Robert Sibbald McLeish
ID # 8490, (1848-1941)
| Father | George McLeish (1772-1847) |
| Mother | Margaret Erskine (1792-1877) |
| Birth | Robert Sibbald McLeish was born on 15 January 1848 at Branchton, Canada West. |
| Christening | He was christened on 30 October 1848 at First Church, Galt. |
| Marriage | He married Jane McBean, daughter of Alexander McBean and Jane Milroy, on 15 April 1874 at Detroit, Wayne Co., Michigan. For the marriage registration of Robert McLeish and Jane McBean, an image has not been found. Ancestry has a database (transcription only) of Michigan Marriages, 1822-1995, and the marriage of Robert and Jane has been found as follows: Robert McLeish, age 26, was married on 15 April, 1874, ethnicity American. Birth year estimated approx 1848, at Branchton, Ontario. Spouses name Jane McBain, age 21, estimated year of birth 1853. Place of birth Branchton, Ontario. Place of marriage Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan, United States. |
| Death | He died on 29 May 1941 at Detroit, Wayne Co., Michigan, at age 93. |
| Burial | He was buried on 31 May 1941 at Grand Lawn Cemetery, Detroit, Michigan. |
| Note | Robert McLeish was probably not the biological son of Margaret Erskine McLeish. He was born in January of 1848, best as may be told. This approximate date is to be found in the 1900 U.S. census in Detroit; his full date of birth as shown on his death registration is 15 January, 1848. George McLeish, Margaret Erskine's husband, died in January of 1847, a full year before Robert's birth. Add to that, when Margaret died in 1877, she was said to be 84. She was born in approximately 1792 and would have been at least 55 when Robert was born. Still, we must believe that Robert considered Margaret to be his mother. Certainly, he named his son Erskine. This information may be gleaned from U.S. censuses, not to mention Erskine's death registration, dated March 4, 1941, which names his father as Robert McLeish and places his birth in Canada. Which brings us to Robert's baptism as First Church in Galt and, reading the entries, this is easily glossed over at first glance. Rev. James Strang made the entries in First Church's baptism book. He entered the name of the child, the date of the baptism, and he numbered the baptisms. He did not enter the names of the parents. Still, we are on reasonably safe ground with the following entry: Nbr. 486. Oct. 30, 1848, Robert Sibbald .......McLeish Initially, Robert's name was entered with the name Sibbald, as though it was the full name. McLeish was added underneath, almost as an afterthought. Which may not mean anything. These add-ons appear elsewhere in the baptism pages. It isn't reasonable, however, that anyone else other than Robert McLeish was intended. (The name Sibbald has been sought from several angles, but no reasonable candidate for a Sibbald family for Robert has been found. Also, considering the way Robert's name is entered on the baptism record, it seems reasonable to show Sibbald as his middle name, though it must be said that no confirming evidence beyond the baptism entry has been found.) Certainly, Robert, age 4, is with his widowed mother Margaret and older siblings as of the 1851 census at North Dumfries, enumeration of which was not begun until January 4, 1852. Add to that, the birth question for this census was: What is your age as of your next birthday? Robert is shown as age 4, as of his next birthday if the question was asked aright. Robert's last appearance in a Canadian census is that of 1871 when he is still with his mother and his brother George in North Dumfries Township. Robert is shown as age 23. Robert appears in Detroit in the 1880 census with two daughters and his wife Jane (McBean). She is the daughter of Alexander McBean and Jane Milroy and their farm was close to the McLeish farm in North Dumfries. With them in 1880 are shown two daughters, ages 5 and 3. Robert appears in later census years through to the 1940 census. Information on his death registration is limited, possibly errored, but does show his place of birth as Branchton, which was close to the McLeish family farm. The 1900 U.S. census shows Robert and Jane coming to the United States in 1873. Death Registration Certificate of Death Robert McLeish died May 29, 1941, at 872 Pallister, Detroit, Wayne County. This was also his residence. Robert is said to be a resident of the community for some 60 years. His place of death was also his residence. Robert's wife was Jane McBean. His date of birth was Jan. 15, 1848. Age at time of death 93 yrs., 4 mos., 14 dys. Place of birth Branchton, Ontario, Canada. Occupation Taylor McLeish Co., wholesale groceries. Father Robert McLeish (?), born Scotland, mother's name unknown. Physician G. Thomas McKean, M.D. Informant Mrs. M. Torney, Mountclair, N.J. Burial Detroit at Grand Lawn Cemetery, May 31, 1941. Best information, in part found in the 1832 census of East Dumfries, which is to say Dumfries township east of the Grand River, tells that the McLeish farm was on a part of lot 4 of the 8th concession of old Dumfries Township and then later of North Dumfries Township. The 1861 Tremaine map of the township appears to verify this, or at least close. Andrew Taylor's Our Todays and Yesterdays, until at least recently available from the North Dumfries Township office, has the Tremaine map as an attachment and it's quite clear and readable. This place the McLeish farm just a bit north of the village of Branchton on what today would be called the Branchton Road. |
| Last Edited | 6 Mar 2021 |