which is quite a jump to being a Gas Works Manager !

[speleobat2]

Hi Annie,

Was Isabella shown as a widow on her death certificate?

Carol

[speleobat2]

Does this match your family:

1901 Scotland Census 1901 Scotland Census
Name: William P Sinclair
Age: 22
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1879
Relationship: Son
Mother's Name: Isabella Sinclair
Gender: Male
Where born: Stromness, Orkney
Registration Number: 560B
Registration district: Cathcart Burgh
Civil parish: Cathcart
County: Renfrewshire
Address: 184 Ledard Road
Occupation: Drapery Enlesman
ED: 33
Household schedule number: 12
Line: 15
Roll: CSSCT1901_190
Household Members: Name Age
Isabella Sinclair 63
John Sinclair 31
Alexander Sinclair 27
Isabella Sinclair 25
William P Sinclair 22
David Sinclair 20


If this is them, then James is not with the family in 1901 and the family is in Cathcart, Renfrewshire at this time.

Carol

[speleobat2]

His death certificate is on SP. He died in 1899 in Stromness, Orkney, age 61. Married to Isabella Sabiston, son Alex was the informant.

Carol

[Currie]

Nice work Carol,

In 1888 Stromness Gas Company (Limited) was in liquidation and the premises up for sale. There’s a description of the business in the Glasgow Herald, Wednesday, June 20, 1888, 7th column of page 3. http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=G ... page&hl=en

“All and whole that piece of ground in the north end of the town of Stromness, extending to 2580 square yards or thereby, occupied by the Stromness Gas Company (Limited) on lease for 99 years from Whitsunday, 1870, together with the Gas Works and whole buildings and other erections on the ground above mentioned, and the gas mains, jets, pipes, gas meters, as also the fittings laid, fixed and attached in and about the streets, roads, closes, and courts of Stromness and precincts thereof.”

It looks like someone didn’t like whoever took over the Gasworks managers job from Mr. Sinclair, because in the Aberdeen Weekly Journal, Wednesday, September 20, 1899, there’s a report of an assault on a George Tennant, manager, Gasworks, Stromness.

ScotlandsPlaces has some info and photos of the Gasworks and the manager’s house is mentioned. It was in John Street. http://www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/searc ... MS&id=1496

It’s right here, they seem to have changed the name of that end of the street. http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=58 ... 7,,0,-7.68

All the best,
Alan

[Annie_Forsyth]

Hi Carol and Alan

Very many thanks for all the information and links, we also have the right James Carol. I will pick up the DC on SP for more details.

As for my Grandfather - being listed as a Drapery Enlesman - should that be Salesman ? as he went on to be a Travelling Salesman, and found him in the 1911 Census staying at the Queens Hotel, Lerwick, Shetland. Would love to find out if he worked for a company as I don't remember my father saying Grandpa ran his own company, but already know that is almost impossible.

Now I will try to make some connection why Isabella took the family away from Orkney to Cathcart. I guess the main why will be after living in Gas Works house, she had no means to support the family after James death, but she did have family in Orkney - it will be fun trying to unravel that.

I am beginning !! to learn to have a more open view but it can get costly looking at documents on SP only to find its the wrong person, but now I can come here and get help

[speleobat2]

Hi Annie,

Glad that we were able to help! Yes, I think salesman is what your grandfather's occupation should have been. The transcription errors can drive you a little crazy, but they are often good for a laugh too! Searching SP can certainly be costly! You have to be flexible regarding ages as they are frequently wrong. My own 2x great grandfather was clearly shown as age 65 on the 1841 census and just as clearly shown as 46 on the 1851 census. Go figure! I usually go with a fairly broad search first because you can get up to 25 results on one page for 1 credit then narrow things down. With your James, once I found the rest of the family on the 1901 census without him, I was guessing that he died between 1891 and 1901 and probably in Stromness. There were two pages of James Sinclairs in my first search but only two of them in Stromness so I just picked the one closest to Isabella's age and it was him. Maybe not the surest way, but it worked!

Good hunting,

Carol

[Currie]

Hello Annie,

I just noticed that Orkney and Shetland directories are starting to appear online. Orkney 1870s and Shetland 1890s, and no doubt there’s more to come. http://www.archive.org/search.php?query ... ate&page=1

Alan