Archibald Henderson

     
     Archibald Henderson was born cir. Mar 1837 at Craigmill, STI, SCT, (the map location assumes correct identification of Craigmill as on the Alloa Rd heading east from Stirling Univeristy).² He was baptized on 8 Mar 1837 in the Par. of Logie, PER, SCT; entry shows Archibald as s/o James Henderson and Ameila Millar in Craigmill, bap. by the Revd Dr? Grierson, Minister of Dunblane.^1,3,4,5,2
     Archibald Henderson married Agnes Todd, daughter of Alexander Todd and Helen Noble, on 31 Dec 1856 at Boughtknowes, Haywood, Par. of Carnwath, LKS, SCT, Cert shows a double wedding with Agnes' sister Janet: Archibald 19 blacksmith of Mid Forth, Carnwath, s/o James Henderson blacksmith & Amelia m.s. Millar; Agnes 16 of Boughtknowes, formerly a farm servant d/o Alexander Todd farmer and Helen m.s. Noble; Wit: John Brown and William Wilson (this latter possibly being the father of the Nathanial Wilson who married Janet Todd in the next cert); Est. Ch of Sct. (family info had Buckthnowes, but on the cert it is spelt Boughtknowes. NB son James had been born 2 days prior).^6,7,8,9
     Archibald Henderson remarried on 24 Apr 1874 at Hillhead, Par. of Carnwath, LKS, SCT, to Marion Crawford, daughter of William Crawford and Margaret Nisbet, who was probably a sister of the farmer William Crawford of Hillhead on whose farm Archibald's son Alexander was working in 1881. The cert reads: Archibald Henderson, blacksmith and widower; s/o James Henderson (blacksmith) and Amelia Millar; age 37; usual residence - Haywood, Parish of Carnwarth; Marion Crawford; daughter of a farmer and a spinster; d/o William Crawford and Margaret Nisbet; age 28; usual residence - Hillhead, Parish of Carnwarth; married after banns and according to the forms of the United Presbyterian Church; witnesses - William Henderson and John Crawford (presumed to be bride's brother); Minister - Alexander Banks, U.P. Minister, Braehead, Carnwath (my initial assumption that the witness William Henderson would be Archibald's brother was cast into doubt when I realised he had emigrated to NZ 2 years previously - would he have returned home for his brother's 2nd wedding? Perhpas he returned to Scotland to check out his future bride? They may have been introduced via the Minister in Oamaru, who was from her village of Maxton. Certainly she emigrated 2 years later, apparently alone, and married William not long after arriving in NZ. Or possibly William had returned before the rest of the family emigrated to report on the new country, and to tidy up what was left after they emigrated, then follow them back to NZ? And then I found that he had a cousin William Henderson in the area, son of Archibald, James' younger brother, this one is now my favoured candidate for the witness).^10,11,12
     Archibald Henderson died on 29 Apr 1911 at No. 6 North Row, Kells, Whitehaven, CUL, ENG; his dth cert showing him as a blacksmith, dying of a double scrotal hernia (no operation), intestinal obstruction, and peritonitis. Inf. A D Henderson, son, of 6 North Row Kells, Whitehaven, present at death. Registered 1st May 1911.¹³ He was buried at Whitehaven, CUL, ENG.¹⁴
     He has the distinction of being the only one of the 12 children of James and Amelia Henderson that did not emigrate to NZ.
     As the eldest child, he was already married with 3 (nearly 4) children when his younger brother David emigrated in 1863, the first of the family to do so, although a distant cousin had emigrated 3 years earlier. Several other siblings emigrated over the next few years, followed in 1874 by the rest of the family, parents included. A month after their arrival in NZ, Archibald remarried, in Lanarkshire, and moved to Cumberland sometime between 2 to 4 years later.¹⁵ Archibald was photographed probably in ?CUL, ENG, with his dog, so he seems to follow in Henderson footsteps as a dog lover.¹⁶
     Archibald Henderson appeared on the census of 7 Jun 1841 at Burnfoot, Forth, LKS, SCT, in the household of James Henderson and Amelia Henderson.⁵ Archibald, Margaret, David, William, Elizabeth and Amelia appeared on the census of 30 Mar 1851 at Forth, LKS, SCT, in the household of James and Amelia Henderson as children of James.⁴ He was a blacksmith when dtr Helen died on 4 Jul 1858 in Carnwath, LKS, SCT.¹⁷
     The census of 1861 showed Archibald with his wife Agnes, their son James, their dtr Helen at Harrayfoot Hill, Par. of Carnwath, LKS, SCT, household enumerated as HENDERSON: Archibald, 24, blacksmith, birth place NK; wife Agness 20 b Carnwath; Son James 4; Dtr Helen 1, both b Carnwath.¹⁸
     Archibald Henderson appeared on the census of 1871 at No. 44 (or 144?), Haywood Village, Par. of Carnwath, LKS, SCT, with Agnes Henderson, enumerated as HENDERSON: Archbiald 34 blacksmith & fitter, b Logie, STI; wife Agnes 30 b Carnwath; Children (all b Carnwath, LKS): Alexr 7 scholar; Emelia 5; Archd 3; Agnes 1; Boarders: Alexr Weire, mar. 27 blacksmith b Shotts, LKS; William Cald(?rells?) unm, 24 blacksmith b Carluke, LKS. 1 child 5 to 13 at school, 2 rooms with one or more windows, next house occupied by Nisbet, coal miner).¹⁹
     Archibald Henderson was the informant for the death of his wife Agnes Todd on 9 Feb 1873 at Haywood Colliery, Carnwath, LKS, SCT.²⁰
     The census of 3 Apr 1881 showed Archibald with his wife Marion, their sons William, John, Archibald and Robert, their dtr Agnes at Concrete No 42, Great Clifton, CUL, ENG, household enumerated as Archabald (sic), head, colliery Overman, mar, 44, wife Marion 36, both b. Scotland. Dtr Agnes, 11; Sons Archibald, 13, labourer; William 8, scholar; John, 4; (all b SCT); Robert 1, b. Gt Clifton, CUL (next door at No. 40 was son James and his new wife Rebecca).²¹
     Archibald and Marion Henderson appeared on the census of 6 Apr 1891 at 26 Braithwaite, Whitehaven, CUL, ENG, as HENDERSON, Archibald, 54, colliery overman; Marion, wife, 47 both b SCT; Children: Agnes, 21; William 18, hamerman (sic); John 14, message boy, (all b SCT); Robert, 11 scholar b Gt Clifton, CUL.^22,23
     Archibald Henderson appeared on the census of 1901 at 8 Harbour View, Whitehaven, CUL, ENG, enumerated as Archibald Henderson 66, blacksmith, b. Scotland, boarder with Cecil (37 yr old railway clerk b Fleetwood, Lancs) and Dinah Fitzjames and their 2 sons.^24,25,26
     According to the previous booklet on the children of James and Amelia Henderson, he was "later manager of the Whitehaven Colliery in the year of the great disaster. The report appearing in the Otago Daily Times tells of the great loss of life. when all hope of further survivors had been given up, Mr Henderson's dog barked and barked and another five lives were saved". However, it is unlikely that he was the Manager, as census records show him as an oversman. I have not yet tracked down the newspaper report referred to as there were many Whitehaven Collieries, and many disasters.²⁷
     Archibald Henderson did not leave a will this being assumed from the absence of a will listed in the calendar of Confirmations & Inventories for 1911 in the Carlisle Archives.²⁸
     Archibald Henderson and Robert Henderson were possibly related both at Craigmill, albeit several decades apart. May or may not be a significant lead as to Henderson ancestry, my only reservation being that Robert just isn't a family name at all (well apart from this one family where there is a son Robert!).²⁹
     Archibald Henderson was a "colliery manager" on his dtr Agnes' marriage cert in 1915 although on her dth cert in 1960 he is shown as a blacksmith.^30,31 He was given as a blacksmith (journeyman), dec. on his son Alexander's dth cert in Sep 1939 SCT.³²