h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hello Two7Right,

I am writing to you about your post regarding James Hubbert who is an ancestor of mine. It was wonderful to be able to read your fantastic research and gave me a lovely insight into the person I am descended from - I truly want to thank you for your work in this area!

I have done a little research of my own about James. In your post you mentioned that:

"Nothing further is known of James Hubbert until the death of his wife Mary Ann on 13th September 1860. James Hubbert had by then appeared at Paisley in Scotland. What James Hubbert was doing in Paisley is not known although he may well have returned to watchmaking. "

I think I have some more information about James in Paisley...

It would seem that his daughter Louise/Louisa married Robert McGinnigle. He was a travelling jewellery salesman and was quite a bit older than her. When looking across different records that I have found for them both it is clear that they lied about their ages on the marriage certificate (and various other forms), and it is also clear that Louise was expecting their child before they were married.

It would seem that Robert met Louise, she became pregnant, and James got involved by ensuring that they married (I gather this from the fact that they were married at Paisley Barracks where James was Barrack sergeant at the time). Robert ended up in an Asylum (thinking that Louise was trying to poison him), their marriage was an unhappy one with the Glasgow Poor Law inspector noting on their application that they were a "bad drunken lot" and that Louise was "smelling of drink".

Following on from this, their son Robert ended up in and out of prison throughout his life, as did his son after him.

Not the happiest of stories but hopefully fascinating to you all the same. I was quite eager to let you know of my findings and shall leave it with you.

Hoping this helps to fill in the gap of James in Paisley.

Best wishes,
NB