News 2002

Thank you Canada (28.09.2002)

The response to our query about Joseph Fairholm (see Missing Person, below), has been great. Several of his descendants have contacted us to share information. We have been told that he moved to Canada before World War 1 and had several more children there. It also seems that he is the man born at Derby and so the Derby branch has just gained a lot more members. We hope to post more information on this later. A big 'thank you' to the members of Joseph's family for taking the time to get in touch.

1901 census (28.09.2002)

We have now accessed the PRO website and found the Fairholm and Fairholme entries. Unfortunately, the results do not add greatly to the information we already had.

Another Scottish location (10.08.2002)

Less than 2 kilometres to the west of the centre of the town of Lockerbie is a farm called Fairholm. From information provided by the local library service it seems that the farm was associated with the Johnstone family from at least the mid 1500s until at least the early 1800s. The Johnstones were an extensive family with equally extensive land holdings. They were linked to the Lugate branch [now renamed the Edinburghshire & Scottish borders branch] through the marriages of John Fairholm and his daughter, Sophia Fairholm. A small roman fort is located nearby.

Bill Ferme of Australia (07.08.2002)

Sorry, but we still can't get to you. Could you email a postal address and we could send something that way?

Missing person - can anyone help? (29.06.2002)

We are trying to trace details of a Joseph Fairholm who was born on 17.10.1866 at Derby. We know he was in the army in India and Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) and later lived in Africa - possibly Kenya. We have found military records for a Joseph in India and Ceylon, up to 1902, but not all the details match. This man married twice in Ceylon: Annie Isabel Maud Dickson in 1896 and Amy Beatrice Robinson in 1901. We also have information about this man's children born in Ceylon and England between 1902 and 1912 (Amy Mona, Henry William, Arthur John, Alfred William Ernest and Percival Eric). What we don't know is whether this is the man born in Derby and what happened to him and his family after September 1912 when he is recorded as a master baker (previously he was a tea dealer). Can anyone help?

New island discovered (10.02.2002)

We have found a copy of an 1880 map showing a Fairholme Island, off King William Island, Nunavut, Canada. It seems that it was named after James Walter Fairholme of the Lugate branch [now renamed the Edinburghshire & Scottish borders branch] who was lost on the Franklin Expedition of 1845. This is in addition to the island and bay mentioned on the World branches page which also seem to be named after him.

Other possible sources of the surnames (10.02.2002)

In North Yorkshire, England there are two nearby farms called Fairholme (previously, Near or First) and Far Fairholme. Another farm called Fairholme was located near to Harrogate. We have a lead on some historical information on the first pair and will add further details as we get them.