Robert Stenhouse

Robert Stenhouse and his family lived at No. 1 from 1876 to 1882.¹ When he moved to Malta Terrace, he was assistant secretary to the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. Robert Stenhouse was born about 1838 at Kincardine on Forth, son of Robert Stenhouse and Helen Drysdale.² By 1851, the family had moved to Alva, Clackmannanshire where Robert senior worked in a woollen mill.³

Robert Stenhouse junior remained in Alva until late 1870, working as a druggist or chemist while also running the local post office and stationery shop. In November 1870 his appointment as manager of a new branch of the Glasgow chemists Frazer & Green, at 1 Belmont Road, was advertised.⁴ But in December he was arrested and charged with embezzling the Post Office⁵ and was held in Stirling prison until his trial on 27 April 1871.⁶ He pleaded guilty to the charges of breach of trust and embezzlement, admitting temporarily using Post Office funds for his own use and stealing a letter containing a passenger’s ticket to America. Despite a plea for leniency from prominent citizens of Alva, who stated they knew Robert Stenhouse to be ‘uniformly kind and obliging,’ upright and a favourite in the town, he was convicted and sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment.⁷

On his release from prison, Robert Stenhouse went back to Glasgow in 1872, joining his wife and family at 9 Willowbank Street. Directories list him as employed by Frazer & Green at their Buchanan Street branch between 1873 and 1876.⁸

In 1876 Robert Stenhouse moved to Edinburgh as Assistant Secretary of the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. He returned to Glasgow in 1883 and lived at 9 Arlington Road.⁹ He died there, of pneumonia, on 14 December 1887, ten months after the death of his eldest son. His death registration described him as an assistant chemist.¹⁰

Robert Stenhouse married Margaret McNicol on 04 March 1864, at Ardrossan, Ayrshire.¹¹ Margaret McNicol was born at Ardrossan on 01 May 1839, daughter of William McNicol, a farm manager on Bute, and Mary Fullerton.¹² When her husband was in prison (1871-72) she lived at 9 Arlington Street, Hillhead, Glasgow.¹³ She remained there until her death in 1911.^{14, 15}

Seven children of Robert Stenhouse and Margaret McNicol were recorded at No. 1 Malta Terrace in the 1881 census.¹⁶ Their son, Archibald Fullerton McNicol Stenhouse, had died there on 1 August 1876, aged 6, five years before.¹⁷ The other children were:

• Mary Drysdale Stenhouse was born at Alva, Clackmannanshire on 19 December 1864.¹⁸ She died aged 19 at Shiskine, Arran on 31 May 1884.¹⁹
• Robert Stenhouse was born at Alva on 22 February 1867.²⁰ He died of tuberculosis at 9 Arlington Street, Glasgow on 16 April 1887.²¹
• William Stenhouse was born at Alva on 20 February 1869.²² He was a stationer’s assistant in 1891, living with his parents.²³ In 1893 he married Hilda McAllister.²⁴ They were living at 23 St Clair Street in 1901, when his occupation was stationer’s cutter.²⁵ He died in Glasgow on 11 November 1944.²⁶
• John Alexander Stenhouse was born at 9 Willowbank Street, Glasgow on 25 June 1875.²⁷ In 1891 he was described as a mercantile clerk, aged 15.²³
• Ellen Drysdale Stenhouse was born at No. 1 Malta Terrace on 22 November 1876.²⁸ She was a hospital nurse in 1911²⁹ and died unmarried in Glasgow in 1956.³⁰
• Isabella Stenhouse was born at No. 1 Malta Terrace on 25 December 1877.³¹ She was a shop assistant in a ladies outfitters in 1911³² and described as a retired draper’s assistant in 1956. She died unmarried in Glasgow on 20 December 1956.³³
• Margaret Stenhouse was born at No. 1 Malta Terrace on 11 January 1881.³⁴ She was unmarried and living with her mother and sisters at 9 Arlington Street, Glasgow in 1911.¹⁴ In 1915 she married William Girvan Cowan,³⁵ a former (acting) sergeant in the Gordon Highlanders, discharged on 20 July 1915 due to ill health.³⁶ He worked as a water meter inspector, but died of liver disease, aged 36, on 26 February 1918.³⁷ She died of lung cancer at 26 Montague Street, Glasgow on 16 August 1955.³⁸

1. PO Directories 1876-77 to 1882-83.
2. Census records. Scotland. Alva, Clackmannanshire. 30 March 1851. STENHOUSE, Robert. 470/ 02/ 27. Ancestry collection ‘1851 Scotland Census.’ https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 09 September 2024.
3. [3]Census records. Scotland. Alva, Clackmannanshire. 30 March 1851. STENHOUSE, Robert. 470/ 02/ 27. Ancestry collection ‘1851 Scotland Census.’ https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 09 September 2024.
4. Advertisements. North British Daily Mail. 10 November 1870. p. 1, col. 3. https://britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk: accessed 09 September 2024.
5. ‘Charge of Embezzlement.’ Alloa Advertiser. 03 December 1870. p. 2, col. 5. https://britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk: accessed 09 September 2024.
6. ‘Mr Stenhouse.’ Alloa Advertiser. 17 December 1870. p. 3, col. 5. https://britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk: accessed 09 September 2024.
7. ‘Breach of Trust and Embezzlement.’ Alloa Advertiser. 17 December 1870. p. 3, col. 5. https://britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk: accessed 09 September 2024.
8. PO Directories. Glasgow. 1873-74 to 1875-76.
9. PO Directory. Glasgow. 1883-84.
10. Deaths (SR) Scotland. Kelvin, Glasgow. 16 December 1887. STENHOUSE, Robert. 644/9 1168. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 13 September 2024.
11. Marriages (SR) Scotland. Ardrossan, Ayrshire. 04 March 1864. STENHOUSE, Robert and McNICOL, Margaret. 576/2 05. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 08 September 2024.
12. Baptisms (OPR) Scotland. Ardrossan, Ayrshire. 01 May 1839. McNICOL, Margaret. 576/ 20/ 129. Ancestry collection ‘Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950.’ https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 13 September 2024.
13. Census records. Scotland. Milton, Glasgow. 02 April 1871. STENHOUSE, Margaret. 644/7 104/ 05. Ancestry collection ‘1871 Scotland Census.’ https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 13 September 2024.
14. Census records. Scotland. Hillhead, Glasgow. 02 April 1911. STENHOUSE, Margaret. 644/12 11/ 32. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 10 September 2024.
15. Deaths index (SR) Scotland. Hillhead, Glasgow. 1911. STENHOUSE, Margaret. 644/12 456. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 10 September 2024.
16. Census records. Scotland. St George, Edinburgh. 03 April 1881. STENHOUSE, Robert (Head). 685/1 117/ 08. Ancestry collection’1881 Scotland Census.’ https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 13 September 2024.
17. Death announcements. Scotland. Dundee Courier. 03 August 1876. STENHOUSE. p. 4, col. 6. https://britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk: accessed 08 September 2024.
18. Births (SR) Scotland. Alva, Stirlingshire. 19 December 1864. STENHOUSE, Mary Drysdale. 470/ 153. Ancestry collection ‘Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950.’ https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 12 September 2024.
19. Death announcements. Scotland. Rothesay Chronicle. 07 June 1884. STENHOUSE. p. 2, col, 3. https://britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk: accessed 10 September 2024.
20. Births (SR) Scotland. Alva, Stirlingshire. 22 February 1867. STENHOUSE, Robert. 470/ 26. Ancestry collection ‘Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950.’ https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 12 September 2024.
21. Deaths (SR) Scotland. Kelvin, Glasgow. 18 April 1887. STENHOUSE, Robert. 644/9 408. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 08 September 2024.
22. Births (SR) Scotland. Alva, Clackmannanshire. 20 February 1869. STENHOUSE, William McNicol Fife. 470/ 31. Ancestry collection ‘Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950.’ https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 10 September 2024.
23. Census records. Scotland. Kelvin, Glasgow. 05 April 1891. STENHOUSE, William. 644/9 56/ 17. Ancestry collection ‘1891 Scotland Census.’ https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 10 September 2024.
24. Marriages index (SR) Scotland. Kelvin, Glasgow. 1893. STENHOUSE, William and McALLISTER, Hilda. 644/9 67. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 12 September 2024.
25. Census records. Scotland. Kelvin, Glasgow. 31 March 1901. STENHOUSE, William. 644/9 66/ 18. Ancestry collection ‘1901 Scotland Census.’ https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 12 September 2024.
26. Deaths (SR) Scotland. Springburn, Glasgow. 13 November 1944. STENHOUSE, William. 644/5 1454. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 12 September 2024.
27. Births (SR) Scotland. Kelvin, Glasgow. 15 July 1875. STENHOUSE, John Alexander. 644/9 854. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 08 September 2024.
28. Births (SR) Scotland. St George, Edinburgh. 05 December 1876. STENHOUSE, Ellen Drysdale. 685/1 1928. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 08 September 2024.
29. Census records. Scotland. Hillhead, Glasgow. 02 April 1911. STENHOUSE, Helen. 644/12 11/ 32. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 10 September 2024.
30. Deaths index (SR) Scotland. Kelvin, Glasgow. 1956. STENHOUSE, Ellen Drysdale. 644/7 1574. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 08 September 2024.
31. Births (SR) Scotland. St George, Edinburgh. 14 January 1878. STENHOUSE, Isabella McNicol. 685/1 81. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 08 September 2024.
32. Census records. Scotland. Hillhead, Glasgow. 02 April 1911. STENHOUSE, Isabella. 644/12 11/ 32. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 10 September 2024.
33. Deaths (SR) Scotland. Dennistoun, Glasgow. 21 December 1956. STENHOUSE, Isabella McNicol. 644/3 1657. https://scotlandspeople.co.uk: accessed 08 September 2024.
34. Birth announcements. Scotland. The Scotsman. 13 January 1881. STENHOUSE. p. 8, col. 7. https://britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk: accessed 12 September 2024.
35. Marriages index (SR) Scotland. Hillhead, Glasgow. 1915. COWAN, William Girvan and STENHOUSE, Margaret McNicol. 644/12 103. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 10 September 2024.
36. War Office. Service Medal and Award Rolls, First World War. Silver War Badge. 19 October 1916. WO 329/3243. Ancestry collection ‘UK, Silver War Badge Records, 1914-1920.’ https://ancestry.co.uk: accessed 12 September 2024.
37. Deaths (SR) Scotland. Hillhead, Glasgow. 26 February 1918. COWAN, William Girvan. 644/12 197. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 10 September 2024.
38. Deaths (SR) Scotland. Kelvingrove, Glasgow. 16 August 1955. COWAN, Margaret. 644/9 429. https://scotlandspeople.gov.uk: accessed 10 September 2024.