Find Ancestors

There is always the possibility that Robert's death has been missed from the indexes. I have an example of this on my own tree but I did find a burial record for my ancestor which gave me a date of death. I was hoping for his death registration to find his mother's name (he was born and married in Ireland).

In the case of Robert Watt, I would try to find his wife's burial place and find where the cemetery records are held and ask who else is in the same lair.

Sorry AG, I'd missed that 1900 Death...

Don't really know what Lindsey has researched, and seen actual images of, followed addresses from Certs. etc., or if Mary Halbert and Parents, on Census has been researched, her Birth Cert. details...

Chris :)

The 1906 Durham death still feels like a good possibility to me - he may have gone there for work - lots of ironworking there at that time.

As Lindsey has said, Mary died in 1900:

WATT (also listed as Halbert)
MARY
51
1900
615/ 94
Stevenston

After that, the children are not with their father.

The image of 1901 census just says England, as transcribed. So does 1891.
Maybe someone else will be willing to spend credits on 1871 and 1881 - though I expect they will also be as transcribed.

I don't see any English Robert of about the right age in Scotland in 1861, with occupation anything to do with an ironworks.

If he was still in England at that time, there are too many for me to check through at the moment.

Just in case (and gut feeling says it's not him) , I'll post this one in Edinburgh. His occupation is clearly mistranscribed, but I can't find this record on SP at all, having looked for it with each of the names in turn, and allowing for misspelling/mistranscription.

Robert Watt
in the 1861 Scotland Census
Name: Robert Watt
Age: 25
Estimated birth year: abt 1836
Relationship: Lodger
Gender: Male
Where born: England
Registration Number: 685/2
Registration district: St Andrew
Civil Parish: Edinburgh St Mary
County: Midlothian
Address: 52 Broughton St
Occupation: Works On Gens
ED: 45
Household schedule number: 29
Line: 15
Roll: CSSCT1861_126
Household Members:
Name Age
Ann Jenkine 59
Margaret Jenkine 20
Margaret Gaub 16
Robert Watt 25

(rg, I sometimes try searching FMP, using Birthplace in 'Optional Keywords' box)

Chris :)

Am sure there are more references to Robert in Newspapers, using different keywords, place names etc. Don't know how many Robert Watts there are, but another artcle below...

Chris :)

CHILD NEGLECT.—At Kilmarnock Sheriff Court on Monday, Robert Watt, senior, laborzrer, Green Street, Saltcoats, and his wife, appeared on a charge of having, between the Ist June and the 7th October, neglected their four children, aged from 3 to ten...

20 October 1899 - Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald - Ardrossan, Ayrshire


Also notes that Alexander who was informant on Death Cert. seemed to be son of John Watt, Engineer (Kilwinning) several articles April 1871 (after Census taken) John was killed in accident, Eglinton Iron Works.

1871
John Watt Head Married Male 41 1830 Engine Fitter At Works Dunlop, Ayrshire, Scotland
Mary Watt Wife Married Female 43 1828 - Kilwinning, Ayrshire, Scotland
Rachel Watt Daughter - Female 16 1855 - Kilwinning, Ayrshire, Scotland
Alexander Watt Son - Male 14 1857 Scholar Kilwinning, Ayrshire, Scotland
James Watt Son - Male 11 1860 Scholar Kilwinning, Ayrshire, Scotland
John Watt Son - Male 9 1862 Scholar Kilwinning, Ayrshire, Scotland
George Watt Son - Male 3 1868 Scholar Kilwinning, Ayrshire, Scotland
School Row, 3, Kilwinning, Ayrshire, Scotland


There is also below couple about...

21 March 1874 - Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald - Ardrossan, Ayrshire,

At Crofthead Street, Saltcoats, on the 17th inst., by the Rev. George Pbilp, Robert Watt, to Mary Robertson.


When was Death of Mary?...Robert being Widower 1901...(would the image of 1901 Scotland Census, give anything other than England?, in fact any of Census images from ScotlandsPeople)

FindMyPast doesn't allow searching the census with a birthplace. Maybe someone with Ancestry can search the 1861 census for a Robert Watt with a birthplace of England? And it looks like 1831 is the most likely birth year. I'm still thinking that Robert may have been married before and not free to marry Mary.

No I haven’t I have searched and cannot find any

(thankyou AG, just in case there was anything newspapers!. Grandson seems to have been Clerk in Iron Works on 1891, 1901 with Mary)

Chris :)

(as said, without the Marriage, no way of knowing for sure the Father of Robert...Tricky!)

Chris, you asked about Alexander's death:


Alexander Watt, joiner journeyman, married to Marion Stevenson.
1884, February 9th, 10hrs 5min a.m., at Pathfoot, Kilwinning.
84 years.
Parents: John Watt, mason, deceased. Janet Watt, ms Wylie, deceased.
Cause of death: natural decay.
Informant: Alexander Watt, grandson, Eglinton Iron Works, Kilwinning.


WATT
ALEXANDER
84
1884
599/ 14
Kilwinning



Lindsey -
there is no documentary evidence that the Robert in 1871, 1881, 1891, 1891, born England in all of them, is the Robert who is the son of Alexander and Marion.
And RG has shown what seems very likely to be the death of A&M's son in 1856.

Just for the record -

the sons Thomas, George and David in 1901:

David Watt
in the 1901 Scotland Census
Name: David Watt
Age: 11
Estimated birth year: abt 1890
Relationship: Boarder
Gender: Male
Where born: Stevenston, Ayr
Registration Number: 615
Registration district: Stevenston
Civil Parish: Stevenston
Town: Stevenston
County: Ayrshire
Address: Line Kn Rd
Occupation: Scholar
ED: 5
Household schedule number: 97
Line: 15
Roll: CSSCT1901_237
Household Members:
Name Age
Henry Sommerville 33
Janet F Sommerville 24
Mary F Sommerville 6
Janet F Sommerville 5
Agnes F Sommerville 3
John F Sommerville 2 Mo
Thomas H Watt 18
George Watt 16
David Watt 11

Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald 08 June 1894

This is the article about Robert Watt, labourer of Main Street, Stevenston striking his wife.


Daughter Janet's birth.

Janet
Last name Watt
Gender Female
Birth year 1873
Birth place Ardrossan,Ayr,Scotland
Father's first name(s) Robert
Father's last name Watt
Mother's first name(s) Mary
Mother's last name Halbert

1894 Newspaper article says...assaulted his wife, Mary Halbert or Watt...

Chris :)

1891
Robert Watt Head Married Male 60 1831 Foundry Labourer England
Mary Watt Wife Married Female 41 1850 - Ayrshire, Scotland
Janet Watt Daughter Unmarried Female 17 1874 - Ayrshire, Scotland
Mary Watt Daughter - Female 15 1876 - Ayrshire, Scotland
Sarah Watt Daughter - Female 14 1877 - Ayrshire, Scotland
Thomas Watt Son - Male 8 1883 Scholar Ayrshire, Scotland
George Watt Son - Male 6 1885 Scholar Ayrshire, Scotland
John Watt Son - Male 4 1887 - Ayrshire, Scotland
David Watt Son - Male 0 1891 - Ayrshire, Scotland
Townhead Street, Stevenston, Ayrshire, Scotland

Lindsey, I think we need to know where you have found proof that Alexander Watt and Marion Stevenson are connected to your Robert Watt. At the moment, as I understand it, no one else has been able to find the connection.

Have you found Robert Watt born ENGLAND with any of his family on census records prior to 1871 please?

Thank you
Mary died aged 51 in 1900 the family in Stevenson is them I’m sure as John their son born in 1887 is our link.
Their son a John was born at Ardeer so am sure it’s them in 1881 in Stevenson
Roberts occupation in 1887 is a labourer plasterer.
I have found a newspaper article of Robert Watt a labourer assaulting his wife Mary Halbert in Stevenson.
The marriage for Alexander Watt and Marion Stevenson is for Dunlop in the Parish of Nielston.
Janet watt appears on Alexander Watts death record in 1884 as him mother

When was this Death of Alexander, and Address? (apologies if I've missed it somewhere!)

Chris :)

My gut feeling is that Alexander and Marion Watt are not the correct family for your Robert Watt and that it's pointless adding their ancestors to your Robert's tree.

In my opinion, you need to checkout the other Watts in Ayrshire to see if any of them also give a birthplace of England. I think that without a marriage or death for your Robert it may prove impossible to determine his parents. It may also be worth looking at the original image (on Scotlandspeople) to double check on Robert's age and place of birth (you never know, it may give a county).

Just to complete the census set of Robert Watt with parents Alexander and Marion.

BUT as I noted on Page 1 of this thread - Robert shows as born England on the census with wife Mary.

Lindsey you need to tell us how you / your friend got back to the family with any certainty. What do you know for sure with what proof.

1841 England, Wales & Scotland Census

Corsehill, Kilwinning, Ayrshire, Scotland

First name(s) Last name Sex Age Birth year Birth place
Alexander Watt Male 40 1801 Ayrshire, Scotland
Marion Watt Female 35 1806 Ayrshire, Scotland
John Watt Male 11 1830 Ayrshire, Scotland
Robert Watt Male 9 1832 Ayrshire, Scotland
Janet Watt Female 7 1834 Ayrshire, Scotland
Alexander Watt Male 3 1838 Ayrshire, Scotland
James Watt Male 0 1841 Ayrshire, Scotland

When you look at Robert on the 1901 census on Ancestry, Ancestry suggests that he's the Robert with father Alexander in 1841.

Either Lindsey or her friend has assumed that that's correct, instead of just a suggestion.

But even then, that's not the Robert whose mother was Marion - he's another Robert , born 1829, with mother Agnes.

There’s a baptism on SP which is the source of the ‘info’. It has obviously been latched onto after the census was found showing a birthplace of Dunlop, but without any corroboration.

Your 1871 makes more sense in view of the man’s occupation