I've got a little puzzle.
A chap I was last in contact with back in 2000 claimed descent from a John FAIRBAIRN and Jean GRIFFIN, marr. 1663, Gordon BEW.
Son Robert marr. Alison SCLATER, 1690 Eildon and his son John marr. Margaret YOUNG 1740 Bowden, with banns also in Melrose.
As I am now rather more interested in Melrose FAIRBAIRNs than I was back then, I thought it was time to contact him again.
However, I left it a month too late as I've now had a brief chat with his widow, so I didn't feel like pushing her for too much information.
Back when John and I were in contact he had not sharedthe link between himself and presumably the John & Margaret (YOUNG) FAIRBAIRN couple above.
What she could tell me was that John's father was George, who had a brother Harry, and their father was Fred.
I have no more than that to go on.
Ring any bells with anyone?
I don't even know what sort of age John was, only that by his generation he spelt his name FAIRBURN, and lived in Surrey.
The move to the south may well have started back up in 1776 when John's son Robert married in Durham to Susanna STELLING.

Hope someone can help piece the family together, and fill in a couple of hundred years of history - AND find a rep. for the line in the dna project.
Regards
Lorna
http://worldfamilies.net/surnames/fairbairn/

An update.
It rather looks like Fred George and Harry might be this family in Leeds in 1901 (Potter Newton):
FAIRBURN: Fred 36 confectioner baker D employer, b Leeds, YKS; wife Agnes 36 b Sweden (British Subject); Harry 9, George H 8, both b Leeds, YKS; Cousin Mary E WELLS 22 unm b Leeds;
Where Fred and Agnes looks like 1889 marriage registered Bradford (Agnes HAGUE).
Following them back led me to a couple of options for Fred, at which point I decided to hope that someone out there recognised the family and could make the jump back further in time and northwards, (rather than my having to buy certs!) as they were all still firmly in Leeds, Bradford etc area.
One option was the son of a Thomas FAIRBURN and Mary Jane BAIRSTOW, married Halifax 1858. By 1891 Thomas was a restaurant keeper in Leeds.
Anyone recognise them with a few more clues and can get them back to Durham and further north to Melrose?
Lorna
Waikanae, NZ
http://dnasurnames.info/lineages/spwantedfairbairns.htm