I first identified Daniel Campbell through his son, David Purves Campbell's records, in particular his Marriage record. From there I was able to track Daniel's marriage to Isabella Brand in 1843. Having found this I started to look at Censuses to see if I could find any clues as to where he came from. The first Census I examined was 1851. I reckoned that having been married in Leith and that at that stage I knew his son David had been born in 1844, they ought to be easy to identify. In fact they were - Daniel and Isabella lived in Leith with their three children, including David (aged 7).

My next step was to try and find the birth records of their children, but no luck. This may be partly explained by their first child, Janet I think, having been born 5 years before they were married. Perhaps, they were initially, no friends of the church. So, I thought I'd try to find them in the 1841 Census - no luck. However, I did find him and his wife, Isabella, in the 1861 Census. By this time he was aged 48 and still a Cooper, while Isabella was 46. Daniel's birthplace was given as Burntisland; close enough to Aberdour to be correct. Four of their children were living with them. I found them again in the 1871 Census, now with a daughter, Georgina Campbell, aged 17.

Having searched for Daniel's Birth previously, but without any success, now that I knew he might have been born in Burntisland, I tried again ........... and found him. He was born in 1812.

KEY EVENTS AND DATES

Birth - 18th December 1812

According to the age given on Daniel's Death certificate in 1875, (i.e. 61), he should have been born in 1813 or 1814. However, the ages given for him in the various Census records indicated either 1812 or 1813. In fact it was 1812. Daniel was born in Burntisland, Fife and his parents were recorded as Daniel Campbell (7) and Mary Thomson. The actual record read:

Campbell -

son of Daniel Campbell by his wife Mary Thomson was born 18th Dec'r 1812

View the record.

Marriage - 7th February 1843

Daniel Campbell married Isabella Brand in South Leith Parish Church. The actual record reads:

Campbell and Brand -

Daniel Campbell, Cooper residing at No. 45 Giles Street, parish of South Leith, and Isabella Brand residing at 2 Coatfield Lane, Leith, same parish, daughter of the late Alex'r Brand, Merchant, Leith were three times proclaimed in order to Marriage in the parish church of South Leith on the 5th February 1843 & no objections offered, were married at Leith on the 7th February 1873 by the Rev. Jas. Lewis of St. Johns, Leith.

View the record.

1844

Daniel's son, David Purves Campbell, was born in this year. I haven't yet found the record of David's birth, but details gleaned from Census and other records suggest that David was born in this year, in Aberdour, Fife.

1851 Census

The Census records Daniel as living at Wightman's Land, 3 Duke Street, South Leith. Daniel is described as a Cooper, aged 38 and having been born in Aberdour. Also living there is his wife, Isabella, aged 36 and his children Janet (13), David (7) and Isabella (2). Janet is a curious one as she would have been born around 5 years before Daniel and Isabella married. This record confirms that Daniel's son David, was also born in Aberdour.

View the record.

1861 Census

The Census records Daniel as living in Yardheads, Leith, in a close that looks like 'Sheridan's Close'. Daniel is once again described as a Cooper/Journeyman and he is aged 48. Also living there is his wife, Isabella, aged 46 and recorded on a separate page of the Census record, four of their children - David, aged 17 and a Ship Builder's Labourer, Isabella, aged 12 and a Scholar, William (9) and Georgina (7). . Daniel's place of birth is given as "Fife, Burntisland", rather than Aberdour.

View Page 1 of the record, which contains only Daniel and his wife.

View Page 2 of the record, which contains four of their children.

17th June 1864

Daniel's son, David, married Margaret Richmond at 2 Gilchrist Lane, Greenside Row, Edinburgh. He lived at 11 Easter Road, Leith and he was employed as a Labourer. His parents, who were still living, were recorded as being Daniel Campbell (a Cooper) and Isabella Brand.

1871 Census

The Census records that Daniel is living at 13 Coal Hill, Leith. He is aged 58 and described as a "Cooper at Brewery". His place of birth is recorded as "Burntisland, Fifeshire". His wife Isabella is aged 57 and was born in "Leith, Edinburghshire". Only one of their children, Georgina (17) is still living with them. She was unmarried and working as a Dressmaker and described as having been born in "Leith, Edinburghshire".

View the record.

4th March 1875

Daniel's wife, Isabella, died at 3 Primrose Place, Abbeyhill, Edinburgh. She was aged 61 and was recorded as being married to Daniel Campbell. Daniel reported her death.

Death - 11th June 1875

Only three months after his wife's death, Daniel died at 8.30 p.m. at Mary's Close, Yardheads, Leith. He was aged 61 and described as a Cooper (Journeyman) and the Widower of Isabella Brand. The informant was D. Campbell, his son who was present at the death and his parents were recorded as Daniel Campbell, also a Cooper and "Mary Duncan" - both were shown as deceased. The surname of Daniel's mother does not match that on his birth record, i.e. Thomson. I can't explain that yet, but it may simply have been an error on the informant's part.

View the record.

16th February 1919

Daniel's son, David Purves Campbell, died at Anderson Place, Leith at 11.30 p.m. Annoyingly, David's Death certificate shows his parents' names as David Campbell and Mary Brand. However, as the informant was David's step grandson, David Porter of 64 Pitt Street, Leith, it is likely that he just didn't have good knowledge of his step-Grandfather's parents. In fact, it is likely that he never even knew his step-Grandfather's parents at all.