Death of an orphan

[Shona]

In the 1851 census, my MMMMMM, Christina/Christian Morris has an orphan in her household - Archibald McBrair.

Dubbieside, Fife

Christian Morris, head, 45, washerwoman, born Kinghorn, Fife
John Stocks, lodger, 64, retired farmer, born Kirkcaldy Links, Fife
Alexandrina Brodie, 12, spinning mill worker, born Kirkcaldy, Fife
Archibald McBrair, 4, orphan, born Kilmarnock

My CD for pre-1855 deaths in Fife has the following info:

Archibald McBrair, died age 5 on 11 June 1852.

The information comes from the Fifeshire Advertiser. The majority of the listings on the CD are from parish records, lair registers and monumental inscriptions.

I can't find anything out about Archibald McBrair. Can anyone help me solve the puzzle of why the death of orphan living in a very poor part of Methil would end up in the newspapers? Who are his parents? Why would a child born in Kilmarnock end up with an unmarried woman in Fife who has had at least two (possibly four) illegimate children?

1841 census, Buckhaven, Fife

Christean Morris, 30, laundress
Janet Henderson, 12
Alexr Brodie, 2
Andw Brodie, 7 months

It is very likely that Alexandrina is Christina's illegitimate daughter with Alexander Brodie (see MMMMMF post). I presume Andrew is her illegitimate son with Alexander Brodie. No idea who Janet Henderson is. Another child? All born in county.

[kiterunner]

Archibald's birth is on FamilySearch - 4 Mar 1847 Kilmarnock, Ayr, parents Robert Pratt McBrair and Eliza Clephane Paton.

I suppose his death would be in the newspaper if there was an inquest?

[kiterunner]

His parents' marriage is listed twice on FamilySearch which probably means the banns were called in both places - 3 Jul 1843 at Govan, Lanark, and 5 Jul 1843 at Dysart, Fife. Two other children - Catherine born 11 Jun 1844 Glasgow and Alexander born 24 Oct 1845 Barony, Lanark.

[kiterunner]

Alex McBrair (Alexa according to ancestry) is in Abbotshall, Fife in 1845 nephew of a Henry and Eliza Beveridge.

There is a likely Robert McBrayer in 1841 age 20, in Barony with people who are likely to be his parents and siblings. Occupation given as clerke on ancestry.

And there is an Eliza C Paton age 16 in Dysart, Fife, in 1841. Head of household is John Paton, 52, and there are likely siblings.

[Shona]

McBrayer - that variant didn't come up when I searched variant surnames. Thank you.

Now I've found this:

Katherine McBrair, died 24 February 1848, age 3 plus. Abode: Liverpool. Died in Kirkcaldy. Only daughter of Robert Pratt, merchant.

Again the info on my CD came from a newspaper.

[kiterunner]

You could try contacting Kirkcaldy Library to see whether they can look up the newspaper report of Archibald's death for you?

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/sct/FIF/libraries/Kirkcaldy_lib.htm

[Shona]

You could try contacting Kirkcaldy Library to see whether they can look up the newspaper report of Archibald's death for you?

http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/sct/FIF/libraries/Kirkcaldy_lib.htm

I've sent them an email - I'm a member of Fifeshire libraries (and several others!).

[Shona]

1841 census, Buckhaven, Fife

Christean Morris, 30, laundress
Janet Henderson, 12
Alexr Brodie, 2
Andw Brodie, 7 months

It is very likely that Alexandrina is Christina's illegitimate daughter with Alexander Brodie (see MMMMMF post). I presume Andrew is her illegitimate son with Alexander Brodie. No idea who Janet Henderson is. Another child? All born in county.

Seems as if Janet Henderson is another illegitimate child of Christina Morris.

1861 census

Markinch, Fife
Christian Morris, 55, born Kinghorn
Janet Lourie, 32, daughter, woollen weaver, 22, born Abbotshall
Robert Anderson, 14, grandson, shoemaker, born Buckhaven
Alison Laurie, 7, grand daughter, scholar, born Wemyss

[Shona]

Fife Libraries have been very helpful regarding this query. They've just got back to me and said that the deaths appeared in the newspapers as death notices, which would have been paid for.

Fifeshire Advertiser 4th March 1848, Page 4

Died At Kirkcaldy, on the 24th Ult., aged 3½ years, Katherine, only daughter of Mr. Robert Pratt McBrair, merchant, Liverpool

Fifeshire Advertiser 12th June 1852, Page 4

DEATHS
At Innerleven, on the 11th inst., Archibald McBrair, aged 5 years

[Merry]

There's a Robert Pratt McBrair dying in Victoria, Australia in 1870. If this one is the same man I don't think his wife's details are on the cert, or if they are then she is a subsequent wife, not Eliza Paton!

I don't think I can tell the age of the man in Oz at death, can I?

[Shona]

There's a Robert Pratt McBrair dying in Victoria, Australia in 1870. If this one is the same man I don't think his wife's details are on the cert, or if they are then she is a subsequent wife, not Eliza Paton!

I don't think I can tell the age of the man in Oz at death, can I?

Oh - thanks for finding that. Checked it on Ancestry's Australian records and it says he was 56 when he died and that his father's name was unknown.

Still find it odd that a man, who lists his occupation as merchant, and who has enough money to place death notices in a newspaper, entrusted the care of his son to an unmarried laundress/washer woman, who has illegitimate children.

Thanks, too, to members for pointing out that 'orphan' doesn't mean that both parents are dead.

[Merry]

His parents' marriage is listed twice on FamilySearch which probably means the banns were called in both places - 3 Jul 1843 at Govan, Lanark, and 5 Jul 1843 at Dysart, Fife. Two other children - Catherine born 11 Jun 1844 Glasgow and Alexander born 24 Oct 1845 Barony, Lanark.

The marriage is recorded in a notice in The Morning Post Wednesday, July 12, 1843:

At Dysart, N.B., on the 3rd inst., by the Rev. Mr. Murray, Robert Pratt M'Brair Esq., Merchant, Glasgow, to Eliza Clephan, daughter of John Paton Esq., Dysart.

[Shona]

Eliza Clephane McBrair died in 1848. Death registered in the Wirral.

[Merry]

I see the surviving child, Alexander,was still 'abandoned' in 1861!

[Shona]

Yes - aged 15, living in lodgings at 319 High Street in Kirkcaldy where he was a writer's apprentice.

Alexander Brodie (who had illegitmate children with Christinas Morris - who was looking after Archibald McBrair in 1851) was a writer before he became a harbour master. Alexander Brodie lived on the High Street in Kirkaldy, too.