Robert Chillas & Christian Strachan
Roll of Apprentices - Burgh of Aberdeen 1751 - 1796
Robert Chillas, 9 Sep 1760, son to late Alex Chillas, sometime in Littledovie, with consent of Robert Chillas, in Mains of Littledovie, his uncle, app to Alex Smith, merchant, 6 years after Whitsunday 1752, no fee.
This is Robert Chillas, baptised Nov 1736 Alford to Alexander Chillas in Seats, witness Robert Chillas in Little Endovie. Robert became a candlemaker.
An Alexander Chillas married Janet Hunter 1725 Kincardine O’Neill. This would appear to be Robert’s father.
Uncle Robert Chillas of Mains of Little Endovie appears as a Burgess of Inverurie in 1736. Robert and Alexander were the children of Alexander Chillas who is probably the Alexander Chillas who appears in the 1695 Poll Tax records for the parish of Lumphanan living at Blelack.
Robert, candlemaker, appears on a list of men in Aberdeen fit for military service in 1759 aged 21 living at Nether Kirkgate Port Brae Head.
Robert and his wife, Christian Strachan, had children baptised in the parish of St Nicholas, Aberdeen:
Robert b 1765, died 1770 buried St Nicholas churchyard
Alexander b 1766, possibly married Elspet Smith, Drumoak 1806
James b 1768, possibly died 1770 Aberdeen
Arthur b 1770, m Isabella Cochran 1795 Paisley
The family next appear in Greenock
Robert Chillas b 1772 Greenock m Elison Anderson 1792 Glasgow
And then in New York
Isabel b 1779, Trinity Church Parish, New York
Jane b 1781, Trinity Church Parish, New York
And then in New Brunswick, Canada
John b circa 1783 New Brunswick m Maria Brown
Elizabeth b 1786, St John River, New Brunswick m Henry Frost
And then back in Aberdeen
George b 1790 St John’s Episcopal Chapel
The family may have returned to North America, as I can find no Scottish records for the family after this date. Robert’s grandson David Chillas died in New York in 1843, his place of birth given as Kilbarchan, Renfrewshire, son of Arthur Chillas and Isabella Cochran.
A record appears of a death of a Christian Challis in the State of Maine, USA, in 1824, aged 78, wife of Robert Challis Esq. The State of Maine borders on New Brunswick. A birth date of 1746 would fit Christian Strachan’s as she gave birth to her first child in 1765 and her last child in 1790. A Christian Strachan was baptised 1746 in the parish of Kemnay to William Strachan. This is also the only recorded baptism in Aberdeenshire that would fit the profile of births for Christian Strachan, wife of Robert Chillas.
I would welcome contact with anyone researching this family.