My ancestor John Caldwell was born in St Quivox Parish to Allan Caldwell and Janet Guthrie, the elsdest son apparently and there was a family of seven children - the last born at Old Rome. Allan was a collier and probably originally worked at the mines of Newton on Ayr untilthey were worked out and then probably at Gatesise or the mines near Riccarton. I don't know where John's parents came from, when they were born, when they married or when they died. I have a clue that Janet may have come from Irvine as there is a birth there that is about the right age to a John Guthrie and Janet Brown.

John Caldwell came to Galston before 1799 as he was in the Muster Roll of that date. He married Mary Morton around about that time as their first child was born in 1801. He worked as a papermaker at the Straith mill near Greenholm and their children were born either at Straith or one or other of the Maxwood farms nearby. Mary died and John seem to have moved into Galston and the family must have known the Yeudall family. John married Agnes McClanachan as his second wife and had a total of 13 children by his two wives. Sons who stayed in the district were John from thje first marriage who married Annie Woodburn and David from the second marriage who married Isabella Robertson. There were a share of tragedies and early deaths. The family seems to have gone back into coalmining.

A problem for genealogists in Galston is that there were a number of John Caldwell's. There was the son of William and Elizabeth Breckenridge. John Caldwell of Loudoun Parish with his wife Janet Mair and big brood of sons and "oor" John who married firstly Mary Morton and then Agnes Breckenridge and who had another John.

Mary Morton may well be the daughter of Matthew Morton and Mary Richmond of Gowanbraeheid farm in the upper Irvine valley east of Priestland.

(to be continued)

Tom Caldwell

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Pursuing Hugh & Helen (Campbell) Walker I find that someone has her grandfather John Campbell marrying Janet Morton at Loudoun and that this John's father is none other than James Campbell 2nd Earl of Loudoun and his wife Margaret Montgomerie. It is rather astounding the the second and known son of the Earl's granddaughter should end up a cottar's wife at remote Bridgeburnbent.

However it seems as hard to prove incorrect as it is to prove correct. Nothing much is seemingly known about this particular son - his elder brother Hugh of course went on to be the third earl of Loudoun. But John - he is variously known as Colonel John Campbell of Shankistoun and other snippets but it is all vague and contradictory. He is supposed to have married a Barbara Villiers but I think it is 'wrong John". He cannot have been the laird of Shankistoun as that position is filled by another branch of the Campbell family which seems well documented on the web.

James the second Earl is said to have lived and died abroad. He certainly died abroad but the Loudoun Kirk site transcriptions clearly show that James and his wife have two children (at least) christened at Loudoun - Hugh on 14/1/1674 and John on 8/3/1675.

These were troubled times fraught with covenanting issues - the first Earl John was in the thick of it and his Campbell kin the Marquis of Argyll went to the Maiden - John 1st Earl made a rousing defence of the Marquiss and it is thought that he might have had doubts as to his own fate. In the troubles of 1650 he was apparently charged with and to be tried for adultery - which were only dropped after Hamilton's defeat at Worcester and the Whiggamore raid in which John was involved. He had his estates confiscated by Cromwell with only a pension for his wife and children and then after the restoration was subject to a huge fine 'for assistance given to Cromwell'.
Tom Caldwell

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I have a record of Alexander Andrew marrying Janet Barrie, born 18 Sep 1810 in Loudoun. The marriae apparently took place 21 Jan 1848 in Mauchline. My record shows two children, Mary Andrew b. 10 Sep 1848 in Mauchline and Robert Andrew b. 30 Dec 1849 in Mauchline.

Does anyone have record of any other Andrew in Loudoun. Note that I have another post here.

Hugh

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Born Loudoun 1780 Died Loudoun 1846
Andrew was my GGGGF. I understand that he is buried at Loudoun Kirk (presumably an unmarked grave). Any additional indformation on the exact location of the grave would be welcome.

This site is a fantastic piece of work and I am entirely grateful for the efforts of the individuals who pulled this together.

Best regards

Gordon

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Hugh Walker and his wife Helen Campbell lived at Bridgeburnbent - with a little difficulty I found it marked as 'ruins' on Thomson's 1832 Atlas of Scotland. As the data was collected some years earlier Bridgeburnbent must have been in a state of disrepair when they died there - Hugh in 1822 and Helen in 1823.

I don't know very much more about Bridgeburnbent except that it was at the junctionof the Glen Water and Mucks Burn between the present Gateside farm and North Carlingcraig. It may even have been a locality rather than a specific property - but a small property seems more likely.

From this site I have found that Foulpapple Road over the moors to Eaglesham was the route taken by weavers to take their finished cloth to market and bring back yarn for the next lot of cloth. So the road was probably busier in those days.

Hugh was classed as a labourer when his son Matthew was born in 1767 so he is very likely to have been a cottar sellig his labour to surrounding farms and subsistence farming a smallholding.

They also had a daughter Jean and possibly a John as well - there are weaver families of Walkers in Newmilnsand Darvel that may have sprung from other children of the marriage.

Matthew is my continuing ancestor - he seems to have joined the army or the militia and married Anne Laidler (or Laidlaw) who was born in England. There only known child was Helen Walker who was born at Fort George in 1807 when Matthew was in the 6th Veterans Division there.

Helen Married Matthew Caldwell the second son of John Caldwell and Mary Morton of Galston. Aftre their first child Anne was born they went to Riccarton. In the 1841 census Matthew Walker (aged 75) and Anne Laidler (aged 75)were living in Polwarth Street Galston - Matthew was a Chelsea Pensioner and their grandaughter Anne Caldwell aged 14.
Tom Caldwell

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Thomas Shields was my 4x great-grandfather. I am not sure if this is his first wife. Janet was born in Craigie by Kilmarnock in 1763 to William Calderwood. If Janet died before 1790 it is possible Thomas remarried right away but I cannot find any death record for her. I do have their 3rd son William born in 1891 - so I think it is unlikely but would like to be able to rule this out. Can anyone help with this?
My 4x great grandmother was Elizabeth Gillies and she married Thomas Shields in 1790. He was born in Stewarton in 1758.
Right now I have 2 trees for both families and I would love to see if they could be combined into one!

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I have parents for Isabella; George Nisbet (abt 1787 - 1848 ) and Janet Loudoun ( 1794 - 1861) from Caterine Stillie on Genes Reunited.

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Hi there,

I've just been pointed in the direction of this site (from Agnes14 @ Rootschat). I have recently started researching my family and have found out that they hail from Galston/Loudon/Fenwick.

I think that I will be asking for help initially, but will, in time, be able to help others.

Ta.

Stuart

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My ancestors are the Smith family. The earliest member I know of is James Smith who married Barbara Howie 6 January 1764 Loudoun. Their children were James Smith born 24 February 1765 Loudoun and Alie Smith born 17 April 1774.

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I forgot to give a date of birth for the above. It was around 1825.

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