Porter and Private Soldier

[Moray_Lass]

I am trying to identify yet another ancestor on slim info, can anyone point me in the right direction for documents that could add more from these occupations?

John Symon and Ann Currie had James Symon illegitimately in Grange, Banffshire in 1800. In 1807 Ann comes down from Grange and they marry in North Leith, Edinburgh. 1809 a son John is born, John's occupation is a Porter at Coal Hill (I googled that). James has an illegitimate son christened in Grange in 1828, with a witness John Symon (father? brother too young?) - so family looks to be back in Grange by then. Ann is a widow in Rothiemay, Banffshire in 1841, 1851 and dies in 1856 with no husband/occupation named, but informant is son, James Symon. In 1877 James died in Rothiemay and the informant (neighbour) says his father is John Symon, Private Soldier.

I have checked NAS and NA and can't see any soldier John Symon, I assumed that it meant a soldier rank Private when I first saw it but after the recent talk of mercenaries... I am not sure if there would be any register of Porters at all? Any suggestions of documents that might mention him? Specifically I am after identifying where/when he was born.

[Currie]

Hello Maggie,

I think that it’s pretty safe to say that John Symon was a private in rank rather than a mercenary. The term “private soldier” was in common usage for that rank at that time and probably still gets some use together with “private in the.” That’s if the informant really knew for sure or was a bit confused and gave information about their own father.

Was James disconnected from his family when he died, or perhaps the neighbour was just helping the family to tidy things up. If the family wasn’t around it makes you wonder how the neighbour knew so much. Perhaps James had mentioned it. It’s a pity he didn’t mention the regiment as well. Maybe the neighbour found some information in the house that he was a private soldier at some point in time but didn’t know what his regular job was.

Without knowing the regiment it has usually been an uphill battle to find any surviving records. If he was a private soldier for long enough maybe he qualified for a pension. FindMyPast are currently putting Chelsea Pensioner records online and perhaps that may be worthwhile checking later. viewtopic.php?f=2&t=14867

So does that mean that you have only the 1809 document that has any other clue as to John Symon’s occupation, nothing on the 1800 birth and no record of any other siblings that could help. If the 1828 witness mentioned was the father he’s probably about 50 by then. I suppose he could have been a soldier either before or after being a Porter but his children appear to have been old enough when he would have died to know what their father’s regular job was.

It’s probably best not to hold your breath waiting for Porter’s records from that time.

Mainly meandering and not much help,
All the best,
Alan

[Moray_Lass]

Hi Alan

I assume that the neighbour was just helping out, James wife dies the year after in Rothiemay and they and two sons are buried in the same plot, with James' mother but maybe not father (according the Moray Libindx). I still have a question mark over if the neighbour knew John was or wasn't a soldier. Being a soldier could explain how he ended up in Edinburgh or came up from Edinburgh before 1800 but until I can find something to back it up...

This 1809 OPR is the first time I've encountered a job being given, there is nothing of use in the 1800 OPR, not even witnesses. As far as I have found John Symon and Ann Currie only had two sons, son John may have believed he was born in Rothiemay, as I have found an Ag Lab of the right age where there wasn't a matching birth in Rothiemay, this one died between 1851 and 1854 - no death record, wife is a widow in 1861. So brother John might be another deadend.

I guess I'll just have to go back to staring at this brick wall until I burn through it.