John Fairbairn

     
     John Fairbairn was born on 15 Apr 1833 at Grenville, QUE, CAN.^1,3 Some sources show John as born on 7 Sep 1834 in Grenville, QUE, CAN, this date coming from his death cert. Assorted records over the years have ranged from abt 1833 thru to 1842, and the place is the most likely from the range of Scotland, Canada West (Ontario) and Canada East (Quebec), and the Grenville on his newfound baptism, and his marriage cert, which place does appear to be just across the river from Hawkesbury, and matches where other related Fairbairns were in 1842.^5,7,8,9,4 He was baptized on 14 Sep 1834 at St-Philippe-d`Argenteuil (Ch of Sct), Dist of St Jerome, QUE, CAN; entry reads: Folio fifty sixth Baptism
John lawful son of John Fairbairn born on the fifteenth day of April in the year of our Lord one Thousand and Eight Hundred and Thirty Three was baptised by me at Grenville Lower Canada on this the fourteenth day of September One Thousand Eight Hundred and thirty four
William Mair Minister of Grenville & Chatham
Witnesses J Asntly?, John Wilson.<sup>3</sup>
     John Fairburn married S A Daugherty, daughter of Jacob Daughterty, on 1 May 1862 reg. West Hawkesbury Twp?, Prescott Co, ONT, CAN, John Fairburn, 23, Hawkesbury, b Grenville, resid. West Hawkesbury Twp, s/o Johnathan Fairburn, marr. 1 May 1862 to S. A. Dougherty, 19, b Vankleek Hill, resid. West Hawkesbury Twp, d/o Jacob Dougherty.<sup>10,9,4,5</sup>
     John Fairbairn remarried on 2 Jun 1877 at Stillwater, MN, USA, to Charity Smithson, daughter of male UnknownSurname and female UnknownSurname, (had been married 23 yrs at 1900 census).<sup>8,11,12</sup>
     John A Fairbairn died on 28 Mar 1909 at St Croix & Greeley, Stillwater, Washington, MN, USA, at age 75; cert. shows John A as aged 74 yrs 6 mths 21 days, ie born 7 Sep 1834, s/o John Fairbairn and Agnes Williamson, both b Scotland. John A born Canada, married at 27, 9 children, 8 still living; cod senile paraplegia, Buried Fairview 31sth Mar. indexed as: John A FAIRBAIRU (sic) dth CertID# 1909-MN-013830, Washington Co.<sup>13,5</sup>
     
     
     Despite John A's marriage and dth cert both stating his father was John, and his dth cert saying his mother was Agnes Williamson, not Jane, I had reached the conclusion that the John who married Sarah Daughterty was the John s/o David and Jane (Williamson) F. The ONLY candidate I can find in 1851 Canada that fits is the one with (mother assumed) Jane and (assumed) brother James in Hull, and John can't be found after that census in Canada.
As to his mother: US census records up to 1895 merely say parents "foreign born". 1900 shows John, and both parents as born Canada East (Quebec) but the 1905 census shows John's father as born Scotland and his mother as born Ireland, which is probably the most accurate information.
Placing John as son of David and Jane also neatly "solved" the mystery as to how John's descendant Walter and brother David's descendant Clarissa come to describe themselves as cousins.
All of which theory I thought had been vindicated (Mar 2009) by the Fairbairn Surname DNA Project, in that a descendant of John is a good dna match to a descendant of his presumed father David's brother Willliam.
However (Dec 2009): Perhaps there was another brother John to David and William? I'd just stumbled across a baptism that looks rather like it might be this John, and would make his marriage and death certificates correct after all.
The Drouin collection records, at St-Philippe-d`Argenteuil (Church of Scotland) the baptism on 14 Sep 1834 of a John, lawful son of John Fairbairn of Grenville Lower Canada, born 15 Apr 1833.
Options are being explored, and even further information has since come to light that does rather indicate that Jane Williamson's husband may well be John, not a David, so for now, I've renamed the father as "John or David" and left him in situ while mulling over some other implications, namely that just maybe, "John or David", is actually John, son of Archibald and Alison (Crosser) Fairbairn.^{15,16,17,18,3,19}
     John Fairbairn appeared on the census of 1842 at Grenville, QUE, CAN, in the house of David Fairbairn and Prudential Arnold, as the son of David Fairbairn.^20,21,22,19 John Fairbairn appeared on the census of 1852 at Hull, QUE, CAN, in the household of Jane Fairbairn as (presumed) son of Jane.^1,23
     John Fairbairn appeared on the census of 1852 at Hull, Ottawa Co, Canada West (QUE), CAN, as neighbour of A? J? Fairbairn.²³
     John Fairbairn appeared on the census of 11 Jun 1870 at Stillwater, Washington, MN, USA, with Sarah E Fairbairn, enumerated as FAIRBAIRN,: John 34, b Canada West, works in mill, male, white, real estate valued at $400, personal estate valued at $100, both parents of foreign birth, marked as a "Male citizen of US of 21 yrs of age or upwards, whose right to vote is denied or abridged on other grounds than rebellion or other crime", not marked as a male citizen of the US of 21 yrs of age or upward; Sarah E (sic), 27, fem, white, "keeping house", b Canada West, both parents of foreign birth; Assumed children (all "parents of foreign birth"): Marion, female, 6, and Helen, 5 both attending school during year; John 4, male, white, did not attend school during year; all b Canada West; William 1 b "Minn", did not attend school. Also Elizabeth SYGELKE, domestic 16 b Iowa.^7,24
     The census of 11 Jun 1880 showed John with his wife Charity, their sons John and William, their dtrs May, Helen, Sarah and Mary at 274 Marine St, Stillwater, Washington Co, MN, USA, household enumerated as FAIRBURN: John 45 Carpenter ; wife Charity 32 keeping house, both b Canada, F/M b Canada; Children: May 17 Seamstress , Helen 15 At Home, John 13 Works In Saw Mill, all b Canada, F/M b Canada; William 11,Sarah 9 both at school; Mary 2 all born Minnesota, F/M b Canada; Also nephew James 28 Laborer b Canada F/M b Canada.²⁵
     John Fairbairn appeared on the census of Jun 1895 at Stillwater Ward 3, Washington Co, MN, USA, with Charity Fairbairn, enumerated as FAIRBAIRN: John A 58 in MN 29 yrs 6 mths at locality 27 yrs 6 mths saw ?felu? mill emp 6mths of last year, Charity 46 both b CAN; Mary J 17, Russell L 14, Myrtle F 4 all b Minn ?or Wisc? All parents foreign born.²⁶
     John Fairbairn appeared on the census of 1900 1221 ??clian St, Stillwater, Washington, MN, USA, with Charity Fairbairn, enumerated as John FAIRBAIRN, head, white, male, b Apr 1842, aged 58, married 23 yrs, born Canada E(ast), parents both b Canada E, yr of immigration unknown, Naturalisation = "NA"; occupation saw????, unemp 6 mths, can read, write and speak English, house owned, free of mortgage. Wife Mrs Charity FAIRBAIRN, b Mar 1846, aged 54, married 23 yrs, mother of 4 children, 3 living, b. British Columbia, father b England, mother b British Canada, immigrated 1878, in US for 28 yrs, can read write and speak English. Dtr Mary J FAIRBAIRN, b May 1878, 22, single, student, unemp. 3 mths, attended school 9 mths; b Minnesota, father b C(anada) E(ast), mother British Canada Son Russell S FAIRBAIRN, b Nov 1880, aged 19, bookkeeper, 0 mths unemployed; Dtr Faith Myrtle FAIRBAIRN, b Dec 1890, aged 9, student, at school 9 mths; both b Minnesota, father b Canada E(ast), mother b C(anada) E(ast) both can read, write and speak English.¹¹
     John A Fairbairn appeared on the census of 4 Jun 1905 at #1221 Cnr C'an & St C Ann, Stillwater, Washington Co, MN, USA, with Charity Fairbairn, enumerated as FAIRBAIRN: John A 70 b CAN F b SCT M b IRL, resid, in state and ED 39 yrs, farmer; Charity 60, b CAN F b ENG M b CAN, resid. 33 yrs in state 30 in ED; Children: Russell L 24 b MN book keeper resid. state/ED 24 yrs (might be 27); Faith 14 student resid state/ED 14 yrs.¹⁶
     We'd love to hear from you if can share any light on how the Sunderland ancestors of Albert and this line can be cousins (which dna results show is highly likely).¹⁵