The Robertson family

From a report by John Humphreys):

 
Robertson family history: Glenmuick, 1780-1839

 
Our earliest definite records come from Church of Scotland parish registers for the united parish of Glenmuick, Tullich and Glengairn.

James and Christian Robertson

baptised their four children - among them

- between 1780 and 1789, but their marriage is not recorded; nor are their births. "

The parish registers for Glenmuick etc for births and marriages start in 1744 but they were not well kept between 1747 and 1768. There are one or two birth entries but it is mostly a gap. The mother's name was not included between 1768 and 1788. As regards marriages, there is a gap between 1768 and 1788

."  (Email from Val Wilson, ASGRA, 7/6/2019)

John Humphreys continues:

 
Christian is specifically named in the baptism records as “

Christian Robertson

” which is clearly intended as her maiden name. Where the mother was stated, Scottish baptism records always recorded mothers’ maiden surnames.
 
Mill of Sterin, on the river Muick, is part of the Birkhall estate. At this time it was owned by the Gordons of Abergeldie, who sold it to Prince Albert in 1849; the estate became a present for his son Edward, Prince of Wales, and is currently owned by Prince Charles. The original name for Birkhall was Sterin or 'Stairean', meaning stepping stones across the River Muick, the name being revived in the Mill when rebuilt as a farmhouse in 1862. A Mill of Sterin school was built 1855.
 
The millers would have been tenants of the estate, not owners of the mill. Records of their tenancy have not survived in Scottish archives.
 
“Registration in the Church of Scotland's registers was costly and unpopular, so many people did not bother to register events at all.” –

l

Glenmuick, Tullich and Glengairn parish register, Baptisms

: All four children of James and Christian were clearly registered at the same time, not when the baptisms occurred, because they all appear on the same page: John (1780), Mary (1782), Thomas (1785) and James (1789).

became miller, or at least was living at Mill of Sterin, at the time of his children’s baptisms (1816-1824). (The baptisms say “at Mill of Steren” without stating his role there.) His sister Mary Gordon and her husband James were also living there in 1814 at the time of their son James’ baptism. Some of her other children’s baptisms give statements like “in Mill of Steren” while others give their home as “Altchillach” (variously spelt).
 
The mill was evidently old-established; it is marked on a map dated 1696.   From this time to the Robertsons’ time, it would have used a vertical waterwheel to power grindstones used for milling grain. In 1794 the principle grains farmed in the parish were “ear, oats, rye” according to the statistical account; bear (also beir or bere) was a lowland Scots word for “six-row” barley, of lower yield than 2-row barley but tough, quick to mature, and adapted for poor soils.

However this use changed.
 
In the 1850’s Mill of Sterin was described in the first Ordnance Survey mapping of Scotland:
 
“ one storey dwelling house, office houses and sawmill all slated and in good condition. Property of HRH The Prince of Wales.”

NOTE

(by John Humphreys)

: James and Christian Robertson’s parents

 
Di Halmarick       says Christian Robertson came from Speyside, where she was born in 1751, though she mentions no source for this information; and she says James was born in Glenmuick.

We know that Glenmuick records are missing at the time James was born and married.
 
Scotlandspeople says no less than 277 boys called “James Robertson” were baptised between 1747 and 1757, in the whole of Scotland; obviously this excludes those whose baptisms were not recorded at all. Christian is rarer, and her dates better known; a search in the whole country for girls baptised 1748-1753 yields 13 called “Christian Robertson”. However none were recorded in 1751. The most promising looks like 2nd January 1750 at Logierait, on the River Tay, where “

Christian lawful daughter of James Robertson & Elspit McLaren in Logyrate was baptized

.”
 
Similarly it is possible to search for the marriage of this couple. Since their first son John was baptised in 1780, it is reasonable to search 1770-79. One marriage matches the criteria, recorded twice, in both the neighbouring parishes of Dowally and Logierait. They married on 14th or 15th November 1772. Dowally says: “

13th/15th

?]

Novr 1772, the which day James Robertson in Gay in this Parish and Christian Robertson in the Parish of Logirate gave up their names in order for marriage

”
 
So this couple from Tayside could be the James and Christian who later had children in Glenmuick, front runners if we look for alternatives.
 
There is a further clue: the table stone at Ballater says that James had a brother Charles Robertson, who became miller at “Mill of Balmoral”. The stone was made after Royalty had moved in and made Balmoral famous; but the church of Balmoral is Crathie. Di Halmarick    says Charles married Margaret Blair and they had two children, baptised 1790 and 1795.
 
These turn out to be “

Robertson Charles at Mill of Abergaldie and his Spouse Margt Blair had a son Baptised named James / April 9

” on a page headed “1790” for the parish of Crathie and Braemar; and “

Charles Robertson and his spouse Margt Blair at Miln of Abergeldie had a Daughter Baptized Octr 26 day 1791 named Mary

”.
 
So Di was slightly wrong about the daughter; and the table stone is slightly misleading about the name of the mill.
 
Charles Robertson and Margaret Blair’s marriage is not recorded anywhere in Scotland.
 
A search in the Mills Archive reveals an old mill at Balhalloch, about 1 km west of Abergeldie castle. However this is not the only one in the area.
 

The likelihood remains that the Robertson brothers were born at Glenmuick, at a time when records were not kept

. Other people of the same name are interesting, but probably different.