Person:Sydney Brown (2)

Sydney Brown was born around 1804 at Allanton in the parish of Edrom, Berwickshire. According to her death certificate she was the daughter of a joiner called John Brown and his wife Mary Hogg. Whilst no record of Sydney’s birth or baptism has been found, it is clear that this couple did exist and live in the right parish, as there are baptism records at Edrom for a Robina Davidson Brown born in 1803, and a David Brown born in 1806 to John Brown and Mary Hogg of Allanton.

Sydney’s first confirmed sighting is her marriage on 19th September 1825 at Kelso in Roxburghshire to James Robson, a slater and plumber originally from Yetholm. Sydney and James were married by the minister of the Antiburgher Church in Kelso, suggesting they belonged to that congregation.

Sydney and James 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.

Sydney and James 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. In 1841 they had a John Brown living with them, who may well have been a relative of Sydney’s.

James died in 1879, aged 77.

After James’s death Sydney moved in with her daughter Janet, who had married a carter called Thomas Dodds. Sydney appears living with Janet and her family at 151 Roxburgh Street in Kelso in the 1881 census. Sydney died at that house the following year, on 9th May 1882. She was said to be 78 years old.

1. ↑ 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

2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 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

3. ↑ ^3.0 3.1 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

4. ↑ ^4.0 4.1 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

5. ↑ General Register Office for Scotland. 1881 Scotland Census. (Edinburgh)
   793/00 009/00 014, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: 151 Roxburgh Street, Kelso, Roxburghshire
   10 rooms with windows
   Thomas Dodds, head, married, male, 50 [1830/1], Carter and Contractor (employing 5 men), b. Minto, Roxburghshire
   Janet Dodds, wife, married, female, 49 [1831/2], Carters Wife, b. Kelso, Roxburghshire
   Sydney Dodds, daughter, unmarried, female, 27 [1853/4], Tailor’s Machinist, b. Kelso, Roxburghshire
   Ja[me]s W[illia]m Dodds, son, unmarried, male, 25 [1855/6], Grocer’s Shopman, b. Kelso, Roxburghshire
   Alice M[ar]g[are]t Dodds, daughter, unmarried, female, 23 [1857/8], Carter’s Dau[ghte]r, b. Kelso, Roxburghshire
   Annie Dodds, daughter, unmarried, female, 18 [1862/3], Carter’s Dau[ghte]r, b. Kelso, Roxburghshire
   Thomas Dodds, son, unmarried, male, 20 [1860/1], Carter, b. Kelso, Roxburghshire
   Janet Dodds, daughter, female, 14 [1866/7], Dressmaker, b. Kelso, Roxburghshire
   Mary Dodds, daughter, female, 11 [1869/70], Scholar, b. Kelso, Roxburghshire
   John Dodds, son, male, 9 [1871/2], Scholar, b. Kelso, Roxburghshire
   William Dodds, son, male, 7 [1873/4], Scholar, b. Kelso, Roxburghshire
   Andrew Dodds, son, male, 4 [1876/7], b. Kelso, Roxburghshire
   Sydney Robson, mother-in-law, widowed, female, 77 [1803/4], Formerly jour[neyman] Plumber’s wife, b. Makerstoun, Roxburghshire

6. ↑ Death certificate, in General Register Office for Scotland. Civil Registration.

   1882. DEATHS in the Parish of Kelso in the County of Roxburgh
   No.40
   Name: Sydney Robson, Widow of James Robson, Foreman Plumber
   Died: 1882 May Ninth, 10h30m PM, 151 Roxburgh Street, Kelso
   Sex: F
   Age: 78 years [1803/4]
   Father: John Brown, Joiner (deceased)
   Mother: Mary Brown, MS Hogg (deceased)
   Cause: Paralysis, 1 month, As cert[ified] by Alexander Mackenzie L.R.C.P.
   Informant: Tho[mas] Dods, son-in-law, occupier
   Registered: 1882 May 11th at Kelso [registrar’s signature]