Robert Glasgow

BiographyParentage and early life
Robert Glasgow was born probably in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland. His current estimated birth year of about 1583 is uncertain.

He was the son of Ninian Glasgow and Jonet Meik. His parentage is supported by two independent testamentary records:

* Jonet Meik’s 1607 testament identifies Robert as her son.
* Ninian Glasgow’s 1613 testament independently identifies Robert as his son. National Records of Scotland, Glasgow Commissary Court, CC9/7/5, testament of Jonet Meik, 1607, identifying Robert as her son; and CC9/7/9, testament of Ninian Glasgow, 1613, independently identifying Robert as his son. Transcriptions are recorded on the associated WikiTree profiles. 

Robert was an adult by 1613, when he was named as executor in his father’s testament. No baptismal record for Robert has yet been identified, so neither the current estimate of about 1583 nor the earlier estimate of about 1575 should be treated as exact.
Cordiner, burgess and guild brother
The 1613 Glasgow burgess roll records a Robert Glasgow, cordiner, who was admitted as a burgess and guild brother as heir of a burgess. James R. Anderson, editor, Burgesses & Guild Brethren of Glasgow, 1573–1750 (Glasgow, 1925), entry for Robert Glasgow, cordiner, in the 1613 roll. 

A cordiner worked in leather, commonly as a shoemaker. The timing, name and civic status make this man a strong match for Ninian Glasgow’s testament-proved son Robert. The burgess entry itself does not name the previous burgess from whom Robert inherited his entitlement, so the identification should be described as highly probable rather than independently proved by that record.

His admission establishes that the matching Robert held recognised status within the Glasgow burgh community.
Marriage
Robert was associated with Jonet Conynghame, whose surname also appears as Cunningham. Glasgow parish records name Robert Glasgow and Jonet Conynghame or Cunningham as parents of several children baptised between 1614 and 1627.

The surviving evidence cited here establishes them as a parental couple. Any exact marriage date or place requires a separate marriage or contract record.
Children
Glasgow Old Parish Register entries attribute the following children to Robert Glasgow and Jonet Conynghame:

* Ninian Glasgow, recorded 6 January 1614
* Jonathan Glasgow, recorded 18 May 1615
* Elizabethe Glasgow, recorded 15 December 1616
* Robert Glasgow, baptised 17 November 1618
* Bessie Glasgow, recorded 24 January 1623
* Elizabeth Glasgow, recorded 24 August 1625
* Catherine Glasgow, recorded 2 October 1627

The 1618 entry records:

Robert lawful sone to Robert Glasgow & Jonet Conynghame - Godf: John & George Glasgowis.

This directly supports Robert Glasgow as their son. National Records of Scotland, Glasgow High Kirk Old Parish Register 644/1, reported reference 10/272, baptism of Robert Glasgow, 17 November 1618; transcription: "Robert lawful sone to Robert Glasgow & Jonet Conynghame - Godf: John & George Glasgowis." 

The later Elizabeth may have been named after the older Elizabethe if the first child had died, but that interpretation has not been confirmed by a burial record or another contemporary source.
George and John Glasgow
John Glasgow and George Glasgow appear as witnesses or sponsors in the 1618 baptism of Robert’s son.

George Glasgow also appears in records associated with other members of the family. The repeated association suggests that he was a close relative of Robert, possibly a brother or cousin. No cited record presently states their exact relationship.

George should therefore not be attached or described as Robert’s certain brother without further evidence.
Later life
No precise death date or place has been established for Robert.

His documented association with Glasgow as a cordiner, burgess, guild brother and parent places him there during the early seventeenth century. Later same-name records must be assessed individually rather than assumed to concern this Robert.
Research NotesBirth year
Robert’s birth date is not known.

Two estimates have been proposed:

* about 1575, based on the assumption that he was already a mature adult when acting as executor in 1613
* about 1583, the estimate currently used on the profile

The testament establishes only that Robert was old enough to act as executor in 1613. It does not supply his age or birth year. The birth date should remain uncertain.
Parentage
Robert’s parentage is directly supported by testamentary evidence.

Jonet Meik’s 1607 testament calls Robert her son. Ninian Glasgow’s 1613 testament independently calls him his son. 

The relationships to Ninian Glasgow and Jonet Meik may therefore be marked certain.
Identification with the 1613 cordiner
The 1613 burgess roll identifies a Robert Glasgow as a cordiner who was admitted burgess and guild brother as heir of a burgess. 

This is probably Ninian Glasgow’s son because:

* the name and location agree
* the entry occurs in the year of Ninian’s testament
* Robert was already an adult and executor
* admission as heir of a burgess is compatible with succession within an established Glasgow family

The roll does not explicitly name Ninian as the preceding burgess. The cordiner identification is therefore highly probable, while the testamentary parentage remains the direct proof.
The November 1645 James
A derivative Glasgow parish index assigns a James Glasgow in November 1645 to parents named Robert Glasgow and Jonet Cunningham. "Scotland, Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950," FamilySearch database, James Glasgow, November 1645, parents Robert Glasgow and Jonet Cunningham, FamilySearch record VQHK-VMK (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VQHK-VMK); derived from a Glasgow Old Parish Register entry. 

That entry falls about thirty-one years after the first children attributed to this couple and about twenty-seven years after their son Robert’s baptism.

One couple having children across this entire period is biologically possible, but the same names in different generations, a transcription problem or a child placed one generation too high are at least as plausible.

The best current reconstruction places James Glasgow as the uncertain son of Robert Glasgow, baptised in 1618, and the younger Jonet Cunningham. Under that model, the older Robert and Jonet were James’s probable grandparents.

James should therefore be removed from this older couple’s biographical child list. The alternative one-couple interpretation should remain documented here until the original November 1645 register page has been examined.

The 1645 page should be compared directly with the 1618 entry for:

* occupation
* residence
* witnesses or sponsors
* wording of the event
* neighbouring family entries
* whether the stated date is a birth, baptism or registration date
Duplicate given names
The records presently attributed to this family include Elizabethe in 1616 and Elizabeth in 1625.

Repeated use of the same name often indicates that the older child had died, but it can also result from mistranscription, duplicate indexing or two different couples. The original entries should be reviewed before drawing a firm conclusion.
Later descendants
Claims connecting Robert to Rev. John Glasgow, Alexander Glasgow or Sir Robert Glasgow of Montgreenan require documented parent-to-child evidence through every intervening generation.

Surname recurrence, naming patterns and unsourced online trees are not sufficient proof of descent.
Further research
Useful next records include:

* Complete images or transcriptions of Jonet Meik’s 1607 testament and Ninian Glasgow’s 1613 testament
* The original 1613 burgess-roll entry and related admission records
* Glasgow marriage records or marriage contracts for Robert and Jonet
* Original baptism entries for each proposed child
* The complete November 1645 Glasgow register page
* Burgh court, guild, trade-incorporation and burgess records concerning Robert the cordiner
* Records identifying John and George Glasgow’s relationships to Robert
* Probate, property or burial records distinguishing different men named Robert Glasgow
Sources
* National Records of Scotland, Glasgow Commissary Court, CC9/7/5, testament of Jonet Meik, 1607.
* National Records of Scotland, Glasgow Commissary Court, CC9/7/9, testament of Ninian Glasgow, 1613.
* James R. Anderson, editor, Burgesses & Guild Brethren of Glasgow, 1573–1750 (1925), 1613 roll.
* National Records of Scotland, Glasgow High Kirk Old Parish Register 644/1, reported reference 10/272, baptism of Robert Glasgow, 17 November 1618.
* Glasgow Old Parish Register entries attributed to children of Robert Glasgow and Jonet Conynghame or Cunningham.

{{One Name Study|name=Glasgow}}

== Biography ==

=== Parentage and early life ===

'''Robert Glasgow''' was born probably in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland. His current estimated birth year of about 1583 is uncertain.

He was the son of [[Glasgow-3188|Ninian Glasgow]] and [[Meik-14|Jonet Meik]]. His parentage is supported by two independent testamentary records:

* Jonet Meik’s 1607 testament identifies Robert as her son.
* Ninian Glasgow’s 1613 testament independently identifies Robert as his son.<ref name="ParentTestaments">National Records of Scotland, Glasgow Commissary Court, CC9/7/5, testament of Jonet Meik, 1607, identifying Robert as her son; and CC9/7/9, testament of Ninian Glasgow, 1613, independently identifying Robert as his son. Transcriptions are recorded on the associated WikiTree profiles.</ref>

Robert was an adult by 1613, when he was named as executor in his father’s testament. No baptismal record for Robert has yet been identified, so neither the current estimate of about 1583 nor the earlier estimate of about 1575 should be treated as exact.

=== Cordiner, burgess and guild brother ===

The 1613 Glasgow burgess roll records a '''Robert Glasgow, cordiner''', who was admitted as a burgess and guild brother as heir of a burgess.<ref name="Burgess1613">James R. Anderson, editor, ''Burgesses & Guild Brethren of Glasgow, 1573–1750'' (Glasgow, 1925), entry for Robert Glasgow, cordiner, in the 1613 roll.</ref>

A cordiner worked in leather, commonly as a shoemaker. The timing, name and civic status make this man a strong match for Ninian Glasgow’s testament-proved son Robert. The burgess entry itself does not name the previous burgess from whom Robert inherited his entitlement, so the identification should be described as '''highly probable''' rather than independently proved by that record.

His admission establishes that the matching Robert held recognised status within the Glasgow burgh community.

=== Marriage ===

Robert was associated with '''Jonet Conynghame''', whose surname also appears as '''Cunningham'''. Glasgow parish records name Robert Glasgow and Jonet Conynghame or Cunningham as parents of several children baptised between 1614 and 1627.

The surviving evidence cited here establishes them as a parental couple. Any exact marriage date or place requires a separate marriage or contract record.

=== Children ===

Glasgow Old Parish Register entries attribute the following children to Robert Glasgow and Jonet Conynghame:

* [[Glasgow-1079|Ninian Glasgow]], recorded 6 January 1614
* [[Glasgow-1080|Jonathan Glasgow]], recorded 18 May 1615
* [[Glasgow-1091|Elizabethe Glasgow]], recorded 15 December 1616
* [[Glasgow-1078|Robert Glasgow]], baptised 17 November 1618
* [[Glasgow-1092|Bessie Glasgow]], recorded 24 January 1623
* [[Glasgow-1517|Elizabeth Glasgow]], recorded 24 August 1625
* [[Glasgow-1490|Catherine Glasgow]], recorded 2 October 1627

The 1618 entry records:

<blockquote>
Robert lawful sone to Robert Glasgow & Jonet Conynghame - Godf: John & George Glasgowis.
</blockquote>

This directly supports [[Glasgow-1078|Robert Glasgow]] as their son.<ref name="Robert1618">National Records of Scotland, Glasgow High Kirk Old Parish Register 644/1, reported reference 10/272, baptism of Robert Glasgow, 17 November 1618; transcription: "Robert lawful sone to Robert Glasgow & Jonet Conynghame - Godf: John & George Glasgowis."</ref>

The later Elizabeth may have been named after the older Elizabethe if the first child had died, but that interpretation has not been confirmed by a burial record or another contemporary source.

=== George and John Glasgow ===

John Glasgow and George Glasgow appear as witnesses or sponsors in the 1618 baptism of Robert’s son.

[[Glasgow-1099|George Glasgow]] also appears in records associated with other members of the family. The repeated association suggests that he was a close relative of Robert, possibly a brother or cousin. No cited record presently states their exact relationship.

George should therefore not be attached or described as Robert’s certain brother without further evidence.

=== Later life ===

No precise death date or place has been established for Robert.

His documented association with Glasgow as a cordiner, burgess, guild brother and parent places him there during the early seventeenth century. Later same-name records must be assessed individually rather than assumed to concern this Robert.

== Research Notes ==

=== Birth year ===

Robert’s birth date is not known.

Two estimates have been proposed:

* about 1575, based on the assumption that he was already a mature adult when acting as executor in 1613
* about 1583, the estimate currently used on the profile

The testament establishes only that Robert was old enough to act as executor in 1613. It does not supply his age or birth year. The birth date should remain uncertain.

=== Parentage ===

Robert’s parentage is directly supported by testamentary evidence.

Jonet Meik’s 1607 testament calls Robert her son. Ninian Glasgow’s 1613 testament independently calls him his son.<ref name="ParentTestaments" />

The relationships to [[Glasgow-3188|Ninian Glasgow]] and [[Meik-14|Jonet Meik]] may therefore be marked certain.

=== Identification with the 1613 cordiner ===

The 1613 burgess roll identifies a Robert Glasgow as a cordiner who was admitted burgess and guild brother as heir of a burgess.<ref name="Burgess1613" />

This is probably Ninian Glasgow’s son because:

* the name and location agree
* the entry occurs in the year of Ninian’s testament
* Robert was already an adult and executor
* admission as heir of a burgess is compatible with succession within an established Glasgow family

The roll does not explicitly name Ninian as the preceding burgess. The cordiner identification is therefore highly probable, while the testamentary parentage remains the direct proof.

=== The November 1645 James ===

A derivative Glasgow parish index assigns a James Glasgow in November 1645 to parents named Robert Glasgow and Jonet Cunningham.<ref name="James1645">"Scotland, Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950," FamilySearch database, James Glasgow, November 1645, parents Robert Glasgow and Jonet Cunningham, [https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VQHK-VMK FamilySearch record VQHK-VMK]; derived from a Glasgow Old Parish Register entry.</ref>

That entry falls about thirty-one years after the first children attributed to this couple and about twenty-seven years after their son Robert’s baptism.

One couple having children across this entire period is biologically possible, but the same names in different generations, a transcription problem or a child placed one generation too high are at least as plausible.

The best current reconstruction places [[Glasgow-1081|James Glasgow]] as the uncertain son of [[Glasgow-1078|Robert Glasgow]], baptised in 1618, and the younger [[Cunningham-22604|Jonet Cunningham]]. Under that model, the older Robert and Jonet were James’s probable grandparents.

James should therefore be removed from this older couple’s biographical child list. The alternative one-couple interpretation should remain documented here until the original November 1645 register page has been examined.

The 1645 page should be compared directly with the 1618 entry for:

* occupation
* residence
* witnesses or sponsors
* wording of the event
* neighbouring family entries
* whether the stated date is a birth, baptism or registration date

=== Duplicate given names ===

The records presently attributed to this family include Elizabethe in 1616 and Elizabeth in 1625.

Repeated use of the same name often indicates that the older child had died, but it can also result from mistranscription, duplicate indexing or two different couples. The original entries should be reviewed before drawing a firm conclusion.

=== Later descendants ===

Claims connecting Robert to [[Glasgow-1073|Rev. John Glasgow]], Alexander Glasgow or Sir Robert Glasgow of Montgreenan require documented parent-to-child evidence through every intervening generation.

Surname recurrence, naming patterns and unsourced online trees are not sufficient proof of descent.

=== Further research ===

Useful next records include:

* Complete images or transcriptions of Jonet Meik’s 1607 testament and Ninian Glasgow’s 1613 testament
* The original 1613 burgess-roll entry and related admission records
* Glasgow marriage records or marriage contracts for Robert and Jonet
* Original baptism entries for each proposed child
* The complete November 1645 Glasgow register page
* Burgh court, guild, trade-incorporation and burgess records concerning Robert the cordiner
* Records identifying John and George Glasgow’s relationships to Robert
* Probate, property or burial records distinguishing different men named Robert Glasgow

== Sources ==

<references />

* National Records of Scotland, Glasgow Commissary Court, CC9/7/5, testament of Jonet Meik, 1607.
* National Records of Scotland, Glasgow Commissary Court, CC9/7/9, testament of Ninian Glasgow, 1613.
* James R. Anderson, editor, ''Burgesses & Guild Brethren of Glasgow, 1573–1750'' (1925), 1613 roll.
* National Records of Scotland, Glasgow High Kirk Old Parish Register 644/1, reported reference 10/272, baptism of Robert Glasgow, 17 November 1618.
* Glasgow Old Parish Register entries attributed to children of Robert Glasgow and Jonet Conynghame or Cunningham.