Local knowledge Whitburn needed

[goldie61]

Hi Skoosh
Thanks for the link to the Whitburn site.
At present I can’t link my James Wood – he has been one of my brick walls for over 30 years! And I still can’t get any further with him.

He married Helen Black 5 July 1807 at Whitburn – the ‘marriage ‘ image from SP is actually on the ‘Charges’ page of the book – it cost them 2/6d. No other info at all on the entry.
I then have 2 baptisms of daughters at Whitburn in 1807 & 1809 ‘ in Wester Reeves’.  1807 one is 1st August, so they only just made the marriage in time! Can’t find Margaret born about 1814 who also says from Censuses she was born Whitburn.
They then move to Paisley where 3 more children (I have found) are born, Jean 1820, William about 1826 & Helen about 1828 – only one of which (Jean) I can find their baptism, at Abbey. No clue as to James’ profession
By 1841, these 5 children are living together in Paisley – no sign of any parents, so am presuming they are dead, or poss moved away, but they would be over 60 years old by 1841.All children working in associated jobs in the cotton industry. At the death of his youngest daughter in 1892, James is down as a ‘farmer’.  If he was ‘a ‘farmer’, I wonder why he would move to the city about 1818?
With common names, lack of records before 1855, especially death records, and moving from place to place, he has been very difficult to follow.

I see there are Wood families in Torpichen and Linlithgow near Whitburn, but impossible to tie them in.

Any ideas gratefully received!
 

[Skoosh]

Goldie,  there was a recession following the Napoleonic Wars which possibly explains the move from the farm into a cotton mill.
 There was a James Wood 79, d. Bathgate, 20 Aug' 1881, a joiner, b.Harthill.
You might try a post on the WLFHS site, I think a years sub' is about a tenner?

Skoosh.

[goldie61]

Thanks a lot for the tip about WLFHS Skoosh.
Not sure where the James Wood died 1881 aged 79 Bathgate would fit in - my James was married 1807, so must have been born about 1780/5 prob. Maybe a cousin? It has to be a pretty common name! 
Gotta keep looking!

[Sames]

Hi, I too am searching these people! My link is Janet Wood; James Wood and Helen Black's second daughter.  I think James was in the military; when he got out he was a cow feeder living in Paisley?!  My Janet was married in Paisley in 1833 to a Neil McGregor.  Would love to compare info.  Susan

[goldie61]

It is some time since I looked at this family, so I will have to go back and look at my notes.

I do remember I could never find James or his wife in the 1841 Census.
My guess is both he and his wife Helen Black died before the census.
There is a Helen Wood buried 1838 in Paisley, but it's hard to know if this is her.
I can't find any baptism for her in Whitburn or surrounding areas.
Or a baptism for James Wood.

Looking at my notes, they were married 1807 in Whitburn, so possibly born about 1880/1890.
They must have moved to Paisley between 1814 and 1820. Daughter Margaret was born in 1814 in Whitburn, and daughter Jane in 1820 in Paisley. Have you found any others between these two?
I have Mary 1807, (baptised less than a months after they were married),  Janet 1809, Margaret 1814, Jane 1820, William about 1822, and Helen about 1828. Margaret, William and Helen's baptisms not found. Helen married Michael Cochran 1850 in Paisley. She died in 1892, parents given as James Wood 'farmer', and Helen Wood, maiden name Black.

Mary born in 1807, married John Mclntyre and died in 1889 in Paisley (John McIntyre was already dead). Her parents given as James Wood, 'cowfeeder', and Helen Wood maiden name Black. The informant of her death is Michael Cochran "Brother in law".

William born about 1822, died in 1905 in Dunbarton. Parents given as James Wood, 'cowfeeder' and Helen Wood maiden name 'Blackwood', which is interesting. William's son, another James Wood, was the informant. It's not difficult to imagine he was unsure of her name. Both of these grandparents would have been dead many, many years before he was born. It's also entirely possibly she used both Black, and Wood, as names from time to time, as married women did in Scotland. Maybe she ran them both together and became 'Blackwood'?

What is the information about her parents on your Janet's death certificate?

What makes you think James was in the military?
I haven't come across anything to suggest this.
The baptisms in Whitburn of Mary in 1807 and Janet of 1809, give him 'of Wester Reeves' - the initial query on this post. Plus the death certificates of three of his children give him as a 'farmer' or 'cowfeeder'.
Most likely a small farm near Whitburn.

It's probably a better idea to continue this on email rather than write reams here.
If you'd like to send me your email address on a Private Message, I'll tell you about some other stuff I have found.