Johnston family in Bo'ness

[johneljay]

Well, it had to happen sometime that someone would be looking for the Johnstons in the Bo'ness area !!   

My strand of the clan has a tradition naming eldest sons after the paternal grandfather.  My fathers name was William, his grandfathers name was William etc.

The clues I have relate to my fathers grandfather; a William Johnston, who lived at James Watt Avenue in Bo'ness and died around 1972/73 at a very ripe old age.  His fathers name was most likely "John" or "Johan" - there is family lore of Swedish ancestry from circa 1860's, the family name reputedly changing around the time of the First World War.

He was, apparently, associated with the Town Council in Bo'ness; possibly a Councillor (most likely an "Independent") and was listed (in my late grandfathers death certificate) as a Mechanical Engineer to trade.  In terms of family; a son named "John" (born circa 1917) and a daughter "Helen" or "Ellen". 

Does anyone have any info on this strand of the clan - much appreciated.

 

[ev]

hi johneljay

welcome to rootschat 

i wonder if this is your man
scotlandspeople website has a william johnston died 1971 boness west lothian
born c1887
you can't view this certificate online 
however if you have your late grandfather's death certificate and it names his
parents you might be able to find their marriage certificate 

ev

[johneljay]

Ev

Many thanks - absolutely top posting !!! 

Tracked down a William Johnston born in 1886 in Falkirk.

His mother's and sister's name all ring true to family lore.

And, he has the same birthday as I do - how cool is that !!!

 

[SarahMH]

Hi johneljay,
Was wondering if you'd gotten any further with your Johnston's? 

My gg-grandfather Robert J was born in Falkirk around 1844 but some of siblings were born in Bo'ness.  His father was a John (b 1815), who had an older brother called William (b 1799) and then it goes back Robert (b 1773, wife Margaret Wilson) to William (and Jean Gib).

Would be very interested in finding some Scottish cousins!  My Robert immigrated to New Zealand via Shanghai and Ireland (yes, in that order!).

Sarah

[johneljay]

Hi Sarah

Thanks for the message.  I'm not too sure if we have any connection.  It would be nice if we had.   
 
I've traced the line back to a William Johnston born circa 1849 who married an Ann(e) Miller in Falkirk in 1871 - his father was a John Johnston with his mother's maiden name being what looks like "Jessie Miller".  The old script looks like "Jefsr" the 'f' looking like a capital "S" from other parts of the document.  Ann(e) Miller's parents were Robert Miller and Mary (nee Russell).  Before that it all gets horribly confusing.  I'm still trying to unravel this "Miller" connection.

The William Johnston birth seems to be formally recorded in 1851 - March 26th to a John and Janet (nee Miller) Johnston in Falkirk.   I'm probably skating on thin ice so cavalierly connecting a "Jessie" to a "Janet" but there are just too many other similarities.

I've got no family lore of tribe-members moving to New Zealand, but the lore I have been handed down is a bit shaky on closer inspection.  There are offshoots of the tribe in the US (of the MacIntosh persuasion) and Canada (of the Ferguson persuasion).

Hope that helps things.

[SarahMH]

Not sure Robert ever got around to telling his family about where he was off to!  Probably just upped and went.  Never told anyone here about his family back home.

I'd go with your Janet - what is in one document is not always the same as another!  And I've only come across two John Johnston's in Falkirk around that time - yours and mine!

If you get back to Johnston's in Stichel, Roxburgh get in touch - we're likely to be on the same tree then!

Sarah

[Rosinish]

Hi,

I'm doing a family tree for someone I know and the name Ann Burns Johnston b 7 Oct 1816 Bo'ness, Linlithgow has surfaced.

Her parents were John Johnston c 1787 - c1862 & Helen Thomson c1785 - c 1862
Married 06 Jun 1805 Bo'ness.

Kids (all b Bo'ness):

Margaret 1808
William 1812
Helen 1815
Anne Burns 1816
Christian 1819

Anne Burns seems to have a large family (with several different surnames) & I'm not convinced they were all her children as I can't find births on SP nor have I found her death to date.

At least 4 of her children used the surname Glen which was her 2nd husband John's surname although it was actually Glendinning married 1862 Bo'ness.

The 4 kids under the name Glen were:

All recorded on census as born Bo'ness

James c 1851
Helen c 1853
Archibald c 1855
Elizabeth c 1859

I have never found any births for the above but would love to know their proper surnames?

A. M.