This is a very interesting family. It is the only known branch of the family, in the USA, which uses all three major family names, HOBKIRK, HABKIRK, and HOPKIRK.
George HOBKIRK was born 13 July 1797 and christened 6 August 1797 in Crailing, Roxborougshire, Scotland, the son of George HOBKIRK and Helen PORTEOUS. Crailing is located 4 miles northeast of Jedburgh. George passed away on 16 December 1840, and is buried at Edwardsburgh Church yard, County of Grenville, Ontario, Canada. Given Scottish naming traditions, since the second daughter is named Helen, his mother should be named Helen. Since the first son is named James, normally his father would be named James, but if there is a death in the family, there may be a break in the naming sequence. There are no George's in the I.G.I files with parents named James and Helen. George HOBKIRK and Helen PORTEOUS are the only couple with a son named George born in the proper vicinty and they are also the only couple with one of the expected parents names, i.e. Helen. There is a remote chance that George could be a son of James Hobkirk and Helen Hislop of Peebles, but that is some distance from Jedburgh, and there is no record of a George born to this couple.
George HOBKIRK married Margaret SPOTSWOOD on January 17, 1821 in Maxton, Roxburghshire, Scotland. Maxton is located about 8 miles north of Jedburgh, near St. Boswell's and the Dryburgh Abbey(the burial place of Sir Walter Scott), near the river Tweed.
Margaret SPOTSWOOD was born 2 Sep 1799 in Maxton, Roxboroughshire, Scotland. the daughter of Robert SPOTSWOOD and Elizabeth FRATER. Margaret passed away on 30 June 1875 in Lisbon, St. Lawrence County, New York. Margaret is buried at the Congregation Church in Lisbon. Scottish naming patterns dictate that the first daughter is named after the mother's mother, and the second son should be named after the mother's father, and this matches perfectly. Also, the 1834 family bible records Margaret and George's marriage in the same town as Margaret was born.
The families first four children were born in the Parish of Bedrule, Roxburghshire, Scotland. Bedrule is located about 4 miles west of Jedburgh and about 8 miles east of Hawick, Scotland. The family then moved to Edwardsburgh, County of Grenville, Ontario, Canada, around 1830. Around 1834 the family moved to northwestern New York State, in St. Lawrence County, Lisbon Township. The part of the family that remained in New York, is now using the name HOBKIRK, although the 1880 census lists the family as HOPKIRK, and there are also some newspaper articles around the turn of the century where the name is listed as HOPKIRK. The part of the family that moved to Michigan uses the name HABKIRK.
We find the family of George HOBKIRK in the 1840 census in Lisbon, St. Lawrence County, New York, listing 2 males under 5, 2 males aged 5-10 years, 1 male 40-50, 2 females aged 10-15, and one female aged 40-50.
The 1850 census in Lisbon, St. Lawrence County, New York has the following HOBKIRK family: Margaret, age 50, Helen age 24, James age 21, all born in Scotland, George age 16 and Joseph age 15 born in Canada, William age 12 and Elizabeth age 9 born in New York.
Following is a list of the known children of this couple, as recorded in the family bible dated 1834, and held by the son of Ivan Dilzon HABKIRK:
Elisabeth, born 8 June 1824, Parish of Bedrule, Rox.
Elisabeth passed away on 3 July 1827,
and was buried in the Jedburgh Church
yard, Roxboroughshire, Scotland
Helen, born 12 December 1825, Parish of Bedrule, Roxboroughshire, Scotland.
Margaret, born 8 September 1827, Parish of Bedrule, Roxboroughshire, Scotland.
James, born 1 April 1829, Parish of Bedrule, Roxburghshire, Scotland
Robert, born 25 August 1831 at Edwardsburgh, County
of Grenville, Ontario.
Robert passed away
on 24 April 1834 and was
buried in the Edwardsburgh
Church yard, County of Grenville, Ontario.
George, born 12 August 1833 at Edwardsburgh, County
of Grenville, Ontario.
George passed away on 31
Janaury 1858 in Lisbon, St. Lawrence County, New York.
View
gravestone.
Joseph, born 2 April 1835 in Lisbon, St. Lawrence
County, New York(this could be the Joseph Hopkirk,
listed in the 1880 U.S.
census as living in the 4th Ward, Ogdensburg, St. Lawrence County,
N.Y.,
a laborer, age 46, born
in Canada.)
William, born 26 August
1837 at Lisbon, St. Lawrence County, New York. (initial info came from
Florence Theta
Habkirk-Hathley) (This is the source of the USA
HABKIRKS)
Elizabeth, born 18 May 1841 in Lisbon, St. Lawrence County, New York. Elizabeth passed away on 8 February 1861 in Lisbon.
The 1860 census lists Margaret HOBKIRK as 60 years old, a farmer. Real
Estate is valued at $8,000 and personal property valued at $1,400. She was
born in Scotland, all the other residents of the household were born
in New York. The others in the household were:
William HOBKIRK, age 24
Elizabeth HOBKIRK, age 19
Abraham Rans, age 16
Catherine H???, age 16
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This page was last updated on April 27, 2004
