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Robert Baird (c. 1853 - 1881) was a Scottish painter.

Life
His father was Robert Baird Senior (born c. 1826) from Edinburgh, a commercial traveller.

His mother was Catherine Thomson (13 April 1817 - 1886) from Kincardineshire. Robert and Catherine married on 13 July 1849 in Kincardine.

Robert Baird was born on 2 December 1852 in Kincardine. He had 2 brothers James Alexander Baird and Archibald Baird (born c. 1856); and a sister Margaret Thomson Baird (born 31 July 1859)

At the age of 18, the census recorded Robert Baird as an animal artist in 1871.

Robert Baird married Annie Proctor (born c. 1853) from Lhanbryde on 18 July 1877 at 3 Greenside Street, Edinburgh. Annie previously stayed at 16 Randolph Crescent, Edinburgh. Annie's parents were John Proctor (born c. 1811), a saw miller, and Elspeth Fraser (born c. 1826). John and Elspeth married on 3 July 1846 at St. Andrews, Lhanbryde.

His sister Margaret Thomson Baird married W. H. Widdowson in Newington, Edinburgh in 1879. Her son William Henry Widdowson was born in 1881 in Duddingston and Portobello district. William Henry Widdowson (died 1916) stayed with Robert Baird in 1891 aged 10.

1881 census

1891 census

In 1892 Robert Baird left Annie Proctor and went to South Africa. Eventually in 1908, Annie filed for divorce and it was granted on grounds of desertion. Baird's address in South Africa was unknown to Annie at the time.

In the 1901 census, Annie Proctor was alone; back at St. Andrews, Lhanbryde as a housekeeper of Kirkhill House. Also on the 1911 census at Lhanbryde.

8 market st 1873 2 bath st portobello 1876 3 greenside st 1878 2 bath st portobello 1881 temperance hotel