Christina Middlemas and Robert Sutherland

After searching for just about every combination of every name I have, I've come across a Christina Middlemas. This is quite exciting because not only does the name correspond with Grandpa's sister but she is married to Robert Sutherland.

They were married on 13 December 1854 at St Cuthberts, South Leith, Midlothian [source: statutory marriages 692/02 0185]

Christina and Robert had 9 children:
James 1857
Thomas 1859
Ann 1862
Christina 1865
Catherine 1867
William 20/5/1870 leith
Georgina 1873
Robert 1873
Eliza 1879

Robert was born in Lybster, Caithness to James (9 March 1801) and Catherine (1801). James was a Cooper, making barrels, probably for the herring industry.

James and Catherine were married on 5 February 1823 in Latheron.

Robert was one of 8 children: [source 1841 census]
Betty (1830) David (1826) Davidson (1832) James (1839) Janet (1834) Margaret (1826), Robert (1827) and William (1836). There were other children - Catherine (1831), Elizabeth(1829), Elizabeth (1837) and John (1835) but I think they may have died.

As a young man (21 years old), Robert worked as a sailmaker. In the 1851 Census, he is lodging at 70 Tolbooth Wynd, Leith with Mr and Mrs Swan.

Christina was the daughter of Thomas Middlemas (1811), a Joiner/Cabinetmaker, who is described on Christina's marriage record as a furniture dealer; and Ann (1816) nee Simpson, the daughter of George Simpson, a Blacksmith.

Christina was the eldest of 4 children: Christina (1834), Alexander (1836), George (11/11/1838), and Euphemia (1840). In 1841 they lived at 35 North Richmond Street Edinburgh.

Robert was living in Dundee when he married Christina. They married in South Leith, but James was born in Dundee. They moved back to Leith, where Thomas was born in 1859.

In 1861 Robert and Christina are in the Census as living in Crown Street, Leith, with James and Thomas.

By 1871, they had moved to 5 Eastfield(?) or Smithfield(?) Cottage, Eastfield - (I can't find this on any maps). Robert has put his occupation as agent for roperie company - I assume this is the Edinburgh Roperie and Sailmakers. James is now 14 and an apprentice clerk. The other children are at school or infants. They have one servant - an Elizabeth Young aged 19.

- I feel quite heartened that they are doing okay for themselves. I think I would have been quite disappointed if they were unskilled labourers living in a tenement -

1881 - ten years later, they're at No 1 Smiths Place. Thomas and James have left home and Ann is working as a teacher. Robert's occupation is listed as a Commission Agent (I'm thinking still working for the roperie. Elizabeth McKenzie (15) is their servant.

The 1891 Census has nothing on them - So I guess they've emigrated. It's back to the search engines to try and find them on shipping lists.

Of course, all this is moot until I can find a link between this family and William Morrison Sutherland of Tonga. There are some similarities - mainly the name thing - but I can't find any mention in any of the lines of the name Morrison. Given that W M went by Morrison, I would have thought that there'd at least be someone with Morrison somewhere in their name.