NISBET, William 1
- Born: 1819, Innerleithen, Peebleshire, Scotland 2 3
- Partnership (1): SANDILANDS, Isabella
- Marriage (2): CLEPHANE, Jane
- Died: 9 July 1888 at 0.45 pm, Crookston Crossing, Stow, Midlothian, Scotland 4
Cause of his death was inflammation of the bowels over 1 month.4
General Notes:
Despite much searching, no birth or christening record has been uncovered as yet for a William Nisbet at Innerleithen, Peebleshire, nor for any certain early point in William's lifetime. The earlier part of his life remains hidden as yet, and the entries for the 1841 and 1851 censuses are speculative only.
A census entry in 1841 in the Borders of William Nisbet and Robert Scott, agricultural labourers, might possibly be this man.
Note: this entry includes someone with the same surname as the mother of Isabella Sandilands who may have been part of the early life of William.
An entry from the census of 1851 may, or may not, refer to William Nisbet. Nothing in the entry rules it out but there is as yet no definite corroborating evidence. The census was taken in the Garrison Hospital of Berwick on Tweed, Northumberland, England. Two entries are of interest. The first is William Nisbet, a head of family, who was a widower. He was recorded as 29 years of age and a Private in the Army. His birthplace was Scotland, and in fact all the other Privates on the same page, listed alphabetically, were Scots born. With him was recorded his son Thomas Nisbet. Thomas had been born in Ireland and was 1 year old. He was noted as being a 'Private's Son'. These details are all compatible with what we already know about William and the circumstances of his life, but there is no clinching detail that allows us certainty. A record of marriage dated 17th May 1847 in the register of the parish of North Berwick between William Nisbet, a farm servant residing in the parish of Whitekirk, and Margaret Anderson of North Berwick parish is extant.
William's daughter Margaret was born at the very end of 1857 at 57 Old Physic Gardens in Edinburgh. William's occupation was recorded as 'Printer Pressman'.
William was described as a printer in the marriage certificate of his son Alexander in 1859.
In 1861 the census found William living at 2 Craig's Close, High Street, Edinburgh, as a boarder in the house where both Isabella Sandilands, by then Isabella Haddow, and their daughter Margaret Nisbet, now Margaret Haddow, were living. The dwelling had two windowed rooms. William was recorded as a boarder, a widower, aged 42 years, and a printer pressman by occupation. His birthplace was noted as Innerleithen, Peebleshire.
In 1871 a boarder called William Nisbet, was recorded by the 1871 census for St Giles district of Edinburgh. He lived at 2 Craig Close, High Street, with Robert and Isabella Hadden. Isabella's maiden surname was Sandilands. She had married Robert Haddow [sic] in 1846, and the 18 year old Isabella recorded by the census was their daughter. The second daughter Margaret, though now named Hadden or Haddow, was in fact the daughter of William Nisbet and Isabella Sandilands, registered by her in 1857. In addition another child, now grown, Alexander Nisbet, was the son of William Nisbet and Isabella Sandilands, born around 1839. In this 1871 census entry William Nisbet, living with Isabella, her husband, and children, was recorded as an unmarried man of 50 years of age, who worked as a 'shope messenger'. He had been born in Peebles. No explanation beyond these facts is available as yet.
The 1881 census for Stow, Midlothian, recorded a William Nisbet, born in Innerleithen, Peebleshire living at the Railwaygate House, New Edinburgh Road in Stow. William was aged 60 years and married. He was the railway gate keeper. With him lived a wife, Jane Nisbet, aged 50 years.
In 1888 a death certificate was issued recording the death at Crookston Crossing in the parish of Stow in the county of Edinburgh, now Midlothian, of William Nisbet, 'railway gatekeeper, married to Jane Clephan'. His recorded age at death was noted as 63 years. Only a father's name was recorded in column 5 'Thomas Nisbet Agricultural Labourer (deceased)'.
In 1890 in the death certificate of his son Alexander, William was recorded as having been a railway signalman. He was deceased by that time. 1 4 5 6 7
Research Notes:
WILLIAM'S AGE
in the 1861 census William was recorded as being 42 years of age,
in the 1871 census William was recorded as being 50 years of age,
in the 1881 census William was recorded as being 60 years of age,
in his 1888 death certificate he was recorded as being 63 years of age.
This collection of data gives a range for his year of birth between 1818 and 1826.
However Ignoring the death certificate age supplied by a neighbour, the narrower range is between 1818 and 1821.
CRAIG'S CLOSE
This Edinburgh close was named after John Craig, a wright and a burgess. Only the lower part of the close still exists, because of extension work done in the 1930s to the City Chambers. It used to run directly from High Street to Market Street. Cockburn Street now intervenes. The poet, Robert Burns, and novelist, Walter Scott, had associations with this close. The poet, Robert Fergusson, frequented the Isle of Man Tavern, once located here, as did the notorious Deacon Brodie. The offices of the Scotsman newspaper were situated here in its early days and the printing house of Andro Hart (died 1621), one of Scotland's early printers, was located in Craig's Close.
Medical Notes:
The cause of death was certified by Ed. Evatt LRCP & SE Galashiels.
The informant of William's death was John Young, a neighbour, resident of Stagebank, Stow, who notified the registrar P.J.Carruthers at Stow on 11 July 1888. 4
Noted events in his life were:
1. Death of son: Alexander Nisbet, 1890.
William had a relationship with Isabella SANDILANDS, daughter of Alexander SANDILANDS Blacksmith and Isabel SCOTT. (Isabella SANDILANDS was born about 1819 in Saint Cuthbert's parish, Edinburgh, Scotland 8 and died 13 November 1885 at 5.55 am in 2 Craig's Close, High Street, Edinburgh, Scotland.). The cause of her death was dropsy.4
William next married Jane CLEPHANE, daughter of Robert CLEPHON and Jean YOUNG. (Jane CLEPHANE was born on 22 April 1823 9 10, baptised on 4 May 1823 in Leith South parish, Midlothian, Scotland 10 and died 25 March 1898 at 3.25 am in Union Poorhouse, Dalkeith, Midlothian, Scotland 4 9.). The cause of her death was chronic bronchitis over 1 year.4
Marriage Notes:
No record of marriage has as yet been found for this couple. It may have been an irregular marriage, or a non conformist one.
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