ERSKINE

If family folklore is to be believed, this line of the family is supposedly related to the Countess of Marr, but so far, documentary proof has not been found.  The earliest ERSKIN (ERSKINE) to be tracked with full provenance from OPRs (Old Parish Records) is the marriage of John ERSKINE to Elizabeth HAY in 1830.

(The writing is clearer on the ALLOA entry of 1830)

William ERSKINE (1837-1922) is the son of John ERSKIN and Elizabeth HAY. 

On the 1851 census, the family is living in Dunipace, Stirlingshire, Scotland:

William (who married twice - first to Mary Waddell in 1866) is the reported father of Peter ERSKINE, but it is unlikely he was the biological father, given the time between Peter's birth and the marriage of his mother (Jessie WRIGHT) to William Erskine. 

Peter was born in 1876 on the 17th March

and his mother was married to William ERSKINE on the 4th September 1877.

William ERSKINE was a widower and some of the ERSKINE children who appear on census returns living with Jessie and William are actually his children from his first marriage (e.g James aged 12; and Peter M Erskine is Jessie's illegitimate child, Peter Meikle Wright). 

There is an Elizabeth Hay ERSKINE born 1882 who was the daughter of William ERSKINE and Jessie WRIGHT. 

She died 9 months later of whooping cough:

On the 1891 census (transcribed as ESKIN):

On the 1901 census, the family is living at Wynford Stables ST, Cumbernauld.

Peter ERSKINE married Helen GILLIES in 1907

William ERSKINE (1911-1983) was the son of Peter ERSKINE(1876-1939) and Helen GILLIES(1880-1951).  

Not much is known about William ERSKINE (1911-1983) other than he was estranged from his Stirlingshire family.   He reportedly ran off to Bolton with a married lady and left behind his wife (whom he divorced about 1936) and a daughter.  Fortunately, his sister (Helen ERSKINE 1910 - 2012) kindly replied to a letter and questionnaire I sent in the 1980s:

William Erskine was born in 1912 and died in 1983

He married Helen DUNCAN in 1934, but ran off to Bolton after their daughter was born in 1935.

Thanks to a family member of his second wife, there are some photos of William Erskine:

Ancestors of William ERSKINE

Generation 1

William ERSKINE, son of Peter ERSKINE and Helen GILLIES, was born on 11 Apr 1911 in Castlecary Mill, Haggs, Stirlingshire. He died on 05 Apr 1983 in Bolton, Lancashire, England. He married Helen DUNCAN.

1.

Generation 2

Peter ERSKINE, son of William ERSKINE and Jessie WRIGHT, was born in 1876 in Dunipace, Stirlingshire, Scotland. He died on 16 Jul 1939 in Haggs, Stirlingshire, Scotland. He married Helen GILLIES.

2.

Helen GILLIES, daughter of Robert GILLIES and Margaret JARVIE, was born on 01 Aug 1881. She died on 18 Feb 1951 in Haggs, Stirlingshire, Scotland.

3.

Helen GILLIES and Peter ERSKINE had the following child:

1.

i.

William ERSKINE was born on 11 Apr 1911 in Castlecary Mill, Haggs, Stirlingshire. He died on 05 Apr 1983 in Bolton, Lancashire, England. He married Helen DUNCAN.

Generation 3

William ERSKINE, son of John ERSKINE and Elizabeth HAY, was born in 1841 in Denny, Stirlingshire, Scotland. He died on 14 Jul 1922 in Haggs, Stirlingshire, Scotland. He married Jessie WRIGHT.

4.

Jessie WRIGHT, daughter of Peter WRIGHT and Jessie MARR, was born in 1847. She died on 14 Jul 1930 in Haggs, Stirlingshire, Scotland.

5.

Jessie WRIGHT and William ERSKINE had the following child:

2.

i.

Peter ERSKINE was born in 1876 in Dunipace, Stirlingshire, Scotland. He died on 16 Jul 1939 in Haggs, Stirlingshire, Scotland. He married Helen GILLIES.  She was born on 01 Aug 1881. She died on 18 Feb 1951 in Haggs, Stirlingshire, Scotland.

Robert GILLIES, son of John GILLIES and Jane TAYLOR, was born in 1829 in Denny, Stirlingshire, Scotland. He died on 18 Jun 1926 in Cstlecary Mill, Haggs, Stirlingshire. He married Margaret JARVIE.

6.

Margaret JARVIE.

7.

Margaret JARVIE and Robert GILLIES had the following child:

3.

i.

Helen GILLIES was born on 01 Aug 1881. She died on 18 Feb 1951 in Haggs, Stirlingshire, Scotland. She married Peter ERSKINE.  He was born in 1876 in Dunipace, Stirlingshire, Scotland. He died on 16 Jul 1939 in Haggs, Stirlingshire, Scotland.

Generation 4

John ERSKINE.  He married Elizabeth HAY.

8.

Elizabeth HAY.

9.

Elizabeth HAY and John ERSKINE had the following child:

4.

i.

William ERSKINE was born in 1841 in Denny, Stirlingshire, Scotland. He died on 14 Jul 1922 in Haggs, Stirlingshire, Scotland. He married Jessie WRIGHT.  She was born in 1847. She died on 14 Jul 1930 in Haggs, Stirlingshire, Scotland.

Peter WRIGHT.  He married Jessie MARR.

10.

Jessie MARR.

11.

Jessie MARR and Peter WRIGHT had the following child:

5.

i.

Jessie WRIGHT was born in 1847. She died on 14 Jul 1930 in Haggs, Stirlingshire, Scotland. She married William ERSKINE.  He was born in 1841 in Denny, Stirlingshire, Scotland. He died on 14 Jul 1922 in Haggs, Stirlingshire, Scotland.

John GILLIES.  He married Jane TAYLOR.

12.

Jane TAYLOR.

13.

Jane TAYLOR and John GILLIES had the following child:

6.

i.

Robert GILLIES was born in 1829 in Denny, Stirlingshire, Scotland. He died on 18 Jun 1926 in Cstlecary Mill, Haggs, Stirlingshire. He married Margaret JARVIE.

Robert JARVIE.  He married Agnes DOBBIE.

14.

Agnes DOBBIE.

15.

Agnes DOBBIE and Robert JARVIE had the following child:

7.

i.

Margaret JARVIE.  She married Robert GILLIES.  He was born in 1829 in Denny, Stirlingshire, Scotland. He died on 18 Jun 1926 in Cstlecary Mill, Haggs, Stirlingshire.