Person:James Robson (4)

James Robson was born on 21st February 1802 at Yetholm in Roxburghshire, son of Janet Oliver and her husband James Robson, a hind (agricultural labourer). Young James was the couple’s eldest child; they had married just under a year earlier. The family lived at Wideopen, a farm and area of moorland in the hills to the north of Yetholm.

On 19th September 1825, aged 23, James married Sydney Brown in the town of Kelso, about eight miles north-west of Yetholm. They were married by the minister of the Antiburgher Church in Kelso, suggesting they belonged to that congregation. James was described as a slater at the time of their marriage.

James and Sydney appear to have had at least eight children at Kelso between about 1826 and 1844. No baptism records have been found for any of their children, but no baptism register for that period survives from the Antiburgher Church in Kelso.

Back in Yetholm, James’s mother died in 1828 and his father died in 1840.

James and Sydney stayed in Kelso for the rest of their lives. In each census from 1841 to 1871 the family lived on the street called Horsemarket in the centre of the town, and James was described as a plumber.

James died on 27th May 1879 at 9 East Bowmont Street in Kelso, aged 77. Sydney survived him by nearly three years.

1. ↑ Scotland. Old Parish Registers, Births & Baptisms. (Edinburgh, Scotland: ScotlandsPeople (National Records of Scotland))
   811/20 152 Yetholm.

   1802 Feb[ruar]y 21 / James Robson Hynd Wideopen & Janet Oliver his wife had a Son born and named James

   This baptism has been linked to the James Robson who married Sydney Brown on the basis that it is in the parish and at the time implied by the adult James's answers in the various censuses. James's death certificate also confirms that his father was an agricultural labourer named James Robson (a hynd or hind being a type of farm worker). Whilst there is a discrepancy in that James's death certificate says his mother's name was Margaret, the fact that no maiden name is given for her shows that the informant was not too familiar with who James's mother was. It is also worth noting that whilst James did have daughters called both Janet and Margaret, his daughter Janet was born first.

2. ↑ General Register Office for Scotland. 1841 Scotland Census. (Edinburgh)
   793/00 003/00 037, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Horse Market N[orth] side, Kelso, Roxburghshire
   James Robson, male, 39 [1801/2], Plumber J[ourneyman], born in county
   Sidney Robson, female, 36 [1804/5], born in county
   Janet Robson, female, 11 [1829/40], born in county
   John Robson, male, 7 [1833/4], born in county
   Margaret Robson, female, 5 [1835/6], born in county
   Thomas Robson, male, 1 [1839/40], born in county
   John Brown, male, 41 [1799/1800], Joiner J[ourneyman], not born in county

3. ↑ General Register Office for Scotland. 1851 Scotland Census. (Edinburgh)
   793/00 005/00 026, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Horse Market, Kelso, Roxburghshire
   James Robson, head, married, male, 49 [1801/2], Plumber, b. Yetholm, Roxburghshire
   Sidney Robson, wife, married, female, 47 [1803/4], b. Allanton, Berwickshire
   James Robson, son, unmarried, male, 22 [1828/9], Saddler, b. Kelso, Roxburghshire
   Janet Robson, daughter, unmarried, female, 20 [1830/1], Dress maker, b. Kelso, Roxburghshire
   John Robson, son, unmarried, male, 17 [1833/4], Slater apprentice, b. Kelso, Roxburghshire
   Tho[ma]s Robson, son, male, 11 [1839/40], Scholar, b. Kelso, Roxburghshire
   Ann Robson, daughter, female, 8 [1842/3], Scholar, b. Kelso, Roxburghshire
   W[illia]m Robson, son, male, 6 [1844/5], Scholar, b. Kelso, Roxburghshire

4. ↑ General Register Office for Scotland. 1861 Scotland Census. (Edinburgh)
   793/00 010/00 021, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: 61 Horse Market, Kelso, Roxburghshire
   2 rooms with windows
   James Robson, head, married, male, 59 [1801/2], Plumber, b. Yetholm, Roxburghshire
   Sydney Robson, wife, married, female, 57 [1803/4], b. Allanton, Berwickshire
   James Robson, son, unmarried, male, 32 [1828/9], Labourer, b. Kelso, Roxburghshire

5. ↑ General Register Office for Scotland. 1871 Scotland Census. (Edinburgh)
   793/00 010/00 015, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: 63 Horse Market Street, Kelso, Roxburghshire
   1 room with windows
   James Robson, head, married, male, 68 [1802/3], Plumber, b. Yetholm, Roxburghshire
   Sydney Robson, wife, married, female, 65 [1805/6], b. Edrom, Berwickshire

6. ↑ Deaths register, in General Register Office for Scotland. Civil Registration.

   1879. DEATHS in the Parish of Kelso in the County of Roxburgh
   No. 48
   Name: James Robson, Plumber (Foreman), (Married to Sydney Brown)
   Died: 1879 May Twentyseventh 5h50m AM, 9 East Bowmont Street, Kelso
   Sex: M
   Age: 78 years [1800/1]
   Father: James Robson, Agricultural Labourer (deceased)
   Mother: Margaret Robson, MS [blank] (deceased)
   Cause: Pericarditis, some months, As Cert[ified] by Alexander Mackenzie L.R.C.P.
   Informant: John Robson, son, 62 Horsemarket, Kelso
   Registered: 1879 May 27th at Kelso, Christ[opher] Dodds, Registrar