Greenfields and Robsons of Carlisle

[Mackenzie McIelwore]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for adding me to the group! My name is Mackenzie and I live in Canada.

I'm researching ancestors with the last names Greenfield and Robson in the Carlisle area. Specifically, I would love to find a birth record for John Greenfield born in 1837 or 1838 to William Greenfield and Jane Robson in Carlisle, as well as birth records for his parents.

William Greenfield and Jane Robson were married in St Mary's Parish in Carlisle in 1833. I tried to find their son John's baptism record in the same parish's register without luck. I looked through the scanned microfilm on FamilySearch for him and his brother William.

The family moved to Jarrow, South Shields around 1839, as they appear on the 1841 census.

The 1851 census has a bit more detail. John and his eldest brother William are born in Carlisle, along with their mother Jane (here marked as Ann). Their father William is born in I believe East Lothian, Scotland (the 1891 Census specifies Haddington, but the 1881 census says Galashiels is his birthplace). I found a birth record for a William Greenfield in Whitekirk, Scotland for 1803 which would be in the right area, but I'm not sure if it's his.

Before the 1861 census, the family split off. I believe the mother Jane died in 1858. John and his brother James go to live with John's in-laws, the Bulmers, in Bermondsey, Surrey. Jane Ellen and her father continued to live together until his death sometime between 1891 and 1901. I lost track of William after 1851.

I tried to find John's birth record through the general register office, however I couldn't find one. I was able to find his siblings that were born in South Shields however.

I would love to know if you have suggestions as to where I should look next to try to find John's birth or baptism records. Are there other civil records I missed? Or suggestions for adjacent parishes? I would also love to try to find more on Jane Robson, though it seems like a common name for the area.

I think it's really interesting how much this family moved around for the time, especially since  they are tradespeople.

Thank you so much for any insight you might have! If anyone needs help navigating Canadian records, or wants copies made from a document that's only available in-person at an archive in Montreal, let me know!

Best, 

Mackenzie

[petra.mi...@doctors.org.uk]

Hi Mackenzie,

Welcome to the list!

 

I think John does not appear in the Civil Registration Birth index because he was probably born before Civil Registration started in July 1837. He is aged 4 in the 1841 census, which suggests (if the age is given correctly) a birth in the year up to June 1837, so before Civil Registration.

 

I could not find a baptism for him either on FamilySearch. However, if his father was Scots, he may have been baptised in the Presbyterian Chapel in Carlisle – and that has not been extracted for FamilySearch. The original Registers are in the Record Office in Carlisle.

 

I find the 1841 census rather confusing because a) the Head (William) is listed as George, and b) the whole family is said to have been born in County Durham. But as the names and ages of the wife and children are correct, I suppose it must be the right family.

 

Petra

 

From: genealogy-...@googlegroups.com <genealogy-...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Mackenzie McIelwore
Sent: 28 September 2025 22:14
To: genealogy-...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [GENEALOGY - CUMBRIA] Greenfields and Robsons of Carlisle

 

Hi everyone,

 

Thanks for adding me to the group! My name is Mackenzie and I live in Canada.

 

I'm researching ancestors with the last names Greenfield and Robson in the Carlisle area. Specifically, I would love to find a birth record for John Greenfield born in 1837 or 1838 to William Greenfield and Jane Robson in Carlisle, as well as birth records for his parents.

 

William Greenfield and Jane Robson were married in St Mary's Parish in Carlisle in 1833. I tried to find their son John's baptism record in the same parish's register without luck. I looked through the scanned microfilm on FamilySearch for him and his brother William.

The family moved to Jarrow, South Shields around 1839, as they appear on the 1841 census.

 

The 1851 census has a bit more detail. John and his eldest brother William are born in Carlisle, along with their mother Jane (here marked as Ann). Their father William is born in I believe East Lothian, Scotland (the 1891 Census specifies Haddington, but the 1881 census says Galashiels is his birthplace). I found a birth record for a William Greenfield in Whitekirk, Scotland for 1803 which would be in the right area, but I'm not sure if it's his.

 

Before the 1861 census, the family split off. I believe the mother Jane died in 1858. John and his brother James go to live with John's in-laws, the Bulmers, in Bermondsey, Surrey. Jane Ellen and her father continued to live together until his death sometime between 1891 and 1901. I lost track of William after 1851.

 

I tried to find John's birth record through the general register office, however I couldn't find one. I was able to find his siblings that were born in South Shields however.

 

 

I would love to know if you have suggestions as to where I should look next to try to find John's birth or baptism records. Are there other civil records I missed? Or suggestions for adjacent parishes? I would also love to try to find more on Jane Robson, though it seems like a common name for the area.

 

I think it's really interesting how much this family moved around for the time, especially since  they are tradespeople.

 

Thank you so much for any insight you might have! If anyone needs help navigating Canadian records, or wants copies made from a document that's only available in-person at an archive in Montreal, let me know!

 

Best, 

Mackenzie

 

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