Robert Stevenson

(1817-1888)

The enigmatic Robert Stevenson was born on the 13^th January 1817 and baptised 3^rd February 1817 in Cumbernauld Parish. He was the last of William and Helen's children to be born at Gateside as they moved to Clackmannan just after this. Robert's father was a farmer at Park farm which is still there today. Some of the old buildings are still standing!

It seems that Robert was brought up to follow in his fathers footsteps as a farmer. Indeed, his elder half brother disponed the family farm to Robert in 1840. (See John's Story) John seemed to have no need of the farm, his father had purchased one in Canada for him, the next brother was William and he had no need of it as he was a minister of the Church of Scotland. Charles had his own farm at Redside and was the editor of a newspaper, George went to Belfast, and Thomas died young, which left Robert.

Park Farm, sometimes referred to as Park Miln (Mill), was to the south and bounded Craigerie farm where Christian Meiklejohn was born and brought up. Robert and Christian would have known each other for a long time although Robert was 15 years her senior. Christian's story will appear at a later stage on a Meiklejohn page

Family Tree

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Robert stayed at Park farm, with his mother living there, but only two months after her death he married Jane Maria Blair at Clackmannan, on 13th January 1845, which was his 28th Birthday. Jane's father was a Parish Clergyman and she was born in Girvan Ayrshire.

Robert and Jane had seven children.

Jane Maria Alexandrina Stevenson, b 14th November 1845; William Stevenson, b. 7th March 1847; Helen Ann Stevenson, b. 9th June 1848; John Blair Stevenson, b. abt August 1850; Jemima A Stevenson, b. abt 1853; Mary Alexander Stevenson, b. 18th April 1856; Ellison Ann Stevenson, b. 2nd April 1859.

 

Park Farmhouse, Clackmannan
Robert Stevenson	Head	Married	34	Farmer of 170 acres employing 10 labourers	Stirling, Cumbernauld
Jane Maria   „	Wife	Married	28		Girvan, Ayrshire
Jane Maria   „	dau	Unmarried	5		Clackmannan, Clack's
William         „	son	Unmarried	4		Clackmannan, Clack's
Helen Ann   „	dau	Unmarried	2		Clackmannan, Clack's
John Blair    „	son	Unmarried	8 months		Clackmannan, Clack's

 

25 Broad Street, Alloa, Clackmannanshire
Robert Stevenson	Head	Married	44	Farmer of 22o acres employing 6 men, 1 boy and 4 women	Stirling, Cumbernauld
Jane Maria   „	Wife	Married	37		Girvan Ayrshire
Jane M A      „	dau	Unmarried	15		Clackmannan, Clack's
William          „	son	Unmarried	14		Clackmannan, Clack's
Helen Ann   „	dau	Unmarried	12		Clackmannan, Clack's
John Blair    „	son	Unmarried	9		Clackmannan, Clack's
Jemima A     „	dau	Unmarried	7		Clackmannan, Clack's
Mary A        „	dau	Unmarried	5		Clackmannan, Clack's
Elison Ann   „	dau	Unmarried	2		Clackmannan, Clack's

Robert was also the 'farmer not in residence' at Bank farm, Fishcross in 1861.

                 

 

11 Forth Place, Stirling
Robert Stevenson	Head	Married	50	Timber and Coal Merchant	Dumbarton, Cumbernauld
Jemima A     „	dau	Unmarried	17	Scholar	Clackmannan, Clack's
Mary A        „	dau	Unmarried	14	Scholar	Clackmannan, Clack's
James M Christie	Nephew		13	Scholar	Fife, Dunfermline
Elison Ann Stevenson	dau	Unmarried	12	Scholar	Clackmannan, Clack's

 

Nibley, Awre, Gloucsester
Robert Stevenson	Head	Married	63	Farmer 25 Acres	Scotland
Jane Maria   „	Wife	Married	57		Scotland
Mary A        „	dau	Unmarried	23		Scotland
Alexander S Buchanan	boarder	Unmarried	53	Annuitant	Edinburgh	Handicap:Imbecile

Robert does not appear on the 1891 and 1901 census as he died in 1888. The family had moved to Alloa by the 1861 census. From the following article we can see that they moved in 1859.

PARK FARM This fine farm in the immediate neighbourhood, the property of the Earl of Zetland, has just been let to Mr. David McLaren, Avenuehead farm, on the Bedlay Estate. Mr. Robert Stevenson, who is at present in possession, has announced his displenishing sale for Thursday 21st of April. We believe it is a full 40 years since the father of Mr. Stevenson first became tenant of the Park Farm.

From the Alloa Advertiser, 16th April 1859

The family were not at Broad Street in Alloa very long.

From the Alloa Advertiser 25th May 1861

This item was just after the 1861 census which was taken on the 8th April 1861 so this was a lucky find. After this, Robert was found at 11 Forth Place, Stirling. Here he was a Timber and Coal Merchant. It seems that Jane was not here at this time and she was no where to be found in Stirling. This might be fortunate or planned. Robert had had two children with Christian Meiklejohn in 1863 and 1866 and she took Robert to court for paternity of these children on 10th September and 8th December 1869 at the Court in Stirling. Perhaps this was the reason that Jane was not with him in 1871. Some of his children must have been with her.

These pages are from the Street and Business Directories for Stirling in 1868-1869 and 1870-1871.

Robert is listed in Duncan & Jamieson's 1868-1869 trade directory for Stirling. Wood Merchant, 11 Forth Place & Wallace Street. Also J B Stephenson at Forth Place, Coal Agent.

 

J B Stephenson would be Robert's son John Blair Stevenson.

 

There is also a William Stevenson at 11 Forth Place, Stirling listed in the 1865-66 Trade Directory. This could also be Robert's son.

 

In the 1870-71 Directory J B Stephenson is a Coal agent NBR Station, Shore Road and Robert is Wood Merchant 11 Forth Place.

There is an Elizabeth Stevenson, who is a widow, listed on the 1851 Census at Forth Place. After some further research, her husband was Martin Moubray Stevenson. They only had daughters; therefore property would presumably go to the next male in line. This could have been a brother or cousin. Next at the address was yet another Stevenson, William Cowan Stevenson who was a postmaster. He moved from there and Robert moved in. It seems rather a coincidence those three consecutive Stevenson families were at the same address. This indicates that there was some sort of relationship between them. They did not have the same parents.

Robert seems to have been a law unto himself on occasion, as this newspaper article shows. It looks as if he was made an example of due to his position and relative wealth. Whether the Sheriff thought he was flouting the law because of this or a genuine error on Robert's part we shall never know but take into account other charges, it seems as if Robert really considered himself above the law.

From the Alloa Advertiser, 1856.

 

This article refers to the registration of Mary Alexander Stevenson who was born on the 18th April 1856 but was not registered until 20th May 1856. The registration Act came into being at the beginning of 1855, therefore, Robert should have known it was in place almost 18 months beforehand. There is no registration for Jemima and she doesn't appear in the Parish Records either. Many births were left out in the cross over from Parish to Registrar, at this interim period. It looks like Jemima may well have slipped through this gap.

Another article which appeared on the same page as the breach of Registration was this Breach of Turnpike Act. Robert took up nearly the whole page with his misdemeanours!

This article led me to suspect that Robert owned the farm here called Bankhead. With further research it was found that Bankhead Farm House was uninhabited in 1861 and a note made, 'Farmer now resident'. It is no known what this is supposed to mean, perhaps it should be Farmer NOT resident. However, a Ploughman seemed to be in charge. This would coincide with Robert selling materials at Alloa in 1861. The farm was said to be 210 acres, employing 8 Ploughmen and 8 Labourers and one boy. This is almost the same size as the one listed for Robert in 1861 (see above) Robert was at Broad Street in 1861 and there is nowhere a farm could exist then or now, in that street. Another suggestion that Robert owned this farm is the fact that both Christian Meiklejohn's sons were born at Devon which is in very close proximity to Bankhead - only yards!

Another article has been found in the Clackmannanshire Advertiser 12th April 1856. It is for the sale by public Roup, Bankhead Farm, Devon Iron Works. The sale was to take place on 21st April 1856. It seems that it had previously been owned by Christie's, and as Roberts sister was married to one and a daughter then married one, it is plausible that Robert bought this sight.

By 1881 Robert and his family have moved to Fownehope in Herefordshire, where he is a farmer of a very small farm in comparison to what he owned in Scotland.

Robert died at Commonhill, Fownehope on 1st May 1888 and is buried in the Churchyard there.

      

Melrose House, Fownehope and a view from the balcony.

Fownehope Church Spire can be seen in the middle of the View photograph.

  

      

 

                      

Robert Stevenson was born 13 January 1817 in Cumbernauld, Dumbartonshire, and died 01 May 1888 in Common Hill, Fownhope, Herefordshire   He married (1) Jane Maria/Moriah Blair 13 January 1845 in Clackmannan, Clackmannanshire, daughter of John Blair and Jane Alexander. She was born 15 May 1821 in Girvan, Ayrshire, and died 07 February 1909 in Common Hill, Fownhope, Herefordshire. He met (2) Christian Meikeljohn, daughter of John Meiklejohn and Elizabeth Gordon. She was born 31 March 1832 in Clackmannan, Clack's, and died 12 November 1913 in 23 Union Street, Tillicoultry.

Children of Robert Stevenson and Jane Blair are:

Jane Maria Alexandrina Stevenson was born14 November 1845, Clackmannan, Clackmannanshire; d. 21 March 1934, Minden, Peebles.

William Stevenson was born 07 March 1847, Clackmannan.

Helen Ann Stevenson was born 09 June 1848, Clackmannan and died 13 September 1918, 19 Dalrymple Street, Girvan, Ayrshire.

John Blair Stevenson was born about August 1850 at Clackmannan and died sometime after 1881. He married Catherine Robertson on 4th April 1878 at Milton of Forteviot.

Jemima A Stevenson was born about 1853 at Clackmannan.

 

Mary Alexander Stevenson was born 18 April 1856, Park Farm, Clackmannan; d. Aft. 1881, She was unmarried 1881 census.

 

 

Elison Ann Stevenson was born 02 April 1859, Park Farm, Clackmannan and died 28 July 1921, 12 Claremont Terrace, Glasgow. She married Percy Charles Higgins in June 1907, Fownehope, Herefordshire. He was born about 1879, Fownehope, Herefordshire and died during war service, 27 March 1918, France.

Children of Robert Stevenson and Christina Meiklejohn are:

David Meiklejohn was born 29 July 1863, Devonbank, Clackmannanshire and died 21 July 1884, Institution Place, Tillicoultry. 

Alexander McEwan Meiklejohn was born 03 August 1866, Devon, Parish of Clackmannan and died 24 June 1908, 50 Cecil Street, Stockton-on-Tees. He married Margaret Mankin on 05 November 1891, Parish Church, Stockton-on-Tees, Durham. She was christened on  07 October 1863, Yarm, Yorkshire and died 07 April 1908, 50 Cecil Street, Stockton-on-Tees.

Robert would have known Christian Meiklejohn all his life as she was born at the adjoining farm. Robert was a little more than 15 years old when Christian was born.