by Shona » Wed Oct 30, 2013 12:36 pm
I think I've cracked it!
It's a bit complicated, so stick with me as I try to explain everything. Basically, Colin's birth surname wasn't Campbell. Some of the following you will know, but it may help others if my reply is as full as possible.
First, though, have you checked any of the records on Scotland's People, as opposed to Ancestry? There are some appalling transcription errors on Ancestry.
The info below has been compiled using Ancestry, Family Search and Find My Past.
1901 census, Motherwell
Colin Campbell, head, 40, fireman, furnaceman, b Campbeltown
Catherine Campbell, wife, 39, born Glasgow
Louis Geo Campbell, son, 17, ironwork labourer, born Glasgow *
Colin Campbell, son, 15, ironwork labourer, born Glasgow
Catherine Campbell, dau, 13, scholar, b Lennoxtown
Annie Campbell, dau, 11, scholar, b Lennoxtown
Peter Brown Campbell, son, 6, scholar, b Lennoxtown
Robert Camnpbell, son, 4, b Lennoxtown
* Ancestry has his name transcribed as Locus!
1891 census, Lennoxtown
Colin Campbell, head, 30, print furnaceman, b Campbeltown
Catherine Campbell, wife, 29, b Glasgow
Louis G Campbell, son, 7, b Glasgow *
Colin Campbell, son, 5, born Glasgow
Catherine Campbell, dau, 2, b Campsie
Annie Campbell, dau, 5 mo, b Campsie
* Ancestry has him as Louisa.
Campsie is the registration district for Lennoxtown.
I failed to get any hits in Campbeltown for Campbell births that fitted the facts. Nor could I find any marriages which were correct, so I decided to search various databases for Robert born c1861 in any Kintyre parish with a mother named Catherine or a mother named Mary.
Bingo! I found him, but his name wasn't Campbell.
1871 census, Kirk Close, Longrow, Campbeltown
Catherine Curdie, head, 56, washerwoman, born Caradale
Robert Curdie, son, 12, scholar, born Campbeltown
Colin Curdie, son, 12, scholar, born Campbeltown
Working on this surname, I found the family in 1861 - as I said earlier, there are some dreadful transcription errors to contend with!
1861 census, Main Street, Campbeltown
Roberta Carder, head, 55, shoemaker, b Southend
Catherine Carder, wife, 45, born Glenbarr
Flora McNeill Carder, 10, scholar, born Campbeltown
Robert Carder, son, 2, born Campbeltown
Cater Carder, son, 2, born Campbeltown
Next I found a marriage between Robert Curdie and Catherine Campbell - 25 December 1856 in Campbeltown. So Flora above was born to a previous marraige of either Robert or Catherine, or she was illegitimate. I'm inclined to think there was a previous marriage somewhere as there is also a Catherine Curdy on the 1871 census - she was 18, b in C/T and working as a domestic servant.
Then I found the twins' birth record.
Colin Campbell McCurdy 9 September 1858, Campbeltown
Robert McCurdy, 9 September 1858, Campbeltown
Parents named as Robert McCurdy and Catherine Campbell.
I'm fairly sure that the births above are correct, although I've not looked at any of this on Scotland's People. I'd look at the 1871 census record to see if Catherine was a widow at the time. I didn't find any other children born to this couple, so it is poss she was a widow. If she was, then you could try to look for Robert's death on SP. If you do double-check this on SP or make any further discoveries, let us know what you find.
I'm going to look into this a wee bit more to see if there are any first marriages for Catherine and Robert...and to see where this mysterious Mary Wilson fits in.