Robina's a lovely name, don't you think and we've been lucky with her - we have details of every major event in her life.

KEY EVENTS AND DATES

19th July 1831

1841 Census

The Census records Robina living in High Street, Dalkeith, with her parents Alexander, aged 30 and Margaret, aged 35. Also living there are her siblings, William (13), Margaret (7) and Marion (2).

1851 Census

The Census records Robina as living with her parents and brother and two sisters at High Street, Gray's Close, Dalkeith. She was aged 19 and single. Also living there were her aunt Marion Kerr aged 50 and a lodger named James Thomson aged 19.

Marriage - 25th November 1853

Robina married George Sutter (5) in the Parish of Dalkeith. There are no details of either of their parents, but their witnesses were John Innes and Alexander Kerr, the latter perhaps Robina's Father? Robina did have a brother named Alexander but it is unlikely to have been him as he would only have been 10 at the time.

View record here.

26th November 1854

Robina's first daughter Ann Scott Sutter was born in High Street, Dalkeith. It is also interesting to note that Ann may have been named after George's mother as we have a strong indication that George's father was called George Souter and was married to an Ann Scott.

28/06/1857

Robina's son, George Sutter (4), was born in Howden Panns in the district of Wallsend, County of Northumberland, England.

8th October 1859

This is a curious one.  There is a record that George and Robina had a second daughter, Hannah, born on this date, at 10 Stirmont Street, Glasgow.   The curiosity is that in the 1861 Census there is no mention of Hannah, but another daughter called Margaret is recorded - aged 1. There is no record of Hannah dying, but there are later records of Margaret that all indicate she must have been born in 1859. I can only conclude that Hannah and Margaret are one and the same and that either the Registrar recorded the name incorrectly or the family decided they didn't like the name Hannah???

1861 Census

The Census records that Robina now aged 30, lives at 12 Stirmont Street in the Parish of St. Enoch Glasgow. The house had only one room with one or more windows and living there with her were her husband George and their children Annie (7), George (3) and Margaret (1).

5th July 1862

Robina's second son, Alexander Kerr Sutter, was born at 01.30 a.m. at Roberton's Close, Dalkeith. Interestingly, Robina was the informant even though her husband George was apparently still alive.

1871 Census

The Census records Robina as living at Robertson's Close, Dalkeith, but I think that should be Roberton's Close as that was where her son Alexander had been born and in 1881 she is again living at Roberton Close. Robina is shown as the Head of the household, but is recorded as Married. This seems to suggest that she was separated from George, unless perhaps that George had died and the Enumerator got it wrong(?). It wouldn't be the only thing he got wrong as he recorded their surname as 'Souter' Robina's occupation is shown as Washer Woman. Also living with her were her son George (13)and daughter Margaret (11).

1881

Robina is still living in Roberton Close, Dalkeith. She is now aged 40 and her occupation was Laundress. She is now described as a Widow. Living with her is her son George aged 23 and a Corn Miller.

1891

Robina is now living with another family - the Watsons - for whom she is a General Servant. Her address is 4 Barony Street, St. Cuthbert, Edinburgh. The Head of the household, Thomas Watson is a widower employed as a Cabinet Maker. (Wonder if there was anything more to the relationship? Probably not(?).

1901

On the night of the Census, Robina was living with her daughter Margaret and her family. She is aged 67 and described as a Retired Housekeeper. Margaret is married to George Samuel and they have eight children ranging in age from 2 to 16. They lived at 33 Easthouses, Newbattle

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25th January 1920

Robina died, aged 89, at 8.30 a.m. at 3 Gasworks Row, Hunterfield, Parish of Cockpen in Midlothian. The cause of death was old age and it was her grandson Gordon Smith who informed the Registrar.