From Cork Teacher's Wife to Stonehaven Pauper

In 1849 Hannah Mathieson (nee Stretton) was living in Cork with her husband William Mathieson an army pensioner employed as a teacher with the British Army Cork Garrison.  Hannah was also pregnant with their 7th child.  However Hannah's life was to take a dramatic change.  Husband William died in Cork in 1849 and the following year Hannah gave birth to daughter Rebecca at Cork. 

What happened next is unclear but Hannah appears on the 1951 Census living in Cameron Street, Stonehaven as a widowed pauper with her 7 children.  Husband William was born in Midmar and there are several Mathieson families living in the Parish of Fetteresso, so did Hannah move to Kincardineshire to be near his relatives?  Unfortunately I have been unable to ascertain who husband William's parents were so cannot be certain.

I have not completely updated Hannah's profile on Wikitree but here is a link to it.

All's Quiet On The Family History Front

So far this week nothing has leapt out of our Family History that has been worthy of special note.  I have been continuing to update WikiTree with my 4*Great Grandparents who, has I have mentioned before, are mostly from Haddingtonshire and agricultural workers.  I will keep you posted!

Just When You Thought The Kids Had Left Home

3*Great Grandfather Adam Forbes reaches the age of 66 when you might expect to be kid free.  No such luck, when the 1881 Census is taken Adam and wife Margaret have two grown up children living with them plus 5 grandchildren.  Two of the grandchildren are the illegitimate offspring of daughter Jane and the other three are the children of widower son Alexander.  All of them living in 2 room accommodation at West Byres Cottage, Ormiston.  The cottage also has 3 other families living there.

1881 Census Entries for Adam Forbes' Household

I Hope It Isn't Hereditary

Death register entry for 2*Great Uncle Joseph Collingwood Wilson.  More on Joseph when I update his WikiTree Profile.

Death Register Entry

Anyone Up For A Challenge?

The Testament Dative for 6*Great Uncle Patrick Cairncross needs transcribing.  I've made a start but need to get on with updating WikiTree.  If you fancy having a go here is a link to the source.  If you want the original high res images let me know.  If you do have a go I will be eternally grateful and will reward you with a lifetime subscription to this blog.  😅😅😅

Testament Dative Patrick Cairncross

Mass Population Surveillance - Started Back Here

I started my maintenance and update cycle of the Gilroy side of our family tree at our earliest generation, for no other reason than it seemed like a good idea.  What have I learned from taking that approach?

For our earliest Scottish ancestors the only information I get for them is from parish records, baptisms, marriages and burials.  In Scotland I very rarely get a burial record as most of our ancestors could not afford to pay the Kirk for a mortcloth.  There is more information about the rich and infamous through tax records, wills, criminal proceedings and newspapers but the state had little or no knowledge of the personal details of the general population.  However as I move forward in time more information becomes available for official records.

After 1841 Census the state knew for the first time who everyone was, their approximate location, age and for some occupation.

1841 Census Header

The 1851 Census followed which gathered even more personal data.  In 1855 statutory registration of births, deaths and marriages began, even more personal data being gathered by the state.  Improvements in health care, social care and electoral reform that followed have always being in conjunction with the gathering of personal data by an arm of the state.

1851 Census Header

Statutory Marriage Header

Statutory Birth Header 

Statutory Death Header

So what have I learned is that surveillance of the general population is not new, since 1841 Big Brother State has been steadily gathering information about you, free choice is no more!😅😅😅

In the words of a great Scottish Philosopher "We're doomed".

Cornelius Turnbull et al

As part of my ongoing maintenance of our family history I have been updating the family of Cornelius Turnbull and Marion Croumbie, my  4 * GreatGrandParents.  Nothing spectacular in their lives, typical agricultural workers of the period from Haddingtonshire who spent all of their lives in the Stenton Parish and were obviously in thrall to the Kirk.

• Profiles of Cornelius Turnbull and family.
• A link to the NLS page containing a map of Haddingtonshire from the time of the Turnbulls.

Battle of Prestonpans - 20th September 1745

On the Gilroy side of our family the majority of our earliest known ancestors hail from Haddingtonshire in the late 1600's and early/mid 1700s.  It is unlikely that any of them took part in the Battle but about 36 of them were possibly alive when the battle took place.  The families that may have been impacted are Allan, Cairncross, Crumbie, Jackson and Turnbull. The impact on their lives must have been tremendous, especially those residing in Prestonpans and Tranent.  The effect of the arrival of the 2 armies comprising upwards of 5,000 men must have had a big impact on the local economy.  They would certainly have been effected by the aftermath because the Jacobites ordered the local populace to gather the fallen and bury them on the beach.  The link below is to one of the more lucid sites about the battle.

Battle of Prestonpans

David Peden of Prestonpans (1820)

I've probably posted this on Twitter already but continuing the theme of they told it like it was.  My 5*removed cousin David Peden for born out of adultery as faithfully recorded in the Parish Register.

 "James Pedan and Elizabeth Cairns had a son born in adultery, named David"

To view David's profile on Wiktree then follow this link: David Peden at Wikitree

Drummer At Waterloo

James Stretton, my 4*Great Grandfather served as a drummer at Waterloo.  Originally from Birmingham, James ended up enlisting with the 73rd (Perthshire) Regiment of Foot at Nottingham!  You can view a potted biography of James on Wikitree.

James Stretton

embeddable descendants list updated live from WikiTree

Alison Jackson (Born 1671)

They told it like it was in the 1600's.  My 8*great Aunt Alison Jackson was born on 7th February 1671 at Tranent, Haddingtonshire and the parish recorded her birth thus:

"John Jackson in Longniddrie and Katherine his wife had a daughter begotten before their marriage baptized Alison. Witneffs Rob Milne James Ramsay."