Other names for James were Jamie,4 Jarvie Fairbairn 13 and Jody.4
General Notes:
Was one of only 11 men out of 150 who survived the great fishing disaster of 1881 in Berwickshire when the fishing fleets were caught in a sudden gale.
Scottish Daily Express, Glasgow, Saturday, October 14, 1933 Survivor Recalls Fishing Disaster To-day is the anniversary of the great fishing disaster in 1881, when more than 150 fishermen on the Berwickshire and Forth coasts were drowned. Mr. James Fairbairn, eighty six, who is the only survivor of eleven Cockburnspath men rescued from the storm, is seen in this composite picture telling some other veteran fishermen of the village how the fishing fleets were caught unawares in a sudden gale on that tragic October morning fifty two years ago.
According to the Berwickshire News of 18 October 1881, James was one of two crewmembers who survived from the 'Vollox'. The third lost his life. 14
James married Alice Young, daughter of Alexander Young and Helen Brown, on 4 Jun 1875 in Pathhead, Berwickshire, Scotland, United Kingdom.123 (Alice Young was born on 2 May 1854 in Restonhill, Berwickshire, Scotland, United Kingdom 21222324252627, christened on 11 Jun 1854 in Chirnside, Berwickshire, Scotland, United Kingdom,23 died in 1921 282930 and was buried in Cockburnspath Churchyard 4.)
1
General Register Office for Scotland, Scotland's People at http://www.ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk, formerly Scottish Origins Index Data at http://www.origins.net, MARRIAGE 1875-731-4.
2Extract from Register of Marriages for the Parish of Cockburnspath, Berwick (Reference quoted and passed on by Tara Hawkins).
3
General Register Office for Scotland, Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths (Scotland), SI MARRIAGES 1875-731-4.
5
General Register Office for Scotland, Scotland's People at http://www.ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk, formerly Scottish Origins Index Data at http://www.origins.net, 1881 CENSUS 224029-731-1-8. Derived from age (33) at 1881 census.
61881 Census of Cockburnspath, Scotland (Reference quoted and passed on by Tara Hawkins).
71891 Census of Cove Village, Cockburnspath, Berwick, Scotland (Reference quoted and passed on by Tara Hawkins).
81851 Census of Cove, Cockburnspath, Berwick, Scotland (Reference quoted and passed on by Tara Hawkins).
9
General Register Office for Scotland, Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths (Scotland), DEATHS 1935-731-6. Calculated from age (87) at date of death.
10
General Register Office for Scotland, Census (Scotland), CENSUS 1901 731-1-13. Calculated from age (53) as at 31/3/1901.
11Interview with Alexander Fairbairn (Interviewed by Martin MacLean Fairbairn (his son)), FAIRLY CERTAIN THAT HE DIED AT END OF 1930S. HE CERTAINLY REMEMBERS HIM BEING ALIVE.
12
General Register Office for Scotland, Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths (Scotland), DEATHS 1935-731-6.
13Interview with Alexander Fairbairn (Interviewed by Martin MacLean Fairbairn (his son)).
15Extract from Register of Births for the Parish of Cockburnspath, Berwick (Reference quoted and passed on by Tara Hawkins).
16
General Register Office for Scotland, Scotland's People at http://www.ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk, formerly Scottish Origins Index Data at http://www.origins.net, 1881 CENSUS 224029-731-1-8.
17
General Register Office for Scotland, Census (Scotland), 1891. 731-1-14. IMAGE C1891_731_00_001_0_2_014.
18
General Register Office for Scotland, Census (Scotland), CENSUS 1901 731-1-13.
19
General Register Office for Scotland, Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths (Scotland), MARRIAGES 1903-685/4-669. Based on son's (Alexander Young Fairbairn's) marriage certificate.
20
Tara Hawkins, http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Estates/7114/, HTTP://FAMILYTREEMAKER.GENEALOGY.COM/USERS/J/O/H/TARA-L-JOHNSON/GENE4-0001.HTML?WELCOME=1009193211. Tara Hawkins has the date of death as 1948. Alexander Fairbairn, though, is certain that this James Fairbairn did not live to 100. The death certificate entry for 4 Oct 1935 also appears reliable.
21
General Register Office for Scotland, Scotland's People at http://www.ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk, formerly Scottish Origins Index Data at http://www.origins.net, 1881 CENSUS 224029-731-1-8. 26 years of age on 4 Apr 1881 per 1881 census.
22Old Parish Records of Chirnside, Berwick, Scotland (Reference quoted and passed on by Tara Hawkins).
23
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, International Genealogical Index (R) (Copyright (c) 1980, 2002, data as of February 1, 2003), BATCH #: 7111630, SHEET #: 02, SOURCE CALL #: 1235237, PRINTOUT CALL #: NONE.
241861 Census of Blackhill Farm, Parish of Coldingham, Berwick, Scotland (Reference quoted and passed on by Tara Hawkins).
25
General Register Office for Scotland, Census (Scotland), 1891. 731-1-14. IMAGE C1891_731_00_001_0_2_014. 35 years of age on 6/4/1891 per 1891 census.
26Letter from James Jeffrey Fairbairn to Alexander Fairbairn with family history information., James J Fairbairn notes Alice's year of birth as 1855.
27
General Register Office for Scotland, Census (Scotland), CENSUS 1901 731-1-13. Age quoted as at 31/3/1901 was 45, which would make her year of birth 1856. The 1901 census also says that her place of birth was Cockburnspath. The earlier censuses (which contradict the 1901 census) are probably more reliable.
28
General Register Office for Scotland, Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths (Scotland), DEATHS 1935-731-6. Husband's (James Fairbairn's) death certificate records him as being a widower on 4/10/1935.
29
General Register Office for Scotland, Register of Births, Marriages and Deaths (Scotland), MARRIAGES 1903-685/4-669. Based on son's (Alexander Young Fairbairn's) marriage certificate, Alice was still alive on 24/7/1903.
30Letter from James Jeffrey Fairbairn to Alexander Fairbairn with family history information., James Jeffrey Fairbairn notes Alice's year of death as 1921.
Cause of his death was Senility..