Ref. M3
This name crops up in the Mason story (see Ref. M1) by virtue of James Mason, one of Mike’s maternal great-grandfathers, marrying Isabella Clapperton on 11 March 1845. When their banns were read in St Cuthberts, Edinburgh, on 17 February 1845 Isabella said she was the daughter of James Clapperton, a shoemaker of Dalkeith. She herself was resident at 27 East Cross Causeway, Edinburgh.
Clapperton Williamson family
At the 1851 Census Isabella Mason, as she then had become, was said to be 25 and born in Edinburgh and we believe she was the youngest child of James Clapperton, a shoemaker, and his wife Mary Williamson (see Ref M4), Mary being 46 years of age by then. Their extensive family is listed as an Appendix hereto. James was noted as a shoemaker throughout his life.
The marriage of James and Mary on 3.12.1806 was registered at St Cuthberts showing James as resident in Causewayside with Mary residing in Crosscauseway.
By 1841 something must have caused the family to be split up, most probably Mary’s last illness, because, although we did not locate her in June of that year at the Census, in the December the St Cuthbert register has a burial of “Mary Williamson, spouse of James Clapperton, shoemaker” and other sources disclose that she died 20.12.1841 at Silvermills , Edinburgh, of “mortification”, i.e. gangrene, her age (not stated in the St Cuthberts death register) being 62. Silver Mills was where the eldest son Alexander had settled and at the 1841 Census we find him, with his wife Margaret, as a leather merchant, with their three young children and with Alexander’s siblings James (25), a shoe repairer, Adam (18), a smith, and Isabella, said to be 12 (but really 16).
Meanwhile at the same 1841 Census there was a James Clapperton, shoemaker, aged 55/59 at lodging at High Street, Dalkeith in 1841, living on his own and said not to be born in the same county. This man’s assumed year of birth would be in the range 1782-86, giving him an age in 1806 (to fit the marriage to Mary Williamson) of 20 to 24, so we think this is our man. Dalkeith does not seem to have a suitable death entry 1841-51 and there is nothing showing him in the 1851 Census.
We think that Alexander presently moved the whole entourage to 27 East Crosscauseway, St Cuthberts, because both James in 1844 and Isabella in 1845 got married from there. Details of the family are given in Appendix 1 hereto.
One minor mystery is how, in 1851, Isabella (by now married to James Mason) came to have, as a visitor, one Margaret Clapperton aged 43 widowed former upholsterer, born in Edinburgh. We have not been able to fit her in.
Rather more fundamentally, we have to admit that, so far, we do not know either the birth or death dates of Isabella’s father James Clapperton.
January 201817
Appendix 1 to Ref M3.
THE FAMILY OF JAMES AND MARY CLAPPERTON
All below were baptised at St Cuthberts, Edinburgh.
Elizabeth born 21.1.1807 at Gifford Park, Edinburgh
James born 29.5.1809 at Gifford Park. Died, probably buried 30.10.1810 St Cuthberts
Alexander born 14.9.1810 at Gifford Park. He was described as a leather manufacturer or skinner. Married Margaret Orkney, daughter of Robert Orkney, joiner, and his wife Mary Paterson at St Cuthberts 2.2.1835 and had children:
William born 1836/37
Alexander born 1838/39
Peter born 1841 – died before 1847/48
John born 1842/43
Peter born 1847/48
In 1841 they were at Silver Hills with Alexander’s siblings James, Adam and Isabella
By 1851 Alexander and Margaret and their growing family had moved to Gibbs Entry, St Cuthberts Parish and in 1861, at North side of Mill Dam, Water of Leith, when they had with them just John, 17, also a skinner, but also Letitia Jones, a niece, aged 18, a dressmaker born in Ireland. In 1971 the couple were at Liberton West Mains. Margaret died 25.2.1877 of Phthisis at the Royal Infirmary, her residence being given as 62 Kidson Street [writing not clear]
Jean born 9.7.1813 at St Patrick Square, Edinburgh.
James born 13.7.1815 at St Patrick Square. Shoemaker. Married 30.12.1844 Margaret Nimmo, daughter of Alexander Nimmo, decd, tailor at St Johns Edinburgh. In 1841 with Alexander at Silver Mills. In 1851 at 30 New Street, Canongate, with William born 1845/46 in St Cuthberts and James born 1849 in Canongate.
Mary born 17.12.1817 at St Patrick Square.
John born 11.5.1820 at St Patrick Square.
Adam born 31.5.1822 at St Patrick Square. A smith by profession. In 1841 with Alexander at Silver Mills.
Isabella born 11.2.1825 at 9 St Patrick Square. See main text.
Young Family History 