Robert emigrated to Melbourne, Australia in 1852

Why could I never find the Scottish roots of this man who went on to marry, have 10 children, invest in several gold mines and finally die in his own gold mine? His descendant Australian family historians knew of him, recording all his steps on Australian soil. We even had a picture.

Robert was about 18 years of age when he left Scotland in 1852, clearly drawn by the possibilities of wealth in the Victorian Gold Rush that began in 1851. On 22 September 1860 he married Margaret Hannah Bain in the Minister's residence, officiated by Alexander Minson. Margaret was from Rosshire, the Highlands of Scotland and Robert was from Edinburgh, the Lowlands, according to this marriage certificate. Both declared they 'held commission' with the Independant Denomination.

His parents were Robert Buchan, Brick Tile Maker, and Janet McCray (almost certainly the more Scottish spelling of McRae or McCrae). He said he was a 25 year old labourer from the area of Melbourne called Hawthorne.

He signed his name, Margaret did not.

Finding him in Scotland was stymied by the absence of his baptismal record, or of any baptism of a sibling, as well as the absence of a marriage record of his parents. There were Robert-Janet-Robert combinations to be found in Edinburgh but the ages were out. I asked experts who could not find these records. I bought a census record for a Robert-son Robert combination of the right age of the child for the Edinburgh region (though not in Edinburgh City). But there was no mention of Janet or anyone nearby called McRae.

This census record from 1841 was indeed correct, although it would take DNA evidence of belonging to the Buchans of Borthwick to prove it. He was listed as residing in Newlandrig in the Parish of Borthwick with his paternal grandmother Jean (Johnson) Buchan, his unmarried uncles James and William, his unmarried aunt Helen, and his father Robert. In adjacent residences were his married aunt Isabella Inglis' family, and on the other side, his married uncle Alexander's family. At the top of the census page is Christian Johnston, 5 years younger than Jean Johnston - were they siblings? The missing sibling Andrew was working as a grocer in Dalkeith, a market village to the north. George was living in nearby Dewarton, the place of baptism for the eldest 3 children born between 1799 and 1802. He was well in advance of his siblings in the family stakes, being married with 9 children already by 1841.

Robert senior married again in 1846 and was listed as living in Newlandburn, which I believe is another name for Newlandrig, named for the Newland Burn. But his son was recorded still with his uncles on the 1851 census in Newlandburn. William had moved to Edinburgh, working as a joiner and married. George now also lived in Newlandburn with six children and one grand daughter. Andrew was widowed and had come back with two younger daughters to live with his siblings. Alexander was also living in Newlandburn with his family of four. Although Newlandrig and Newlandburn are both on a map as separated by less than a mile, it is also possible that the original home has been 'reclassified' with a new name. Newlandburn may merely be the local rivulet. Regardless, it is clear the Buchans stuck together in this first generation.

We know that Robert kept in touch with his family because of a single photograph owned by a descendant in Australia. The owners were uncertain of whom the women and child were in the photograph taken in Leith, the port of Edinburgh, nevertheless written on the back was 'Sister ... Jane Buchan.. daughter ... George Ireland's wife'. 

Until this year we did not know that Robert had a sister named Jane! Again DNA revealed this gem (see post re Robert senior). Photo courtesy of KJL.

Another irony is that in fact he had two sisters called Jane. If this picture is the second sister, daughter of Margaret Ireland, then she is pictured with her uncle George Ireland's wife.

After their marriage, Robert and Margaret had their first child James in Heidleberg, a forested area east of Melbourne. James was named for his eldest uncle, with whom Robert had lived for much of his life. James must have been a major paternal figure for his siblings since his father died in Borthwick in 1818, and this may be why he never married.

Robert and Margaret moved to the mining town of Chiltern in far north Victoria by 1863, where they would stay for the rest of their lives. Children were born in rapid succession: Robert George (my ancestor) 1863, Catherine (1865), Alexander1 (1867), Helen and Alexander2 (1868), Margaret (1870), Ralph (1872), Andrew (1875) and Christina (1878). Four sons died in infancy, leaving the two eldest, James and George to carry forward the Buchan name.

Robert's mining career will be the subject of another post.