Christina Grubb¹

Parents:

• Birth*: Christina Grubb was born circa 1828.^2,3
• She was the daughter of Henry Grubb and Janet Forgan.¹
• Marriage*: Christina Grubb married Andrew McGlashan, son of Robert McGlashan and Christian Lawson, on Monday, 29 January 1849 at Liverpool, Lancashire, England, ; First name(s) Andrew
  Last name Mcglashan
  Name note -
  Marriage year 1849
  Marriage date 29 Jan 1849
  Marriage place Liverpool
  Father's first name(s) Robert
  Father's last name Mcglashan
  Spouse's first name(s) Christiana
  Spouse's last name Grubb
  Spouse's age 0
  Spouse's father's first name(s) Henry
  Spouse's father's last name Grubb
  Residence Liverpool, Lancashire, England
  County Lancashire
  Country England
  Record set England Marriages 1538-1973
  Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
  Subcategory Marriages & divorces
  Collections from Great Britain.⁴
• (Deceased) Death*: Christina Grubb died on 18 May 1885 at Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, , First name(s) Christina Grubb
  Last name Mcglashan
  Birth year -
  Death year 1885
  Death date 18 May 1885
  Cemetery Geelong Eastern Cemetery
  City East Geelong
  State Victoria
  Image link http://billiongraves.com/pages/record/Christina-Grubb-McGlashan/6799042
  Country Australia
  Record set Australia Billion Graves cemetery index
  Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records
  Subcategory Deaths & burials
  Collections from Australasia.⁵

• Married Name: As of 29 January 1849, her married name was McGlashan.⁴
• Marriage Fact*: She and Andrew McGlashan were Marriage Fact on 29 January 1849 at St Peter, Lancaster, Lancashire, England, ; Name Andrew Mcglashan
  Spouse's Name Christiana Grubb
  Event Date 29 Jan 1849
  Event Place St. Peter, Lancaster, Lancashire, England
  Father's Name Robert Mcglashan
  Spouse's Father's Name Henry Grubb
  Marital Status Single
  Spouse's Marital Status Single
  Christiana Grubb
  mentioned in the record of Andrew Mcglashan and Christiana Grubb.⁶
• Emigration*: Christina Grubb emigrated with Christina Grubb on an unknown person circa 1853 at Australia, ; presumed approximate date of emmigration.
• (Issue of (1855)) Death: Their parent Janet Forgan died on 26 January 1855 at Market Street, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, ; 1855 deaths in the burgh of St Andrews in the county of Fife registered by John Sorley regsitrar, ref 13; Forgan, Janet or Grubb, female aged 72 years, born Crail Fifeshire 45 years in St Andrews, parents Andrew Forgan wheelwright (dec) & Forgan maiden name Agnes Honeyman (dec), married to Henry Grubb shoemaker, issue 1 George 45 dec, 2 Jess 43, 3 Helen 35, 4 Henry 33, 5 Andrew 31, 6 Christian 27, Allison 24; died January Twenty Sixth 7h 50m am, died at Market Street St Andrews, cause pleurisy for 4 days as certified by Thomas Malcolm surgeon who saw deceased January 25th 1855, buried in the Burial Ground of St Andrews as certified by David Scott sexton, signed Henry Grubb + his mark husband, signed John Ba...ry, Catherine W ... witnesses, regsitered 1855 January 29th at St Andrews signed John Sorley registrar.⁷
• (Issue of (1855)) Death: Their parent Henry Grubb died on 22 April 1855 at Market Street, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, ; 1855 deaths in the burgh of St Andrews in the county of Fife registered by John Sorley registrar, ref 35; Grubb, Henry, shoemaker, male aged 72 years, born parish of Crail county of Fife, 45 years in St Andrews, parents William Grubb gardener (dec) and Helen Grubb maiden name Ramsay (dec), wife Janet Grubb maiden names Forgan (dec), issue 1. George dec at 40 in 1850, 2. Jess aged 43, 3. Helen 35, 4. Henry 33, 5. Andrew 31, 6. Christina 27, 7. Allison 24; died 1855 April Twenty first (scored out & 'second' inserted) 8h pm at Market Street St Andrews, cause confusion of the brain preceeded by a fall backwards down his stairs, 1 day, as certified by Thomas Malcolm surgeon who saw deceased April 22nd 1855, buried Burial Ground of St Andrews as certified by David Scott sexton, informant John Ramsay Inspector of Poor, registered 1855 April 24th at St Andrews John Sorley regsitrar.¹
• (Spouse) Death: Her spouse Andrew McGlashan died on 9 August 1891 at Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, ; Name Andrew Mcglashan
  Occupation Contractor
  Death Date 09 Aug 1891
  Event Place Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  Residence City Geelong
  Event Date 11 Sep 1891
  Series Number 46
  Record Number 234.⁸

Census & Directory Entries

Member of Household	6 June 1841	Christina Grubb was listed along with Henry Grubb in the 1841 census at Market Street, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, . Henry Grubb, 50, shoemaker, Fifeshire; Janet Grubb, 50, Fifeshire; Christian Grubb, 9, Fife.9,10
Spouse	30 March 1851	She was listed in the household of Andrew McGlashan in the 1851 census at Fish Street, Dundee, Forfarshire, Scotland, . Andrew McGlashan Head Married Male 33 1818 Carpenter Newburgh, Fife, Scotland; Christian Grubb Wife Married Female 22 1829 - St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. Robert McGlashan were also listed in the household.11

Notes

• (Witness) Note for Web: Christina Grubb and William Johnston, Henry Grubb, Janet Forgan, Lewis Johnston seaman, Helen Grubb, Euphemia Stewart jute spinner, Jessie Johnston jute spinner, Agnes Barrie Johnston jute spinner, Margaret Woods Johnston jute spinner, Christina Johnston, Euphemia Stewart Johnston jute spinner, Isabella Thomson Black Johnston jute preparer, Georgina Keir Paterson Johnston, Andrew McGlashan, Henry McGlashan, Janet McGlashan and Robert McGlashan was mentioned with William Johnston bottler. Facts and Hypothesis re William Johnston born about 1848 who says his parents are William Johnston, shipwright, and Christina Grubb:
  
  From various records one could assume that William is born about 1848 in either Fife – maybe Crail, maybe St Andrews – or Dundee. All these possibilities have been explored in the name of Johnson, Jonsen, Johnston(e) and variants; and Grubb without finding a birth/baptism that fits.
  
  On the 30^th March 1851 census there is a 4-year-old child recorded as William Normand living in St Andrews with Henry Grubb and his wife Janet Forgan and who is described as ‘Grandson’ and born in Crail, Fife. No marriage between a Grubb and Normand can be found, and no William Normand was recorded as born/baptised in Scotland in the time frame. So a query exists that this might be William Johnston. But there are likely to be other grandsons who could fit this description. But no other William Johnson or Grubb that fits the profile.
  
  On the 7^th April 1861 census William is declared as 'nephew' aged 13 with Lewis Johnston as head and Helen Grubb as wife, who are living in Fish Street Dundee. William is described as a mill worker born in St Andrews Fife. So William is nephew to whom? It should be stated as relative to the head of the house - Lewis Johnston. Or is it his wife, Helen? Christina Grubb is Helen’s younger sister. Is she William’s mother? Does Lewis Johnston have a brother named William? – Not found.
  
  On the 2^nd April 1871 census William Johnston is found boarding at 7 Keys Close (which is at 18 Nethergate) Dundee, with Elizabeth Morrison as head of the household. William states he is born Dundee, aged 22 and working as a brewer.
  
  On his marriage three weeks after the census night, on 24 April 1871, William Johnston signs his name and states his parents as William Johnston, shipwright & Christina Grubb, his address as 18 Nethergate Dundee (see census above), his age as 22 and his occupation as bottler.
  
  On informing of Lewis Johnston's death in 1878, William states he is nephew and his address is 27 Overgate, Dundee. William also states Lewis’ parents as Ormond Johnston, a ploughman, and Euphemia Pratt – no information about this couple or any other similar Johnston family can be found.
  
  When his 4^th daughter (of 7) is born in March 1881, she is named Christina – but this is not an uncommon name of the time.
  
  On the April 1881 census William states he is 34, and iron work labourer and born Dundee.
  
  In 1886, on birth of twin daughters, William is living at 27 Overgate, states his occupation as marine stoker and his marriage date as 24 April 1871.
  
  On the April 1891 census William states he is 46, born Dundee and occupied as a fireman.
  
  But on his death in 1899, William's wife Euphemia Stewart states his occupation as builder’s donkey engineman, his age as 51 and his parents are Lewis Johnston, seaman, and Helen Grubb. (Because they raised him?)
  
  On his wife’s death in 1913, his eldest daughter Jessie, says that he was a merchant seaman – but she also records her mother’s age as 49, when she was probably about 62.
  
  So who to believe?
  
  
  If Christina Grubb was Wiiliam’s mother – how would that look?
  
  Christina Grubb was born about 1828 (no birth/bapt found, but other records suggest this)
  If William is born about 1847/8, then Christina would be aged about 19/20.
  Christina marries Andrew McGlashan in January 1849 in Liverpool. Christina is probably aged 21.
  Christina and Andrew have a son, Robert McGlashan, who is born in Dundee in August 1950.
  The family are recorded in March 1851 in Fish Street Dundee. Christina’s age is stated as 22, Robert as under 1 year.
  Christina and Andrew have a daughter, Janet, in November 1852 in Dundee.
  When both Christina’s parents die within months of each other in 1855, Christina’s age is recorded on both occasions as 27.
  The next time this family is found is in Australia when a headstone in Geelong Eastern Cemetery records Christina’s death in May 1885, aged 57, along with Andrew McGlashan, aged 74, in 1891 and a son, Henry, aged 28, in February 1886. In the absence of records, it is presumed that the family emigrated about 1853.
  
  
  It could be hypothesised that Christina Grubb, sister of Helen Grubb, and William Johnson, brother of Lewis, are the parents of William Johnston born about 1848 and that he was probably born in Dundee, probably whilst Christina was staying with her sister Helen and brother-in-law Lewis.
  
  Further – Christina marries far away from home in Liverpool, but returns to Dundee to live and have her family – at least for a while. In 1851 Christina is living close by to her sister Helen in Fish Street Dundee. Helen has only one surviving child at this time – Jessie – three others have died in infancy, followed by another two who do not survive after 1851. It would make sense for Helen to take in her sister’s child – William Johnston – especially when Christina and her husband (who presumably is not William's father) emigrate to Australia.
  
  Extensive research has produced nothing to support any of this suppostition.
  
  Additionally - there is a document for a William Johnston who is aged 14 and volunteering for the Navy. It is signed in Birkenhead and witnessed by the boy's uncle Edward Clancy and aunt Mrs John Bird. Neither of these people have been found to be related to our William Johnston. The boy's signature is typical of the era and there is a similarity to the older William's when he signs first his marriage register and later still his daughter's birth records - but not conclusively so.