ROBB

The furthest back I have gone with the Robb element of our family tree is to a Thomas Robb born circa 1715. He is identified as the father of John Robb (grandfather of our Susannah Robb) in a book named "Portrait and Biographical Album of Sanilac County" of 1884 which includes a brief genealogy of one of John Robb and Mary Thomson's grandsons who had emigrated to Lexington, Sanilac County, Michigan. It states that "father of the first John Robb was named Thomas, and died in 1810, aged 95 years. No corresponding record of the birth of John Robb to a Thomas Robb has yet been found.

His son, the aforementioned John Robb, a blacksmith, married Mary Thomson on 7 June 1786 in Lesmahagow parish. (For further details of Mary Thomson - See Appendix A.).

John Robb and Mary Thomson had the following children recorded in the Lesmahagow Parish Register. (For further details of the known children of John Robb and Mary Thomson - See Appendix B.)

• Mary Born. 11 March 1788 Beatins, Lesmahagow
• Thomas Born. 27 March 1790 Beatons, Lesmahagow
• Janet Born. 10 March 1792 Beatons, Lesmahagow
• Jean Born. 6 February 1794 Beatons, Lesmahagow
• Agnes Born. 16 December 1795 Beatons, Lesmahagow
• Marion Born. 22 December 1797 Beatons, Lesmahagow
• James Born. 6 December 1799 Beatins, Lesmahagow
• John Born. 10 January 1804 Beatons, Lesmahagow

John's seventh son, James Robb baptised on 9 December 1799, in Lesmahagow, became a farmer and married Mary Donald on 10 December 1824, in Lesmahagow. (For further details of Mary Donald - See Appendix C.).

The records of the baptisms of eight children to James Robb and Mary Donald are recorded in the Carnwath parish register: - Mary on 24 October 1825, John on 7 September 1827, Andrew on 14 June 1829, Margaret on 3 November 1831, James on 13 December 1834, our Susanna and Mary on 15 January 1836, Janet on 28 June 1839, Robert on 23 June 1842, and Thomas on 14 July 1845. It is assumed the first Mary born in 1825 died in infancy, as did Thomas born 1845. (For further details of James Robb and Mary Donald's children - See Appendix D.)

For the census of 7th June 1841 the Robb family were living in Carluke parish at Easterseat farm, The Jean Donald recorded in the household aged 25, would seem likely to be Jean, the younger sister of Mary Donald, baptised 15 May 1814 in Lesmahagow, although as relationships are not recorded, one cannot be certain.

1841 Census (1st. June) Carluke (629) Folio 6 Book 6 Page 13

Easterseat Farm, Carluke

For the census of 31st March 1851, the family have moved and are recorded as living at Haywoodhead, Carnwath parish, a farm of 133 acres.

1851 Census (31st March) Carnwath (667) Book 9. Page 17.

Haywoodhead, Carnwath.

James and Mary's sixth child, Susanna, married Hugh Law, a farm labourer on 9 July 1858 at Guildhouse farm, Carnwath. (SEE LAW FAMILY HISTORY). The marriage certificate gives Susanna's place of residence as "Upper Haywood", but this would seem to be one and the same place as the "Haywoodhead" of the 1851 census. I would assume the Jane Donald recorded in the household aged 49, was Jean, the younger sister of Mary Donald, baptised 15 May 1814 in Lesmahagow.  The fact that she is recorded as unmarried would suggest that she never married.

1861 Census (8 April) Carnwath (632) Book 8. Page 4. 

Upper Haywood, Carnwath

Over the next twenty years, James Robb and Mary Donald continued farming at Upper Haywood.

1871 Census (3 April) Carnwath (632) Book 9? Page 12.

Upper Haywood, Carnwath

For the 1881 census the farm seems to have expanded considerably growing from 140 acres in the 1861 census to 730 acres, of which 130 was arable.

1881 Census (8 April) Carnwath (632) Book 8. Page 4. 

Upper Haywood, Carnwath

Although James Robb was still living at Upper Haywood and was recorded as the farmer, the census records his youngest surviving son Robert as living "next door" at Skylaw farm, also recorded as farming the same acreage, so I would suspect he was running the "show".

1881 Census (8 April) Carnwath (632) Book 8. Page 4. 

Skylaw Farm, (Upper Haywood?), Carnwath

Sometime after this census James Robb and Mary Donald moved to Netherhouses Farm, Armadale, by Bathgate, to live with their daughter Susanna and her husband, Hugh Law, and it is there that we find them for the census of 1891.

1891 Census ( April) Armadale (662-2) Book 4. Page 22.

Netherhouses Farm, Armadale, near Bathgate.

A few weeks after this census, on 22 May 1891, Mary Donald died, aged 89, followed six months later by her husband, James Robb, who died on 18 November 1891, aged 92. Both deaths occurred at Netherhouses farm, but the couple were buried in Carnwath parish church graveyard. (For picture of the headstone and a transcription of the inscription - see Appendix G)