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we would love to know the name of our Scottish 5 x Great Grandfather, only ever known by this title. (he may have been of much humbler origins, of course!)
He regularly came south to Birmingham to buy guns from our Stevenson family ancestors, Martha Stevenson gave birth to Aaron in January 1836. Father's name not on birth certificate.
The only info we have is that he married a lady called Annie, sometime later, and wore the Hunting Stewart tartan.
Does it ring a bell with anyone, or is there a Scottish enquiry site?

Chrissie

Hi This is from Family Search



MARTHA STEVENTON Pedigree

Birth:
Christening:
Marriage:
Death:
Burial:



Children
1. AARON STEVENTON Pedigree
Male


Birth:
Christening: 06 MAR 1836 Saint Bartholomew, Wednesbury, Stafford, England
Death:
Burial:

Aaron STEVENSON Head M Male 45 Wednesbury, Stafford, England Gas Fitting Manufactr
Mary STEVENSON Wife M Female 43 Darlaston, Stafford, England
Sam STEVENSON Son U Male 22 Wednesbury, Stafford, England Gas Fitting Maker
Silas STEVENSON Son Male 15 Wednesbury, Stafford, England General Labourer
Benjam STEVENSON Son Male 13 Wednesbury, Stafford, England Errand Boy
Thomas STEVENSON Son Male 11 Wednesbury, Stafford, England Scholar
Joseph STEVENSON Son Male 9 Wednesbury, Stafford, England Scholar
Charles STEVENSON Son Male 5 Wednesbury, Stafford, England Scholar
John STEVENSON Son Male 3 Wednesbury, Stafford, England Scholar


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Source Information:
Dwelling 30 Piercy Street
Census Place Wednesbury, Stafford, England
Family History Library Film 1341685
Public Records Office Reference RG11
Piece / Folio 2857 / 5
Page Number 6


1881

Aaron Steventon
England, Births and Christenings, 1538-1975
christening: 06 Mar 1836 SAINT BARTHOLOMEW,?WEDNESBURY,?STAFFORD,?ENGLAND
parents: Martha Steventon


name: Aaron Steventon
gender: Male
baptism/christening date: 06 Mar 1836
baptism/christening place: SAINT BARTHOLOMEW,WEDNESBURY,STAFFORD,ENGLAND
mother's name: Martha Steventon
indexing project (batch) number: C05520-1
system origin: England-ODM
source film number: 497343, 497344, 497345

messge from poster

Aaron - b 1836
then Samuel stevenson b 1859
then my grandmother Florence b 1887 (married Joe Clark)

you've misunderstood the "answered" bit, it looks as if you qu4estion hs been answered making it less likely that people will look at this posting

Don't know if it works, but try clicking on "answered" again and see if it removes it

I've removed my posting so hopefully that might fix it

so essentially we are looking for Aaron's father?

you have to reply on here Christine


message from poster

this one is not 'my' Martha. She was born in Wednesbury in 1811. Parents samuel stevenson and Elizabeth.
not sure earlier message was sent to you as computer timed out, To confirm, we want to know who Aaron's Scottish father was. We only know he used the Hunting Stewart tartan and later married someone called Annie.

this one then

Martha Stevenson
England and Wales Census, 1841
birth: 1816 Staffordshire
census: 1841 Wednesbury,? Staffordshire,? England


name: Martha Stevenson
event: Census
event date: 1841
gender: Female
age: 25
birthplace: Staffordshire
record type: Household
registration district: West Bromwich
sub-district: Wednesbury
civil parish: Wednesbury
county: Staffordshire

For Info
1851
1851 England Census 1851 England Census
Name: Aaron Stevenson
Age: 14
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1837
Relation: Son-in-law
Gender: M (Male)
Where born: Wednesbury, Staffordshire, England

Civil parish: Wednesbury
Ecclesiastical parish: St James
County/Island: Staffordshire
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation:

Condition as to marriage:

Disability: View image

Registration district: West Bromwich
Sub-registration district: Wednesbury
ED, institution, or vessel: 1w
Neighbors: View others on page
Household schedule number: 24
Piece: 2027
Folio: 467
Page Number: 9
Household Members: Name Age
Thomas Jackson 30
Martha Jackson 40
Thomas Jackson 4
Aaron Stevenson 14
William Stevenson 8

The son in law in this case means that Aaron and William are Martha's children but no Thomas's

1841
1841 England Census 1841 England Census
Name: Martha Stephenson
Age: 25
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1816
Gender: Female
Where born: Staffordshire, England

Civil parish: Wednesbury
Hundred: South Offlow
County/Island: Staffordshire
Country: England

Street Address:

Occupation: View image

Registration district: West Bromwich
Sub-registration district: Wednesbury
Neighbors: View others on page
Piece: 984
Book: 4
Page Number: 21
Household Members: Name Age
Silas Stephenson 25 Gun Lock Maker
Sarah Stephenson 25
Joseph Stephenson 6
Mary Ann Stephenson 4
John Stephenson 2
Hannah Stephenson 5 Mo
Aaron Stephenson 5
Martha Stephenson 25

The Laird of.... ?

Two points Christine

In 1836, there were no such things as birth certificates.

All you can possibly see is a record of a baptism.

And, as the father wasn't named, you've no hope of finding out who he was.

The story about him being the gun-buying Scotsman may be a total fabrication, to give an air of 'romance' to an illegitimate birth. Was this same man supposed to have fathered the second child Martha had before marrying?

Please do not reply to me personally - look below the messages on here and see a box entitled 'Add your reply' Please use it.

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Births Dec 1842 (>99%)
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Stevenson William W Bromwich 18 525

The Hunting Stewart tartan may be an imaginative embellishment. Scottish tartans had practically become extinct by the early 19th century, having been proscribed after Culloden. They were reinvented largely through the PR efforts of Sir Walter Scott, who orchestrated the visit of George IV to Edinburgh in 1822. From then on, tartan enjoyed a new lease of life and most of the tartans we know today originate from that period.

There is some plausible information about the history of Hunting Stewart at http://www.tartansauthority.com/research/tartan-spotlight/hunting-stewart?searched=Stewart&advsearch=allwords&highlight=ajaxSearch_highlight+ajaxSearch_highlight1

thank you for all your replies and help - really appreciated.

yes, it is a baptism record rather than a birth that I have. St Barts church, Wednesbury in march 1836.

martha's 2 other sons, William1842 and Thomas 1847 were also believed in the family to have the same scottish father. before she married Thomas jackson. They both appear as Stevenson on my very old handwritten family tree. The census though shows Thomas as Jackson, so who knows?

Marriages Jun 1850 (>99%)

Fereday Sarah Dudley 18 500
Hart John Dudley 18 500
Jackson Thomas Dudley 18 500 *********
JENKINS John Dudley 18 500
Parsons Susan Dudley 18 500
Powell Jemima Dudley 18 500
Shepherd Charles Dudley 18 500
Stevenson Martha Dudley 18 500******


Th Scotsman must have been a VERY good customer for Martha's family to let him near her without a marriage after the first child was born!

well. my father, who'd been brought up on this story all his life, said the Scotsman must have been 'a bit of a laird' in best wednesbury-speak!

The boys were born at 5-6 year intervals when he apparently e-appeared. on his gun-buying business. ... The mind boggles..... He certainly looked after Martha at first, and had Aaron's portrait painted in the Hunting Stewart tartan of which he was extremely proud. My granny had certainly seen it when she was small, before it was lost in a fire. Every generation since has had a scarf or kilt in the tartan in recognition of this elusive scot.

My family eat scrumped apples in memory of Adam.