Gilbert Alexander (abt. 1790)

Born about 1790 in Scotland [uncertain]

Husband of Agnes Symington — married 9 Feb 1810 in Kirkmichael, Ayrshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

Descendants

Biography

Gilbert Alexander was born in Scotland.

Gilbert Alexander is estimated to have been born about 1790 based on the year of marriage. The birth location is not known however it was likely in the Ayrshire area.

Gilbert and Agnes Symington booked their wedding on 27 Jan 1810 at Crawfordston and were married on 9 Feb 1810 at Crawfordston, Kirkmichael, Ayrshire, Scotland by the Reverend David Kennedy.^[1][2]

On 8 Jul 1810 Gilbert appeared voluntarily before the Kirk Session and admitted antenuptial relations. He was rebuked and absolved of the scandal of antenuptial fornication with his spouse.^[3]

Gilbert lived in Kirkmichael and Symington before settling in Dundonald as is evidenced by the children's baptisms.

Their children, most baptized in the Church of Scotland in Ayrshire, were:

1. John Alexander, baptized 9 Jul 1810, obviously conceived ante-nuptially ^[4]
2. Gilbert Alexander, baptized 13 Mar 1814 ^[5]
3. Andrew Alexander, baptized 9 Jun 1816. ^[6]
4. Margaret Alexander, baptized 25 Aug 1818 ^[7]
5. Elizabeth Alexander, baptized 4 May 1823 ^[8]
6. Hugh Alexander, baptized 17 Jul 1825 ^[9]
7. Agnes Alexander, baptized 28 Feb 1828 ^[10]
8. William Alexander, born about 1836, baptism not found ^[11]

There is an 8 year gap between his youngest daughter, Agnes, and his son, William. There is no record of births but that does not mean there were no additional children. Infant mortality was high and not every child was baptized.

According to his daughter Elizabeth's death register in 1866, Gilbert was a carter. ^[12] Given the commercial activity around Dundonald, he probably had a very lucrative business. A mill was built containing 6 carding machines, plus the local farmers had to import their lime from Ireland. ^[13]This would involve unloading at the Troon and carting it to Dundonald. On the dark side, there was a certain amount of smuggling going on and it wouldn't be surprising if Gilbert had a hand in it having a cart. ^[14]

Research Notes

ScotlandsPeople has three possible births for Gilbert Alexander, however it is not known which, if any, of these is the correct record due to a lack of corroborating records.
Arundel-166 03:37, 18 November 2023 (UTC)

They are:

1. Gilbert Alexander born 02 Jul 1790 ^[15]
2. Gilbert Alexander born 15 Jul 1795 ^[16]
3. Gilbert Alexander born 11 Aug 1795 ^[17]

Gilbert does not appear anywhere in Scotland on the 1841 or 1851 Census. Nor does he appear on ScotlandsPeople (Death records) or Scottish Indexes. It is likely that he died before 1841. Arundel-166 21:28, 29 October 2023 (UTC)

Sources

1. ↑ "Scotland Marriages, 1561-1910", database, FamilySearch (accessed 11 February 2020), Gilbert Alexander & Agnes Symington, 1810.
2. ↑ "Old Parish Registers - Marriages", National Records of Scotland, (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 27 Oct 2023), Parish: 600-Kirkmichael, Ref: 161 /93, "Jan 27, 1810 Gilbert Alexander in this parish and Agnes Symington parish of Maybole booked in order to be wed and married at Crawfordston and married 9th Feb. by the Reverend David Kennedy."
3. ↑ "Maybole Kirk Sessions, Minutes (1777-1813)", CH2/261/1, National Records of Scotland, Image Number: 229, 08 Jul 1810, (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 16 Nov 2023) Gilbert Alexander, 1810.
4. ↑ "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950", database, FamilySearch (accessed 16 September 2021), Gilbert Alexander in entry for John Alexander, Birth: 8 Jul 1810, Baptized 9 Jul 1810, Mother: Agnes Symington.
5. ↑ "Old Parish registers - Births", National Records of Scotland, (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 24 Oct 2023) Parish 681-Symington, Ref: 20 / 201, Gilbert Alexander, Male, Birth Date: 13 Mar 1814, Father: Gilbert Alexander, Mother: Agnes Symington.
6. ↑ "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950", database, FamilySearch (accessed 11 February 2020), Gilbert Alexander in entry for Andrew Alexander, Birth: 9 Jun 1816, Mother: Agnes Symington.
7. ↑ "Old Parish registers - Births", National Records of Scotland, (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 25 Oct 2023), Parish: 590-Dundonald, Ref: 30 / 10, Margaret Alexander, Female, Birth Date: 25 Aug 1818, Residence: Troon, Father: Gilbert Alexander, Mother: Agnes Symington.
8. ↑ "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950", database, FamilySearch (accessed 11 February 2020), Gilbert Alexander in entry for Elizabeth Alexander, Birth: 4 May 1823, Mother: Agnes Symington.
9. ↑ "Old Parish registers - Births", National Records of Scotland, (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 25 Oct 2023), Parish: 590-Dundonald, Ref: 30 / 40, Hugh Alexander, Male, Birth Date: 17 Jul 1825, Father: Gilbert Alexander, Mother: Agnes Symington.
10. ↑ "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950", FamilySearch (accessed 11 February 2020), Gilbert Alexander in entry for Agnes Alexander, Birth: 2 Feb 1828, Mother: Agnes Symington.
11. ↑ "Canada, Ontario Marriages, 1869-1927", database and images, FamilySearch (accessed Oct 19 2023), William Alexander (widowed), Birth: 1837, Father: Gilbert Alexander, Mother: Agnes Symington, & Annie Kimber (widowed), 26 May 1896.
12. ↑ "Scotland: Deaths" database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: accessed 21 Nov 2023), Elizabeth Gray, Parents: Gilbert Alexander, carter, and Agnes Symington, 09 Mar 1866, High Church, Glasgow; citing Parish Number 644, Reference Number: 2 462.
13. ↑ Sinclair, Sir John. The Statistical Account of Scotland, Dundonald, Ayrshire, Vol. 7, Edinburgh: William Creech, 1793, p. 621. University of Edinburgh, University of Glasgow. (1999) The Statistical Accounts of Scotland online service: pg 621
14. ↑ Sinclair, Sir John. The Statistical Account of Scotland, Dundonald, Ayrshire, Vol. 7, Edinburgh: William Creech, 1793, p. 625. University of Edinburgh, University of Glasgow. (1999) The Statistical Accounts of Scotland online service: pg 625
15. ↑ "Old Parish registers - Births", National Records of Scotland, (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 17 Nov 2023) Parish: 601 - Kirkoswald, Ref: 10 / 265, Gilbert Alexander, Male, Birth Date: 02 Jul 1790, Father: John Alexander, [Mother: Unknown].
16. ↑ "Old Parish registers - Births", National Records of Scotland, (accessed 17 Nov 2023) Parish: 601 - Kirkoswald, Ref: 10 / 281, Gilbert Alexander, Male, Birth Date: 15 Jul 1795, Father: Gilbert Alexander, [Mother: Unknown.
17. ↑ "Old Parish registers - Births", National Records of Scotland, (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 17 Nov 2023) Parish: 605 - Maybole, Ref: 20 / 239, Gilbert Alexander, Male, Birth Date: 11 Aug 1795, Father: John Alexander, Mother: Margaret Kilpatrick.