Walter Fairbairn

     
     Walter Fairbairn was born on 10 Jun 1861 at Canonbie, DFS, SCT.¹
     Walter Fairbairn married Elizabeth Roy, daughter of William Roy and Elizabeth Paton, on 28 Nov 1884 at the Turf Inn, Dalry, AYR, SCT, cert. shows marr. after publication, established Ch. Walter was a 23 yr old Railway Porter resid. Clarkston Toll, Clarkston, s/o Walter Fairbairn farm servant and Grace m.s. Armstrong; Elizabeth is a 20 yr old domestic servant resid. (?Dist)bourne Gardens, Glasgow, d/o William Roy, engineman, dec. and Elizabeth m.s. Paton. Witnessed by John McBain and Jane Roy (Elizabeth's younger sister) reg. Dalry Dec 1st.²
     Walter Fairbairn died on 7 May 1918 at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, Dist of All Saints, NBL, ENG, at age 56; assumed to be the 56 yr old reg. Newcastle T Jun qtr 1918 10b/140 as the cert shows his widow as E Fairbairn, although the occupation seems somewhat at odds with his earlier railway portering: 56 yrs, of 8 Drydon Tce, Haltwhistle, NBL, varnish maker journeyman, cod carcinoma of rectum, operation exhaustion & cardiac failure, cert. by A Smithwaite M.B./ Inf E Fairbairn, widow of deceased, present at death, resid 8 Drydon Tce, Haltwhistle, NBL, reg. 8th May, All Saints Sub Dist Newcastle upon Tyne C.B.^3,4,5
     
     Love to find a living male line descendant of this family willing to join the Fairbairn Surname DNA project. There's a possible Uncle John in New York with male descendants and it would be great if we could conclusively link his John, son of Walter, to this Walter's family. No other evidence seems likely to be found.⁶

     The census of 1871 showed Walter living with his sister Margaret in the household of his parents Walter and Grace Fairbairn at Old Tinnishall, Canonbie, DFS, SCT.⁷ It is possible that Walter Fairbairn was at Kirkpatrick Fleming, DFS, SCT, in 1881 as the groom and gardener domestic, aged 18, born Canonbie, servant with the Minister David Graham, as this is the only Walter within 5 yrs of the right age, and the only Walter b Canonbie in 1881 SCT Lowlands.⁸ By Nov 1884 he was a railway porter at the Clarkston Toll, Clarkston, Dalry, AYR, SCT, when he married Elizabeth.²
     The census of 1891 showed Walter with his wife Elizabeth, their sons Walter and John at 5 Main St, East Kilbride, LKS, SCT, household enumerated as FAIRBAIRN: Walter 29 railway signalman b Canonbie DFS; wife Eliz. 27 b Dalry, AYR; Children: Walter 5 scholar b Cathcart, RFW; John 8 mths b E Kilbride LKS.⁹
     The census of 1901 showed Walter with his wife Elizabeth, their sons Walter and John, their dtrs Elizabeth, Margaret and Jane at Haltwhistle, NBL, ENG, household enumerated as FAIRBAIRN: Walter 39 coke drawer; wife Elizabeth 37; Children: Walter 15 coal pit pony driver; John 10; Elizabeth 8; Margaret 6; Jane 4 all b SCT.³ Walter Fairbairn and Elizabeth Roy were likely to be in 1911 not immediately obvious - yet.
     Cir. May 1918 Walter Fairbairn was a varnish maker (journeyman).⁵
     In May 1918 Walter and Elizabeth Fairbairn were living at 8 Drydon Tce, Haltwhistle, NBL, ENG.⁵