At work - Robert Menzies (1826-1897)

I’ve written about Robert Menzies’ wife, Sarah Borland, and his brother, William Menzies, but I’ve yet to write about Robert himself. 

Unidentified photo from Menzies side of the family, maybe Robert

Robert was born in Antrim, Ireland about 1826 to Samuel Menzies and Jane Barr. Samuel was a laborer and the family must have been poor. Before 1841 Robert emigrated from Ireland to the bustling Port Glasgow Scotland. In 1841 he was living with a family of Barrs, likely relatives on his mother’s side. Robert was a canvas weaver and was probably making canvas to supply it for sails and other equipment for the ships sailing out of Port Glasgow. On August 3^rd 1846 Robert married Sarah Borland, another Irish immigrant whose family lived nearby. In 1851 Robert and Sarah were still living in Port Glasgow and Robert was still working as a canvas weaver, as was his brother in law and a boarder living with them.

Sadly Sarah died young soon after and Robert was left with two young children. In 1855 he married Ann Black, another Irish immigrate. They were married by James Starke, the minister at the Free Well Park Church, a Free Church of Scotland congregation. Robert or Ann may have been members there, and it seems likely that Robert was a member of the Free church or another dissenting group as none of his children’s baptisms appear in existing established church records. His daughter was later describe as a “life-long member” of the Reformed Presbyterian Church and Robert was likely part of that church at some point.

It was around the time of his marriage that Robert made a career change and moved from Port Glasgow to Greenock. The “Age of the Sail” was coming to an end and likely canvas was not in as much demand. However, the sugar industry was booming. Robert’s brother William was a sugar pansman, both Scotland and Australia, and likely influenced Robert to change his type of work. In 1852 the Sugar refineries of Greenock were employing 700 men and turning out 50,000 tons annually. This would only grow as sugar duties were removed in 1874.

Robert and Ann had seven children together, not counting the two from Robert’s first marriage, and they continued to live and work in Greenock. Though Robert continued as a Sugar pansman until his death it does not appear that any of his children followed him to it. They were Tailoresses, Coppersmiths, maids, Boilermakers, shop Girls, Mill workers, and Message boys, but none seem to have been sugar workers. Robert died of Bronchitis on January 29^th 1897, age seventy one. I have no identified photos of Robert, but there’s one in my unidentified album that I think might be him based on the age of the man in the photo and the date it seems to have been taken.