I am looking for the descendants of John T. Fairbairn (b. 1853, New York State) who married Agnes Houston in Ontario. John's parents were John Fairbairn and Agnes Lagston or Sagston, and he may have had a brother Robert. Agnes Houston was also born about 1853 in Ontario. They were married in 1883 in Ontario and moved to Sacramento. Known children: James, b. 1889; John Bruce, (1892-1946) and Russell Andrew (1894-1952)

On the off chance that you are still monitoring this board, and your email address is still active after all this time, I thought I'd post my findings to date on this family.
A real mix up.
The info you posted back in 2000 was from the Ontario marriage cert of John T FAIRBAIRN and Agnes HOUSTON.
Which clearly states his father as being a Wm. and Agnes.
There's no way I can turn that cert into his father being a John and mother Isabella.

BUT in a c 1905 biographical sketches I found on the web site of the Sacramento County
http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ca/state1/biographies/jtfairbair...
it says that John's parents were a John FAIRBAIRN and Isabella BRACKEY, who emigrated to NY 1853, with John dying, presumably in Canada, in 1876.
It also states that John T was born in NY in Feb 1856 (his marriage cert and census data implies/states May 1853, NY).
And that he has step brothers Thomas and Peter in the lumber business in Sacramento Co, in 1905.
It has to be the same John T FAIRBAIRN, despite all the discrepancies as it gives his exact marriage date and wife as Agnes HOUSTON.
What I've found so far:
The migration, in 1850, of a family of John (28, gardener) & Isabella (26) FAIRBAIRN, with son John (5) , and an Isabella 52, presumably John's Mum.
The marriage in 1889 of a Robert who may be the Robert of Grey ONT, witness to John T and Agnes HOUSTON's marriage.
He married Jessie Ellen McKAY Jan 1889, Grey Twp, Huron Co, ONT.
1881 census: Grey, Huron Sth, ONT
Ellen FAIRBAIRN, widow with sons Robert, Thomas and Peter
This Robert being of an age to be the 1889 marriage above.
Parents given as John FAIRBAIRN and Helen TAYLOR
Marriage of John FAIRBAIRN and Isabella BROCKIE (Earlston, Berwick, 1843)
Birth of son John at Earlston, 1844.
Dth 1876 of a 51 yr old Scot John FAIRBAIRN, in Hastings Co, Ontario (Ellen was a widow in 1881 and John T's father supposedly died 1875 Ontario)
However, I have not yet found hide nor hair of Robert, Thomas and Peter after 1881 apart from Robert's marriage in Ontario.
Can anyone out there solve this mystery?
I'm not related, just curious.
Who knows, the dna project may be able to help!!
Regards
Lorna
http://worldfamilies.net/surnames/fairbairn/