Descendents of Robert Cairncross, born 1777, married Jean Rolls. (F-T-40)

1.  David Cairncross, born 1826, in Dundee, Scotland, died 1900. David, who was a mason, emigrated to South Africa when very young. He took up residence in Haarlem, in the Uniondale District of the Cape Province and there, in 1850, he married the first of 3 wives, as the records of the Haarlem Mission Station testify. He had eight sons, and those eight sons had 32 sons and nine daughters. David died at Haarlem on 11th June, 1900. The 32 grandsons have also produced numerous sons and grandsons - how many is impossible to say, as they have become dispersed all over the Cape Province and cannot easily be traced. Such as have been traced are listed in the family tree attached. It is thought that their numbers equal, if indeed they do not already exceed, those descended from William of Prestonpans, the latter numbering 55 males living at the end of 1952. David was known to at least two members of the first branch. William the Architect, about 1895, when supervising the building of the jail at Uniondale, found he was one of the masons; and Thomas L. L. writing 23.2.1939, said, "While I was teaching at Krakeel River, Lower Longkloof, I was introduced to a David Cairncross residing at Haarlem, Longkloof. This must have been around 1890. This Mr Cairncross appeared to a man of 50 or 60 years of age at that time. He once called on my late father on legal business at Uniondale. Naturally my father questioned him on his history. He said he landed at Algoa Bay and tramped all the way from there until he got to Haarlem, a German Missionary Station. He settled there and must have died there. My father told me there was no doubt that he belonged to the Cairncross clan." A letter of 1st October, 1850, from the Colonial Office to the Central Road Board conveys the Governor's approval of the following appointments "at Bain's Kloof Convict Station, viz: David Cairncross to be Sub-Overseer from the first ultimo inclusive, vice Doran, resigned. John Murphy to the Constable from the first ultimo inclusive, vice David Cairncross, promoted." (See the Death Notice of David. This document contains a lot of information including details of his three wives, and the children resulting from those marriages. Frustratingly, there is not total agreement bewtween the children listed on the Death Notice and those listed in this family tree. Some died young and would not have been alive when David died, which would explain at least some. Here is an article sent to me by George Cairncross of Filey, featuring David Cairncross, and entitled, “Life is easy in Haarlem.”) Here is a link to this family in the book CAIRNCROSS – History of a Scottish Family”. Scroll down to Appendix 5 (d) (5) In the same book here is a link to this David – Chapter 22.