SANDILANDS, James ²

   Cause of his death was emphysema, heart disease and fatty degeneration.

  General Notes:

James Sandilands was recorded by the 1841 census living at 6 Newport Street, Edinburgh, with four (possible) siblings, and an older woman, Isabella Sandilands, and a young child of 2 years of age, Alexander Nisbet. His birth county was Midlothian and his age in the 25-29 years range. By occupation he was a smith journeyman.

The 1851 census recorded James Sandilands as a lodger residing in the household of William and Agnes Greenhill, a carter and his wife, at 6 Semple Street, Weaver's Close, Edinburgh. James was recorded as 27 years of age and was a journeyman blacksmith. His birthplace was Edinburgh.

The 1861 census recorded James Sandilands as a lodger in the household of Emilia Mitchell who lived at Uphall village in the parish of Uphall, West Lothian, with her son and daughter, and four lodgers, of which James was one. He was recorded as aged 29 years and born in Edinburgh. He was a blacksmith by trade.

The 1871 census for Edinburgh St Cuthbert's recorded James Sandilands as head of a household consisting of himself and his wife and their three children. The family lived at 6 Semple Street. James was recorded as 50 years of age and had been born in St Cuthbert's parish, Edinburgh. He was a blacksmith.

James Sandilands was a blacksmith, according to the marriage certificate of his daughter, Mary, in 1881.

The 1881 census for 4 Semple Street, Edinburgh, recorded James Sandilands, head of his household, as a married man aged 70 years, a general blacksmith, who had been born in Edinburgh. Also part of the household were his wife, his son, William, two nephews, William (b Edinburgh, unmarried, aged 18 years, rubber worker), and James Greenhill (b Edinburgh, 13 years, a scholar), his sub tenant, James Reid, and James' daughter, Mary Reid.

James Sandilands died in 1882 in Edinburgh. His death certificate recorded him as a blacksmith, married to Marion Greenhill, and aged 72 years. His parents were both dead. ^{1 3 4 5 6 7}

  Research Notes:

THANK YOU

I am indebted to Irene Hall for the information she so generously provided on this family.

AGE

The ages recorded for James Sandilands in the various census returns, and in his death certificate, strike one as odd when listed together:

1841
gives his age as 25 to 29 years so giving a birth year between 1812 and 1816
1851
gives his age as 27 years so giving a birth year of 1823-1824
1861
gives his age as 29 years so giving a birth year of 1831-1832
1871
gives his age as 50 years so giving a birth year of 1820-1821
1881
gives his age as 70 years so giving a birth year of 1810-1811
1882
gives his age as 72 years so giving a birth year of 1809-1810.

In the 1841 census James is listed in a position above his sister Catherine, and in an age range higher than hers. Catherine's various ages seem to work out fairly consistently to give her birth years as between 1817 and 1818. Thus we could be reasonably accurate to go back to the earliest date, 1841, that we have so far for James and say that his birth was probably between 1812 and 1816 but probably not earlier or later than these. If his sister Janet was 27 years old when she died in 1841, then James may have been born in 1812-1813.

  Medical Notes:

The death certificate of James Sandilands records that no qualified medical attendant was present (despite the list of causes of death provided).

The informant at the time of James's death in 1882 was his daughter, Mary Reid, who had been present where his death occurred. She gave notice at Edinburgh before Angus Matheson, registrar, on 28 October 1882. ³

James married Marion GREENHILL, daughter of William GREENHILL and Ann BURGESS, on 8 March 1867 in Edinburgh, Scotland.¹ (Marion GREENHILL was born in 1830 in Edinburgh, Scotland ¹ and died after 27 October 1882 ³.)