George Downie and Ann Robertson
Millwright
b 1776
Walston, Lanarkshire
d 1854
Penicuik, Midlothian
b
d
m 29 July 1794, St. Cuthbert's, Edinburgh
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George Downie
Slater and Innkeper
b 1796-7, Midlothian
d 5 April 1846, Juniper Green, Colinton, Midlothian
m
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Ann Robertson
Spirit Retailer, Public House, Juniper Green
b 7 April 1799, West Linton, Peeblesshire
d 10 November 1862 Juniper Green, Colinton, Midlothian
m 24 November 1820, Penicuik, Midlothian
David Downie
Gardener
b 18 March 1821
Penicuik, Midlothian
d 21 October 1875
Colinton, Midlothian
Thomas Downie
House Carpenter
b 12 October 1822
Currie, Midlothian
d after May 1841
George Downie
Millwright (Master)
b 1 August 1826
Currie, Midlothian
d 22 August 1902
St George, Edinburgh
Margaret Downie
b 18 January 1829
Penicuik, Midlothian
d 22 June 1844
Currie, Midlothian
No record has been found so far of the birth of George Downie and, because he died before Statutory Registration began in 1855, his burial record does not identify his parentage. His date of birth comes from the 1841 Census in Juniper Green, when his age was given as 40 (rounded down, so between 40 and 44) and he is recorded as having been born in Midlothian. His burial record gives his age as 49, which puts his date of birth as between 1796 and 1797, though sometimes the records are based on "in his xxth year" so he could have been aged 48. The documentary evidence to support his parentage is that he lived in the same area as known children of David Downie and Mary Kerr, that he named his first son David, and that a David Downie Senior and George Downie were the witnesses at the 1823 baptism of David Downie in Currie, son of David Downie, Slater.
In late 2023, Bryan Downie, a direct descendant of James Downie, youngest son of David Downie and Mary Kerr, took a Y-DNA 37 marker test which proved to be an exact match with the 37 marker results for Ian Downie, a direct descendant of George Downie. This result goes a very long way towards providing that George and James were brothers, and sons of David Downie and Mary Kerr, in the absence of direct, documentary proof.
