weeKnightingale on Family Tree Circles

I guess as we age we often look back instead of forward. Maybe that's why so many trip and fall. The moral is: always look forward when walking. ;)

This is a repeat of parts of the ROBIN FAMILY JOURNAL.



I still have many questions. I am curious to know what was the cause of great-grandmother, Jane Neilson Robin Gilkerson's, death was at such a young age and where she is buried. I know my grandfather was sent back to Glasgow, Scotland and was in a boarding school in Dollar, Scotland. Catherine his sister seems to have lived under her Uncle Walter's guardianship. Grandfather Robin seems to have returned to Kentucky as noted on a ships passage log. Also it seems that James Buchanan Gilkerson also made a few trips back to Scotland for business or to visit family.

My grandfather William Robin Jr.'s mother was Jane Neilson (1851-1885) daughter of John Neilson founder of Oakbank Iron Works Glasgow the elder brother of the famous inventor of the hot blast furnace and Gas Works manager-owner James Beaumont Neilson (1792-1865). Jane Neilson Robin was widowed in 1874 and then later in 1883 married an American from Kentucky, James Buchanan Gilkerson. Jane and her new husband, my grandfather and his older sister, Catherine traveled the long, exciting trip by steamship, train and horse and carriage to Crab Orchard Springs, Kentucky.

Where was Jane Neilson ROBIN Gilkerson buried? Was she buried in Crab Orchard Springs, Kentucky? What was the cause of her death? So mant questions. Possibly I need to go to Kentucky and review the records that are held at the local library or city hall. Most records before 1900 I am told need to be researched on the local level in Kentucky.

~thoughts through the looking-glass~
K

In search of Robin grave sites in Scotland, England and America.

After finding the wills of Robert ROBIN and his brother George Robin I found reference to the purchase of a total of 5 lairs at the EASTERN NECROPOLIS and Janefield cemetery in Glasgow. Plus I have record that my grandfather, William Robin Jr. purchased lairs A507-A540 at Cardonald Cemetery in 1920. But unable to find out any grave sites of my grandparents or especially my mother's brother Arthur John Robin. [My grandparents are buried somewhere at the Eastern Necropolis & Janefield.] However I must say finding and reading the wills of several ancestors from Scotland's People dot gov has been a trove of valuable information into their life styles and character. Now I wish I had photographs to see their family resemblance.

My maternal grandfather was:
William ROBIN Jr.(1874-1963) and my grandmother was Marion Cameron Mason (1888-1972). There are several William Robins in each generation and branches of the Robin family. Both his sister Catherine and my mother have NEILSON as their given middle names. My grandfather was an Electrical and Marine Engineer/Automobile Mechanic and chauffeur of Pollokshields, Glasgow. His stepfather was James Buchanan GILKERSON who was a grocer and a grist-saw mill owner who lived in Crab Orchard Springs in Lincoln County, Kentucky (birth 1840 in Ryegate, Vermont of Scottish ancestry died 1920 at the Mason's Old Home of Kentucky in Shelbyville). His mother was Jane Robin Buchanan of Vermont. Found her first husband and daughter's grave stone online Barnet/Ryegate, Vermont. "1905 The Interior Journal (Stanford, Kentucky) Sept 5, 1905 printed:
DICKERSON Mrs Jane Dickerson mother of Mr. James B. Gilkerson died at Crab Orchard last week aged 93. She was an exceedingly kind hearted good woman and her death caused universal regret." 1905 Crab Orchard:”The Masons feel confident of rebuilding their hall this summer....Mr. Gilkerson is converting his grist mill into a spoke factory and will soon be ready for sawing....”

My great-grandfather was William ROBIN Sr., Master Gunpowder Manufacturer (1848-1874). My grandfather was born the same year that his father died therefore he never new his father. I found a note by the gunpowder historical society related to one of my great and great-great-grandfathers businesses in Lochfyne He was a diversified investor! Great-great-grandfather invested in mines in Scotland and England, trains in Great Britain and America,the Erie Canal, steamships, wines and spirits, soaps and candle and cork manufacturing, owned shops in Glasgow, Paisley and Manchester.

My great-great-grandfather was Robert ROBIN, Wine & Spirit Merchant (1818-1877)of Robin & Hutcheson, Robin & Houston Soaps & Candles and Robin and Son Mfg.
Robert ROBIN had siblings by the names Peter x2, Walter x2, Robert, Matthew, William and George (1805-1888).
My great-granduncle Walter ROBIN (youngest son of Robert Robin and brother of William Robin Sr.), Leather & Hide Merchant lived in Kelvinside Gardens, Glasgow, Scotland retired and died in the city Bridge of Allan (1861-1936). Robert Robin's two sons, James and Matthew, and his brother,William, took a leisure boat trip on the Clyde and drowned at Langbank (a popular recreational spot of the time) in 1877.

Any info on the _SOAP & CANDLE_. _WINE & SPIRIT_, _CORK_and _HIDE and LEATHER_ businesses in Glasgow, Scotland. Plus any info on the _GUNPOWDER_ manufacturing in Lochfyne. Information on Crab Orchard grocery and or grist mill or saw mill businesses of the time.

My grandfather William Robin Jr.'s mother was Jane Neilson (1851-1884) daughter of John Neilson founder of Oakbank Iron Works Glasgow the elder brother of the famous inventor of the hot blast furnace and Gas Works manager-owner James Beaumont Neilson (1792-1865). Jane Neilson Robin was widowed in 1874 and then later in 1883 married an American from Kentucky, James Buchanan Gilkerson. Jane and her new husband, my grandfather and his older sister, Catherine traveled the long, exciting trip by steamship, train and horse and carraige to Crab Orchard Springs, Kentucky.

My grandfather told me "Do you know I was in America long before you. I saw real wild 'American Indians' and hunters in buckskins. I got to play a banjo too!" I was only a wee girl and Grandmother Robin always told grandfather Robin to 'whisht' so he would stop telling anymore of the story. What tales he could have told!

Remembering when we arrived in American and our ship sailed into New York harbor was an awe inspiring goose bump sight. The majestic Lady Liberty seemed to emerge and float through the mist as we sailed like new pilgrims into the New York sky line on a summer August day in 1954.
It must have been a culture shock for Jane Neilson Robin Gilkerson coming from the Victorian eloquence of Royal Crescent Place of cosmopolitan industrial Glasgow to the quaint rugged, wild and earthy farm country of Crab Orchard Springs, Kentucky. I am sure for my grandfather and his sister it was an exciting adventure full of awe. My own experience coming from seeing the Queen at the changing of the guard in London to the garden city rural farm country of New Jersey was my great adventure. My grandfather probably only saw the beginning pedestal structure being built for the Statue of Liberty. The Empire State building had not even been thought of as yet. I am very curious to know what they saw on there travels in that time. It must have been a Daniel Boone and Wild Buffalo Bill fantasy following the same route that the pioneers took into the west in search of their dreams. I put together a slide show of vintage photos and pictures to give me a feeling of what must have been the people and places of the time. I have found some vintage photos online and have even found some video clips of the area and town of Crab Orchard Springs. There are many Mennonite farms in the area so with the horse and carriage and old farm ways time in some cases has stood still.

I still have many questions. I am curious to know what was the cause of great-grandmother, Jane Neilson Robin Gilkerson's, death was at such a young age and where she is buried. I know my grandfather was sent back to Glasgow, Scotland and was in a boarding school in Dollar, Scotland. Catherine his sister seems to have lived under her Uncle Walter's guardianship. Grandfather Robin seems to have returned to Kentucky as noted on a ships passage log. Also it seems that James Buchanan Gilkerson also made a few trips back to Scotland for business or to visit family.

Sometimes this really gets very confusing but fascinating! I don't think my mother knew the details that I have found. We just knew bits and pieces of the family stories.
I have always had an interest in researching my ancestors. Mom and I had a talk about one day doing a genealogy search but that never came to fruition. My reason for intensifying the search is that I recently got an e-mail from a long lost cousin who is looking for his father's burial site. We last met when his ship docked at Wilmington, California when he was an officer in the British Merchant Marines. He is now a retired oil tanker captain harbor master living in Brisbane, Australia with his wife and twenty-four year old twins. He also was surprised to find out about the Robin family saga. My thinking was if we could find where our grandparents graves are we may find my uncle's resting place. However that seems more difficult than I thought. It seems to be easier to find information and documents of our greats than some one born on this century and burial records I have found are almost impossible to locate.

Re:
British Merchant Seaman
Arthur John Robin 
R109897

DOB 20/03/1915
Born in Gorbals, Glasgow, Scotland
DOD 24/04/1953
Died at Greenwich Seaman's Hospital, Kent, England
Thank you,
Sending my happy thoughts through the looking-glass.
K

Oh forgot to mention that a very dear person (retired British Merchant Navy Seaman) a good Samaritan in Glasgow found a Robin Lair at Cardonald Cemetery. My Aunt Hannah (1909-1932), two Uncles who died in infancy, John McIntyre second husband of my Grand-Aunt Catherine Neilson Robin who resided in Dornoch are buried there.

Any other information or suggests would be greatly appreciated about the Robin family of Glasgow, Scotland.
_________________________
_________________________
K 23 Sep 2010