I’ve been looking into my Scottish roots for a while now but, although I have tons of information on some of the individuals I’ve traced so far, I haven’t managed to go back very far. I’m stuck on my 3xgreat grandfather, William Carrick who, it seems, was born in the Auchinloch area, c1810. Although this appears to have been a mining town, he was listed as a carter in 1838 when he married my 3xgreat grandmother, Flora McMillan, in Glenmavis, Airdre. I’ve been unable to trace a birth register so far, largely because when I was in the Mitchell Library last year I didn’t even know where he’d been born (see below).
In the 1841 census, Flora was visiting her parent’s in Blaich, the crofting village near Fort William where she was born and raised (and I suspect, evicted from during the Clearances). With her is what can only be their son Hugh (born April 1840 in Pollockshaws Road, Muirhouse/Strathbungo) although the document suggests it was their son William, which is impossible as he wasn’t born until a few years later. I can only suppose that the enumerator knew the family and assumed the child had been named after his father. The only census William appears in is in 1851, when he, Flora and their children Hugh, William, Margaret, Duncan and my 2xgreat grandfather, James, lived on Rothesay High St. There were several other Carrick families in the area at the time, and I’ve spent a lot of time trying to connect them all together, to no avail - so far. Here, William is listed as a labourer and his place of birth is listed as ‘U.K.’ – which presumable means unknown.
Going by their children’s birth records, it seems the family moved about quite a bit. As I said, Hugh was born in Glasgow. Young William was born in Balfron, Stirlingshire, c1843. Margaret was born on the Shirvan/Castleton estate, Lochgilphead c1845. When Duncan was born c1848 , they’d moved back to Pollockshaws Road, Govan. And, when James was born, in Feb 1850 they were living in Rothesay. A year later, for the 1851 census, they were still there. However, only a year or so after that, c1852/53 (i.e. just before Stat. Regs were introduced - hence no death register either
) William Sr appears to have died and, according to a Parochial Aid application Flora made some time later, this was in Glasgow. I have no idea how, but I suspect it may have been in the Anderston district, as this is where Flora moved to some years later, when the children had all flown the coop. Flora, her daughter, and one of Margaret’s daughters, Margaret Jane, all died there, at 16 Sharp’s lane, in the 1870’s. I think the reason for this move may have been to do with her sons job’s. Hugh, Duncan and James all became merchant mariners and I know at least one of them, James, sailed on vessels from there, as well as on at least one that was built in Kingston Dock. Their other son, William, became a soldier in the 79th Regiment, based at Aldershot, England for many years. But I have my suspicions that he ended up in San Francisco, US by about 1880. James ended up in Liverpool, where I was born and raised and where most of my family still live. For a while at least, Duncan ended up there too, before disappearing into the ether c1890 – I have no idea where he ended up. Hugh seems to have gone to sea around 1860, but I haven’t had much luck with finding out where he ended up either. When James married in 1875, his deceased father was listed as a fisherman.
Well, I hope that’s enough information for now – has anyone been banging on the other side of my brick wall?
Regards,
Ann
Poor relief records are truly a boon! Interesting that Flora gave a place of marriage that was outwith Barony confines...or at least I think it was. It was close though. Interesting too that in 1851 whoever gave the enumerator the long list of places of birth (different ones for each member of the family no less!) that they didn't know where William was born...but she pops up with the information years later. They did choose some names for children that seem to follow somewhat of a naming pattern....so I wonder if Hugh was William's father? Any idea who Margaret McNeil might have been? I noticed the indexed age being off in 1851 and truly it does look like a 2 so I'm not surprised. Like you point out it just doesn't compute though!! ![[woohoo]](./images/smilies/woohoo.gif "[woohoo]"){kind=small}
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