Wallace's in East Kilbride, looking for information

[Kevin Wallace]

Hi,

Im working on the research of my Wallace family ancestors and need some local knowledge about the East Kilbride area. The family farmed 'High Mains Farm' situated to the north of the town yards from Mains Castle and I have records from the mid 1700's but have never managed to track down graves despite wandering around the main cemetery I could find in the town and also visiting the graveyard at the church in the old town. Can anyone with local knowledge help me with information as to other graveyards in the locality, ideas as to where the family would have been buried etc. The farm only left the family a few years back and at one time prior to its restoration I believe the family decendents owned Mains Castle as well. My branch of the family moved away from East KIlbride around the turn of the last century with a brother of my Great Great Grandfather taking on the farm.

Any local knowledge or information would be fantastic.

Thanks

Kevin

[LesleyB]

Hi Kevin
...and welcome to Talking Scot
There are some cemeteries in the area listed here
http://www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk (cemeteries in the East Kilbride area)
...although you'd have to do a little online research to establish which of these are older and which are more recent, and which are closest to your area of interest. It is not a part of the country that I know at all, so I can't really help from the local knowledge angle.

Have you had a look to see if there are any published books listing monumental inscriptions in the area?

Best wishes
Lesley

[marypryde]

Hi Kevin,

Obviously I don't have local knowledge (wrong continent) but I have been researching the Thomsons in that area. My great-grandfather was the head gardener at Calderwood Castle which I believe is not too far away from Mains Castle.

So I happen to have at hand Monumental Inscription pamphlets for Dalserf Parish Churchyard: 1 Wallace (Marion Wallace, wife of William Smellie. She died 1882 at 82 years.) Hamilton Parish Church: no Wallace's listed. High Blantyre Auld Kirk and Kirkyard: has one monument (#26) for the family of Archibald Craig of Birdsfield. Two of his children were Margaret Wallace (1866-1866) and Margaret Wallace (1869-1879). His widow was Margaret Jackson, so I don't know what the Wallace connection was. Hope this helps.
Good luck,
Mary Ellen

[Muriel]

Hi Kevin & Mary

This looks as though it might be getting interesting. I have in my tree John Jackson (b. abt. 1831 in Cambuslang) who marries Mary Wallace (b. abt. 1836 in Rutherglen) in 1859 living at Birdsfield Farm from 1891. Before that they were at Blantyre Farm. Some of their children had Wallace as a middle name. No sign of an Archibald Craig so far in the tree. More investigation needed I think.

Muriel

[ekusers]

Obviously I don't have local knowledge (wrong continent) but I have been researching the Thomsons in that area. My great-grandfather was the head gardener at Calderwood Castle which I believe is not too far away from Mains Castle.


Hi Mary Ellen

I have just started researching my family tree and am at the early stages of gathering the information from family members. I have a Great Uncle in my family tree, who's name is Christopher Thompson (b. 1892 in Blantyre), he was, I believe head gardener at Calderwood Castle Estate in East Kilbride as well as Biggar Castle? He had a brother (William) and 2 sisters (Charlotte & Margaret (my great gran who married into the Wallace family) ). Is there any connection?

[marypryde]

Obviously I don't have local knowledge (wrong continent) but I have been researching the Thomsons in that area. My great-grandfather was the head gardener at Calderwood Castle which I believe is not too far away from Mains Castle.


Hi Mary Ellen

I have just started researching my family tree and am at the early stages of gathering the information from family members. I have a Great Uncle in my family tree, who's name is Christopher Thompson (b. 1892 in Blantyre), he was, I believe head gardener at Calderwood Castle Estate in East Kilbride as well as Biggar Castle? He had a brother (William) and 2 sisters (Charlotte & Margaret (my great gran who married into the Wallace family) ). Is there any connection?

I doubt there's a connection (mine have no "p" in their name and I have no Christopher's). My ggf John Thomson would have been employed at Calderwood Castle about the time your ancestor was born (and I am sure of his children). My John emigrated from Scotland in 1911. If you haven't already, I strongly suggest searching on Scotland's People. It's worth the money in my view. Also, there's a lot of interesting information if you Google "Calderwood Castle." Please let me know if you do ever make a connection to my John Burnside Thomson b. 1855.
Best regards, Mary Ellen

[Rodeo]

Hello Kevin, Mary and Muriel

I can tell you something about the Wallace/Craig/Jackson connection, particularly with regard to Birdsfield Farm. The Archibald Craig you mention is the brother of my great-great aunt, Mary Craig, wife of William Paterson.

Archibald Craig (son of John Craig and Margaret Wallace) was landed proprietor of Birdsfield, which he inherited from his father, and lived there with his family until his death in 1881.

Now, this is where it really gets interesting. Archibald Craig married Margaret Herbertson Jackson (daughter of Andrew Jackson and Janet Herbertson of Udston). Thus, Margaret Herbertson Jackson was the sister-in-law of Mary Craig. Subsequent to the death of her husband, Archibald Craig, Margaret Herbertson Jackson Craig married my great-great uncle, Gavin Paterson, Provost of Hamilton (brother of William Paterson and brother-in-law of Mary Craig). Margaret H Jackson's daughter (with Archibald Craig), Janet Herbertson Jackson Craig, later married Gavin Paterson's son, Thomas Paterson.

By the way, if you have a look at the marriage certificate of your John Jackson and Mary Wallace, Muriel, you'll see that Andrew Jackson was a witness at their wedding.

These are the MIs I have, Mary, for the Craigs of Birdsfield interred in High Blantyre Auld Kirkyard:

Lair 25 - Erected in memory, Craig of Birdsfield, MDCCXXL, Mary Alexander his spouse of Blantrye MDCCXLVI

Lair 26 - Erected in memory of Archibald Craig of Birdsfield. B 1/12/1831, d 18/2/1881, and of his children John b 4/11/1866, d 6/11/1866, Margaret Wallace b19/9/1867, d 28/11/1867, Isabella Jackson b5/2/1877, d 12/10/1877, Margaret Wallace b 6/8/1869, d 24/6/1879, Archibald Craig b 27/3/1879 KIA while serving with the 7/8 Battalion KOSB near Ypres, Belgium 19/8/1917 and of his widow (interred here) Margaret Jackson, aftewards widow of Gavin Paterson, Provost of Hamilton b 7/8/1845 and d 26/3/1931

Lair 27 - To the memory of James Craig, Birdsfield,who died 16/6/1856 aged 75

Cheers,

Rodeo