James Stirling (1805 - 1880)

Born 31 Aug 1805 in Forfar, Forfarshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Catharine Henderson — married 1831 in Kinnettles, Forfarshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

Husband of Isabella Milne — married 1864 in Forfar, Forfarshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

Died 13 Jul 1880 at age 74 in Forfar, Forfarshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

Biography

Birth and early life

James Stirling was born in Forfar, Angus on 31 Aug 1805 and baptised in Forfar on 08 Sep 1805. He was the son of William Stirling and Martha Cuthbert
His father William Stirling was a day labourer in South Muir of Forfar.
^[1]

Marriages, children and working life

James married Catharine Henderson in Kinnettles in the Parish of Forfar in 1831 when he was 25 and Catharine was 35.^[2]
The couple had one child, a son David, born 17 July 1837 and baptised on 23 July 1837^[3]
Five years later, in 1841, the couple were living in Dundee Road, Forfar with David. They were sharing a dwelling with another couple Donald and Grace Ross and their six year old daughter, also Grace. ^[4]
In 1841 James was a linen hand loom weaver. By the late 1840s, the wages of hand loom weavers were being worn down by competition from mechanical looms as described in a pamphlet by Abertay Historical Society on Dundee and its Textile Industry in 1969. ^[5] Maybe this was why James had changed occupation to become a quarrier by the time of the next census in 1851.^[6]

By 1861 James had gone back to his previous occupation of linen weaver. He was living with wife Catherine or Catharine at 20 St James's Road, Forfar. Their son David had left home by this time,,^[7]

Not long after the census Catharine died. She was sixty one.^[8]

James was now a widower with no dependents. In 1864 he married again. His second wife was Isabella Milne^[9]
In 1867 the couple had a daughter Elizabeth Gibson Stirling in Forfar.^[10]
James and Isabella continued to live at 20 St. James Road, Forfar with daughter Elizabeth. By 1871 James was no longer a quarrier but had returned to his previous occupation of linen weaver.^[11]

Death

James died on 13 July 1880 at the age of seventy four of a stroke.He died at home.^[12]

A few months later, in 1881, his widow Isabella was now working outside the house, having found employment as a factory worker. Thirteen year old Elizabeth had been apprenticed to a dressmaker.^[13]

Research Notes

In 1861 census the couple are both entered in the Census as Sterling rather than Stirling and Catharine is indexed as Cathrine.

Nothing found about son David in adult life. He could have been married in a different town by the 1861 census, he might have died before 1855 or he might have emigrated

Death The cause of death was listed as Cerebral Apoplexy and the death was registered by his nephew who was also named James Stirling

Acknowledgements

This person was created through the import of Campbell-Charsha Family Tree.ged on 28 February 2011.

Sources

1. ↑ "Old Parish Registers Births and Baptisms" database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (accessed 09 July 2023), STIRLING,JAMES, parents WILLIAM STIRLING/MARTHA CUTHBERT, M, 08 Sep 1805; citing Ref No: 40/203, Parish: Forfar.
2. ↑ “Old Parish Registers Banns and Marriages" database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (accessed 18 July 2023), STIRLING, JAMES/ HENDERSON, CATHARINE 09 Jan 1831; citing Ref No: 288 70/130, Parish: Forfar.
3. ↑ "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XB88-6LS : 16 September 2021), James Stirling in entry for David Stirling, 1837”
4. ↑ "Scottish General Register Office: 1841 Census Returns database, FreeCEN (https://www.freecen.org.uk/search_records/5a140ab6f4040b9d6ef038d2 : viewed 16 Jul 2023), James STIRLING in household of Donald ROSS, Dundee Road, Angus (Forfarshire), Scotland; from 1841 "England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images; citing The National Archives HO 107/288, Folio 8, Page 13, Schedule , The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
5. ↑ Dundee and its Textile Industry: Bruce Lenman, Charlotte Lythe & Enid Gauldie (1969) Abertay Historical Society
6. ↑ Scotland Census, 1851: County:Angus, District:Forfar,James Stirling, Reference: 288/34/13;National Records of Scotland, 3 West Register Street, New Register House, Edinburgh, EH1 3YT.
7. ↑ Scotland Census, 1861: County:Angus, District:Forfar,James Sterling, Reference: 288/7/11;National Records of Scotland, 3 West Register Street, New Register House, Edinburgh, EH1 3YT.
8. ↑ "Statutory registers - Deaths" database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (accessed 19 Jul 2023), STIRLING,CATHARINE, age 61, F, 1861,FORFAR; citing Reference Number: 288/104.
9. ↑ "Statutory registers - Marriages" database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (accessed 25 Jul 2023), JAMES STIRLING/ISABELLA MILNE,1864,Forfar; citing Reference Number: 288/53.
10. ↑ "Statutory registers - Births" database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (accessed 25 Jul 2023), STIRLING, ELIZABETH GIBSON,F,Forfar; citing Reference Number: 288/129.
11. ↑ Scotland Census, 1871: County:Angus, District:Forfar,James Stirling, Reference: 288/5/7;National Records of Scotland, 3 West Register Street, New Register House, Edinburgh, EH1 3YT.
12. ↑ "Statutory registers - Deaths" database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (accessed 29 Jul 2023), STIRLING, JAMES, age 74, M, 1880, FORFAR; citing Reference Number: 288/185.
13. ↑ Scotland Census, 1881: County:Angus, District:Forfar,Isabella Milne or Stirling, Reference: 288/5/14;National Records of Scotland, 3 West Register Street, New Register House, Edinburgh, EH1 3YT.