Archibald Fairbairn

BMDB data

     Archibald Fairbairn was born on 6 Mar 1808 at Morebattle, ROX, SCT, Entry in OPR reads: "Archibald Fairbairn son of Walter Fairbairn labourer Morebattle and Agnes Robinson his spouse was born 6th Mar 1808 and bap immediately following."¹ He married Betty Houd, daughter of John Houd and Agnes Minto, in May 1835 in ROX, SCT; Cavers 31st, Bedrule, 15th (assumed to be Banns).³
     Archibald Fairbairn died on 4 Nov 1867 at Hartrigge Lodge, Jedburgh, ROX, SCT, at age 59; Dist 792 #82 cert reads: Archibald Fairbairn, shepherd, married to Betty Houd, aged 59, s/o Walter Fairbairn, gen. labourer, dec, and Agnes m.s. Robison, died 4:30pm of consumption, 3 mths, cert. by Jas Falla, surgeon, inf Walter Fairbairn, son. Reg 6th Nov. Jedburgh.²

Census/Where lived/Occupations

     Archibald Fairbairn and Betty Fairbairn appeared on the census of 7 Jun 1841 at Walkersknow, Par. of Jedburgh, ROX, SCT, and are assumed to be husband and wife. They were enumerated as FAIRBAIRN: Archbald (sic) 30 ag lab; Betty 25 (which is why I couldn't find them when searching for Archibald and Elizabeth); Walter 3; John 2 Agness (sic) 9m all b ROX.⁴
     Archibald and Elizabeth Fairbairn appeared on the census of 30 Mar 1851 at Walkersnow, Jedburgh, ROX, SCT, as Archibald FAIRBAIRN, head, 43, hedger, b Morebattle; wife Elizabeth, 39 hedger's wife, b Minto; Children: Walter, 13 b Dalton DFS; John 12 b Cavers; Agness (sic) 10 b Wilton; Mary 8 b Walkersnow (all scholars); Andrew 5; Archibald 3; Helen 1 all b Walkersnow.⁵
     The census of 7 Apr 1861 showed Archibald with his wife Betty, their sons Walter, John, Andrew and Archibald, their dtr Helen at 10 Bongate, Jedburgh, ROX, SCT, household enumerated as entry reads: FAIRBAIRN: Archibald, head, 53, ag. lab. b Morebattle, ROX; wife Betty, 48, b Minto, ROX. Children: Walter, 23, carpenter, journeyman, b Dalton, DFS; John, 22, woollen mill worker machine cleaner. b Cavers, ROX; Andrew, 15, lab (garden), b Jedburgh; Archibald, 13, woollen mill worker piecer, b Jedburgh; Helen, 11, scholar, b Jedburgh.⁶
     Archibald Fairbairn was described as a general labourer when son Andrew died in Oct 1864 at Jedburgh, ROX, SCT.⁷ He was a horticultural labourer when his dtr Agnes married in Dec 1864 at Jedburgh, ROX, SCT.⁸ He was given as a shepherd on his own dth cert in Nov 1867 Hartrigge Lodge, Jedburgh, ROX, SCT.²

All the other info

     Hartrigge is an estate approx. 1 mile east of Jedburgh. In the reminiscences of a George Taylor, date unknown, George states that his brother John "left the garden at Ormiston about 1850 for the situation of gardener at Hartrigge near Jedburgh. This extensive estate had lately been purchased by Lord Campbell, then Lord Chief Justice of England. The garden had to be remodeled and laid out anew, and I recollect I was in the way of rendering John some assistance in this matter, and also in laying out some new drives in the park. I also supplied from our Kelso nursery a great many fruit trees for the garden and some of the finer sort of shade trees for the park. My mother also left Ormiston and took a house at Bongate, where she was close beside John and her other married daughters, Agnes (mar. to Wm Huggan a millwright on the Abby Bank) and Margaret (mar. to George Telfer, cabinet maker of Jedburgh), where she was always a welcome guest."^9,10