At a Scottish Dance in Rochester he met his future wife, Isobella Scott, who emigrated from Glasgow in July of 1922. He recognized her immediately because he had seen her before, eating her lunch in George’s Square in Glasgow the year before while she was on a break from her secretarial job in the city, and he had been running an errand in the city for his uncle. They married on February 20 ^th 1926 in Amsterdam, New York.

Andrew and Isobel had three daughters, eleven grandchildren, who were all reared on brave tales of the wonders of Port Glasgow. His nine grandsons were all taught to play football, or soccer, as it is called in the states as well as baseball which was the usual sport played. As his granddaughter, at my request for him to build me a flower box for my bedroom window, he built a box that could "go to sea" and my father refused to hang it on the house!

When he passed away at age 90, he left me his mementos of Port Glasgow, which included the booklet, THE PORT Past-Present 1775-1975. Also, the family heirloom photograph of his Grandfather, John Roberts a figurehead carver in his workshop in the port and a desire to someday see this place which he spoke of so lovingly all his life. Thus far, one of his daughters and one of his grandchildren has been able to visit Port Glasgow from the USA….I am that grand daughter and have passed on the passion for visiting the area that shaped our early families lives to my children and grandchildren.

Denise 2007

On December 31 ^st 1875 he married Susan Cochrane, daughter of James Cochrane and Matilda Williams, also of Port Glasgow in St. Mary's Church. To John and Susan Roberts were born six sons and two daughters.
The family lived at first on Crawford Street and then moved to his workshop building on West Quay, known as the Customhouse Quay Building. He worked and is listed in census returns as a Master Carver and Gilder and later as a stone carver as well

When Denise found the site she was pleased to be able to see so much information about the town having grown up hearing stories of the area and the people who lived here. She described her ancestors as " not rich or famous, but include some interesting  characters."
She was kind enough to put some details and photographs together for me to share with you here and I think you will agree it is indeed an interesting family tree.

From my grandfather, Andrew Roberts Christie, grandson of John Roberts, I received correspondence and a newspaper article dated 1974, that he had from his niece in Australia about the figurehead from the ship Glenpark, which had gone down off Wedge Island in Coffin Bay in 1901. This was a figurehead John Roberts carved in Port Glasgow for A. Roger and Company in 1897 and had been found and restored by an Australian couple. This figurehead now is in the South Australian Maritime Museum in Port Adelaide, Australia. There is at least one other figurehead in existence that was carved by John Roberts in Port Glasgow, the figurehead from the Port Stanley, a windjammer, built in 1890 by Russell and Company. The Port Stanley was broken up for scrap in Troon the 1920’s. Stories tell of how the figurehead was floated across the harbor to be anchored on a building in Troon harbor. This figurehead nicknamed the “Painted Lady” is now in the ownership of a maritime antique specialist in Irvine.

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This page last modified on Friday, April 02, 2010