THE DEMPSTERS OF SCOTLAND

(The following is based on information gathered as of October 2008)

The earliest Dempster identified to date is PETER DEMPSTER. a Hand Loom Weaver in the village of Garvald, East Lothian which lies to the east of Edinburgh. Unfortunately, records of Peter's birth and death have yet to be discovered but based on the 1841 Census which recorded that his age was 85, he was born no later than 1754. Garvald to this day is a charming little village.

His wife, JANET GRIEVE, who he married in 1797 was recorded as living alone in the 1851 Census so it is assumed he died before that date. Unfortunately death records didn't become readily available until 1855 onwards. Janet died in 1857, and so we have a record of her parents – her father, Andrew Grieve, another Weaver by trade, and her mother, Helen Blythe. The Grieves were also from Garvald.

I have found records of three children of Peter and Janet Dempster:

AGNES DEMPSTER was born in 1800 in Garvald. She married Robert Halliday, an Agricultural Labourer from Stenton, East Lothian in 1866. Agnes was widowed by 1871. At some point she worked as a Sick Nurse (1881 Census record). She died in North Leith, Edinburgh in 1885. Agnes and Robert had at least one child – also named Agnes who married a James Wallace.

GILBERT DEMPSTER was born in 1805 in Garvald. He became a Mason Journeyman and with his wife, Isabella Crombie from Dunbar, East Lothian raised at least 7 children in Garvald – Peter (born 1831), Isabella (born 1833), Janet (born 1836), William (born 1838), Helen (born 1839), Elizabeth (born 1842) and Mary Ann (born 1846).

ANDREW DEMPSTER was born in 1807 in Garvald. He married Mary Dunn, daughter of John Dunn and Amelia Colville in 1841. The Dunns lived in Aberlady, another East Lothian village where John Dunn was a Blacksmith. Andrew became a Joiner (Carpenter) Journeyman and with Mary Dunn had at least six children as follows : Emlie (born in Garvald in 1842), Agnes B. (born in Edinburgh, Midlothian in 1845), Margret (born in Garvald in 1845), Jessie (born 1847), Peter Dunn Dempster (born in Tranent, Haddingtonshire in 1853) and John (born in Ormiston, Haddingtonshire in 1854). Presumably the family moved around as Andrew found work in various locations. To date I have been unable to locate the 1861 Census records for the family. However, both the 1871 and 1881 Censuses reveal that the family was living at 49 Thistle Street, Edinburgh, a tenement building accommodating at least seven families. ANDREW DEMPSTER died at the Thistle Street address in 1871. Mary Dempster (née Dunn) was still living here in 1881 but at the time of her death in 1887 she had moved to 3 Abbey Mount Road, Edinburgh.

Thistle Street View of 49 Thistle Street

Rear Lane View of Tenements on Thistle St.

The following is a summary of what is known about PETER DUNN DEMPSTER'S sisters and brother.


EMLIE DEMPSTER , born in 1842, likely died before 1851.


AGNES B. DEMPSTER born in 1845 remained single throughout her life. She was living with her mother on Thistle Street in 1881 and then working as a Dressmaker. By 1891 she was working as a housekeeper at 38 Rosetta Road, Peebles, Scotland for a widower, John Fisher, and his three young children and was recorded as living there with the family in the 1901 Census. She was still living at the Peebles address when she died in 1928.


The story of MARGRET (MARGARET) DEMPSTER,born 1845 remains a mystery for the present.


JESSIE DEMPSTER, born in 1847 was listed as a governess and living at home with her parents in the 1871 Census. She married Duncan Fraser, a Music Teacher shortly thereafter. (Duncan was living in the same tenement (49 Thistle Street at the time. They had two sons, Harry Duncan Fraser, born 1875 and Andrew Dempster Fraser, born 1877. Tragically, Jessie died of Acute Tuberculosis shortly after giving birth to Andrew. Duncan appears to have remarried.


JOHN DEMPSTER, born 1854 originally apprenticed as a Blacksmith (1871 Census), but by the 1881 Census he had become a Musician. He married Mary Robinson Chalmers of Aberdeenshire at the Abbey Mount address in 1889. I have found records of just one child – a daughter, Emily, born in 1890 in Edinburgh. She died in the Midlothian Asylum of Tuberculosis-related Disease in 1921. John died a widower in 1930 in Edinburgh.



PETER DUNN DEMPSTER, born 1853, was reported as living with his mother, sister Agnes and brother John at 49 Thistle Street, Edinburgh in the 1881 Census. His occupation was 'Joiner'. He left Glagow on board the 1400 ton 'Maulsden' on February 28, 1883, arriving in Maryborough, Queensland, Australia on May 11,1883. Peter was one of 100 young, single assisted passengers.

The 'Maulsden'

THE VILLAGE OF GARVALD AND BEYOND

A panoramic view of Garvald nestled in a hidden valley below the Lammermuirs. Several of the buildings are listed as historic and the village and its environs have been designated as a conservation area. NOTE – this picture is copyrighted by Graham Barnes and licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence.

Garvald is a beautiful little village and is recognizable due to the rose-coloured stone (called Freestone) used in nearly all the village's buildings. NOTE – this picture is copyrighted by Kevin Rae and licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence.

Garvald and Barra Parish Church – where earlier Dempsters worshipped and were buried! NOTE – this picture is copyrighted by James Denham and licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence.

For other great photos of Garvald, East Lothian, Scotland and the British Isles I highly recommend the following website! http://www.geograph.org.uk/

For wonderful maps of Garvald and beyond – and to see the relationships of the various places mentioned above, I recommend you visit the website of the Gazetteer for Scotland - http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/gaztitle.html