30 years & counting

[SandySandilands]

I’ve been researching my Sandilands family history for over 30 years and have never been able to get any further back than the place I started from. Can anyone help me move on?

My 3 x great grandfather David Sandilands was, according to his census returns and a family bible, born in Canonmills, St. Cuthberts, Edinburgh on 7 June 1826. There is no baptismal record that I can find for David.

David was the son of Andrew Sandilands b.1800, Selkirkshire (DOB from 1851 census return and burial) and Margaret Johnstone b.1796, Roberton, Roxburgshire. There is no baptismal record that I can find for Andrew.

David appears with his mother, brothers and sister on the 1841 Census. The family are living on the Dean Path, Water of Leith Village, Edinburgh and David is an apprentice Skinner. However, Andrew (David's father) is missing from the family and any UK Census.

By 1851 the only members of the family still alive are David and Andrew . Again, both are living on the Dean Path but by this time, David has married (1851 in Wales).

Living with David and his new wife, Eliza, is a 19 year old son, another David Sandilands b.c.1832 in Glasgow. As David and his wife Eliza are only 26, it is obvious that the other David Sandilands, an apprentice skinner, is not their son. So who is he and what relation, if any, is he?

So far, I have discovered that the 2nd David is the son of John Sandilands and Mary (aka Jane) Cowan who were married 1807 in Eastwood, Renfrewshire.
This second Sandilands family appear on the 1841 Census at Thornliebank, Renfrewshire:

Name: John Sandilands Age: 58 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1783 (No baptismal record)
Where born: Renfrewshire, Scotland
Civil parish: Eastwood County: Renfrewshire
Address: Village Of Thornliebank Parish Number: 562

Household Members:

John Sandilands 58
Jane Sandilands 50
Margt Sandilands 25
Agnes Sandilands 20
Martha Sandilands 18
Mary Sandilands 16
David Sandilands 8 (the David who appears with my family in 1851)
Agnes McFarlane 8
Elizth Wilson 16

After the 1841 Census, the 2nd David's father, John Sandilands, seems to disappear and so far, despite searching the OPRs on Scotlands People, I have yet to find a burial record for him. I have however been able to follow his family through the later Census records.

Strangely enough, baptisms, marriages and Census returns for this 2nd Sandilands family are often found under the name Sandles a mistake which is never repeated with my own Sandilands family.

After appearing with my family on the 1851 Census the 2nd David Sandilands b.1832 vanishes into thin air. Again, no burial record.

My thinking is, if I can connect John Sandilands b.1783 with my Andrew Sandilands b.1800 I might be able to go a generation further back in my research. Perhaps they were brothers?

I have lots more information re my David and Andrew if anyone is interested. I didn’t want to post it all at once here in case it confuses matters. Please let me know if you would like more facts.

Any help whatsoever would be deeply appreciated.

Thanks.
Sandy

[jam1255]

Hi Sandy
I have two families, same problem as yourself!!

Is it possible John (b1783) may have immigrated!!

On Ancestry - Canadian Passengers List 1865-1935
Jon Sandilands
Birth year
Departed Glasgow
Arrival date Quebec.

Unfortunately I am unable to view the image but perhaps it worth checking.

Judy

[paddyscar]

Hi Sandy:

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/gene ... dex-e.html You may find this page helpful in locating information, including the item cited by Judy.

Quebec City Passenger Lists Index 1865-1900
Item Display
Search | Search Help

View Image (you can click on these and view the originals at no cost)
Name: SANDILANDS, jno
Age: 28
Date of Arrival (YYYY/MM/DD) : 1886/06/27
Port of Arrival: Quebec, Quebec
Ship: COREAN
Reference: RG 76
Microfilm: C-4535
See lines 53 and 55 – there are two Sandilands surnames, one 68 years, the other 25 years and shown as travelling with Wife. The handwriting is terrible and I need new glasses, so perhaps you’ll have better luck reading it.

Frances

[speleobat2]

Hi all,

Had a look at the passenger list from above on Ancestry. The first Sandilands is Jno, age 28, ploughman and the second is Mrs. Sandilands, housewife, age 25. In between them is Eliz. Donaldson, dom, age 18. All are going to Montreal so I wonder if Eliz. might be John's sister? The entry looks like a family group. Wish whoever filled out the form had filled in all of the information asked for!

Carol

[SandySandilands]

Hi everyone

Thank you for the replies - really appreciated

It is possible that could be him, worth checking. I did come to the conclusion that John had died though because he was "deceased" at the marriage of one of his children.

I do know that certain members of the family emigrated to Australia and settled "Sandilands" which was out in the wilderness between the Clarence & Richmond Rivers in northern NSW. "Sandilands" was settled by the Robertsons, who mother's maiden name was Sandilands, and who later went out to join them. My 30 year hunt has led me to believe that this lady was an aunt to my Andrew b.1800.

Sandy

[SandySandilands]

I just checked through all my records and John Sandilands b.1783 was "deceased" before 1867 when his daughter Margaret married

[Tracey]

I just checked through all my records and John Sandilands b.1783 was "deceased" before 1867 when his daughter Margaret married

Hi Sandy,
You dont say if you have the death certificate or just assume he was dead because its on his daughters marriage. I only ask this as my grandfather has his father as *deceased* on his marriage certificate in the 1920,s (Scotland) and ive recently found his father dying in Australia in the 1940,s.

[SandySandilands]

Hi Tracey

He's recorded as "deceased" by the time statutory registers for Scotland come into play. Prior to that, on the 1851 Census, his wife is a "widow".

I get your point re trusting the records. On my David's death certificate in 1906 his parents are recorded as Andrew Sandilands and Elizabeth Inglis yet his mother was Margaret Johnstone! Can't imagine how his eldest son, Alexander, could have got his grandmother's name wrong as he had a sister named Margaret Johnstone Sandilands after her and the name carried on down the family. There is no Elizabeth Inglis included in the naming of later generations and they pretty much followed one of the Scottish naming traditions to a 't'.

After trudging through records for so long I have come to my own conclusion as to who the parents of my Andrew b.1800 were. The problem is, I am unsure how much trust to place in the instincts by which I am gluing it all together. I don't know if I am making assumptions or my experience is paying off.

Hope this makes sense.

Sandy