Margaret Clark - Inmate of Cutting Edge Mental Institution?

The wife of my cousin Peter Shiel Whitlaw died in 1934 in Bangour Village, West Lothian.  Searching for Bangour Village revealed that it was not a normal village as such but a forward looking mental institution.

Link to Bangour Village on Web

Link to Margaret Clark Profile

Great Great Great Grandmother Drops Dead on Footpath

 Agnes Gall or McLellan, as her reputed father was a farmer, Alexander Gall dropped dead on the footpath called "The Paddock Row" in Douglas, Lanarkshire on the 7th November 1864.  

Her death was subject to a precognition under Scottish Law, "the preliminary examination of witnesses, especially to decide whether there is ground for a trial".  However her death was found to be of natural causes.

Stop Press - We Have a New 5*GreatGrandfather

John Syme (1739-1783) is our latest ancestor to be discovered.  We don't know too much about John but from his death record when he died in Anstruther we do know that he was a sailor with the Scottish Excise serving on board the brig Royal Charlotte.

John Syme's Death Entry

To view John's profile on WikiTree use the link below.

John Syme Profile

Shock Horror - 4*Great Aunt Born Out of Antenuptual Fornication

My 4 time Great Aunt Margret Syme was born on Anstruther, Fifeshire in 1794.  She was conceived before her parents James Syme, a wright (skilled woodworker) and Helen Laidlaw were lawfully married.  As the kirk tells it like it is the fact is faithfully recorded in the Parish Register. 

Father James obviously hadn't been contrite enough.  I've not yet added Margret to WikiTree so no link to her profile as yet.

Breaking News - Great Great Grandfather, John Inglis, Applies for Relief Under the Poor Law

Life before the welfare state.  On the 13th January 1910, Great, Great Grandfather John Inglis is granted 5 shillings a week poor relief at Bothwell Lanarkshire.   John's reason was that he was paralysed, unable to work so was destitute. He continued to receive poor relief until he died in 1812.

The poor relief records are a great genealogist's resource as the give details of the current state of all the applicants immediate family members.

However I find it hard to be too sympathetic with John because it took a court order before he acknowledged his parentage of my Great Grandmother Jane McLellan.

WikiTree Profile for John Inglis