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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Fife => Topic started by: LizzieW on Tuesday 21 February 12 17:37 GMT (UK)
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I'm hoping someone can advise me as I know very little about Scotland.
In 1798, my 4 x g.grandfather arrived in Boston, Lincs with the Fifeshire Cavalry (records in The National Archives). He married in 1798, although his first child was not born until February 1800. It's possible that he married fairly quickly so that his wife could travel with the regiment as the payroll records (which I've not seen personally) show that he was paid a billeting allowance for his wife.
The problem is, there are no records to show where he was born. The only birth I can find is in 1770 (date ties in with his age at death), is in Newsaughton which I think is in or near Edinburgh.
My question is if someone was born and baptised near Edinburgh, why would he join a Fifeshire Cavalry (which I believe was a Militia).
The only reason I think the birth/baptism could be my 4 x g.grandfather is because his mother's surname appears as a family name in later generations.
Without any further info, I cannot take this search any further.
Lizzie
ps. I should have said that the occupation of the father in the birth/baptism record in 1770 was given as a gardener and my 4 x g.grandfather's occupation (after the Militia troop was disbanded in 1800) was also a gardener, as was his eldest son.
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Hi Lizzie
I cannot help you with your question
It could be he changed jobs. or the militia may have been garrisoned in Edinburgh.
If you go to the link below and enter the co-ordinates below it will take you to Saughton Hall
if you look left of this you will find old Saughton this may be the one you are looking for.
http://geo.nls.uk/search/mosaic/#zoom=6&lat=56.71138&lon=-4.9&layers=000B0000000
322052 671895
Yours Aye
BruceL
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I suppose it's always possible that the family originally came from Fife but my 4 x g grandfather's father (who would be my 5 x g.grandfather) was a gardener at Saughton Hall.
I'll have to see if I can find any more children of the same parents.
Lizzie
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My question is if someone was born and baptised near Edinburgh, why would he join a Fifeshire Cavalry (which I believe was a Militia).
The only reason I think the birth/baptism could be my 4 x g.grandfather is because his mother's surname appears as a family name in later generations.
Without any further info, I cannot take this search any further.
Lizzie
In the first place, I think you are right in saying it would be a Militia regiment. I had an ancestor in Fife who joined the Dumfriesshire Militia, and that's the other end of Scotland from Fife, but according to the local old parish records in east Fife his wife continued to produce babies at regular intervals, so I think the Dumfriesshire Milita just happened to be stationed in Fife during the Napoleonic Wars and some impoverished farm labourers would have joined up regarding it as a better prospect than toiling in the fields.
There were also Fencible regiments, raised for the "defence" of the realm, and again they recruited over a wide area. An ancestor of mine from Roxburghshire in the Borders joined the Hopetoun Fencibles, raised in 1793 by the 3rd Earl of Hopetoun at Linlithgow in West Lothian, and they even had recruits from beyond the Tay, far from Linlithgow.
Harry
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Thank you Harry.
I guess that my ancestor was an impoverished gardener, or if not impoverished then perhaps looking for a bit of adventure and joined a militia.
Payroll records of the Fifeshire Cavalry at the National Archives, show that he joined the Cavalry in 1795 and on the records for the second half of 1795, he is listed as "attested Sept 9". Unfortunately, as far as I know any record of his background is missing/not available. I know the troop was originally raised in 1794, and in 1799 became a fencible unit. It seems odd that the Fifeshire cavalry is showed as arriving in Boston, Lincs in Spring 1798 and yet by August 1798 my ancestor was married. I don't know what the hurry was, unless his wife to be was pregnant, although the first child I know about didn't arrive until February 1800.
As far as I know his parents stayed in Scotland, but if the baptism I found is my ancestor, I cannot find the parents listed under any parish deaths on Scotlandspeople, so I think I'll have to be happy just knowing that my 4 x g.grandfather was born abt 1770 in Scotland, joined the militia in 1795, came to Lincolnshire where he married, had a family and died in 1867.
Lizzie
ps. What is the Scottish naming system. My ancestor called his firstborn after himself, his 2nd born (a girl who died) after his wife's mother, his 3rd born (a boy) possibly after his father, if the baptism I found his correct. He called his 4th born (a girl after his wife's mother again, his 5th born (a boy) after his wife's father, his 6th born (a girl) after his wife and the 6th born (a girl) possibly after his mother if the baptism is correct.
Does that follow any system?
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Hi Lizzie
The Scottish naming pattern
First son is named for the Father's Father.
Second son is named for the Mother's Father.
Third son is named for the Father's Father's Father.
Fourth son is named for the Mother's Mother's Father.
Fifth son is named for the Father's Mother's Father.
Sixth son is named for the Mother's Father's Father.
Seventh through Tenth sons are named for the Father's Great-Grandfathers.
Tenth through Fourteenth sons for the Mother's Great-Grandfathers.
First daughter is named for the Mother's Mother.
Second daughter is named for the Father's Mother.
Third daughter is named for the Mother's Father's Mother.
Fourth daughter is named for the Father's Father's Mother.
Fifth daughter is named for the Mother's Mother's Mother.
Sixth daughter is named for the Father's Mother's Mother.
Seventh through tenth daughters are named for the Mother's Great-Grandmothers.
Tenth through fourteenth daughters for the Father's Great-Grandmothers
Yours Aye
BruceL
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The Scottish naming-system used to be fairly rigid. You do find departures from it - maybe a couple had become estranged from their parents, who knows, and didn't want to carry on their names - and if a child was illegitimate in the eyes of the "kirk", i.e. born less than 9 months after the marriage, it would usually be called after the father or mother rather than a grandparent.
But by and large, all else being equal, the 1st son was called after the father's father, the 2nd son after the mother's father, the 1st daughter after the mother's mother, the 2nd daughter after the father's mother ... then there was a bit of leeway. The names of the parents' own grandparents would be used, and if the father and/or mother of the baby had different first names from any of the above, subsequent children might be called after themselves, and if even more children arrived, the names of aunts and uncles could be drafted in. When all these family names had been used up, the names of in-laws and family friends could be employed.
My father's family were absolutely typical in this respect, and this is a 20th century family! My father was the youngest of 10 children, 8 boys and 2 girls. The eldest child was a boy, and was called James after his father's father. The 2nd son was called Robert after his mother's father. The eldest daughter was called Ann after her mother's mother. The 2nd daughter was called Margaret after her father's mother. My uncle Dave was called after his father's paternal grandfather and uncle Bill after his father's maternal grandfather. Uncle Alex was called after his mother's paternal grandfather and my uncle John after his mother's maternal grandfather. Uncle Adam was called after his father's uncle and/or brother, who were both Adam.
I think my dad must have been an afterthought, his parents both being well into their forties by the time he was born in 1911. I used to wonder why he was called after one of his uncles-by-marriage, a mere in-law, then I did some family-history research and discovered that my dad was born exactly a fortnight before his maternal aunt married professional golfer Henry Robert Duff from St. Andrews, so my granny probably thought her new brother-in-law's name would do for her 8th son, all the family names for boys being used up by then.
Harry
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Gardeners tended to move around from one lairds house to another.
Skoosh.
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Thank you for the Scottish naming system. My ancestor seems to have followed it in relation to his wife's parents. As I don't know who his parents are, I don't know if he followed it or not. Of course, my ancestor's wife was English, so perhaps she wanted her first born named after his father, rather than grandfather.
Skoosh, I imagine the gardeners in Scotland moved around on a seasonal basis, somewhat like the agricultural labourers in England.
Lizzie
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Lizzie, I don't think that was the case. Scotch gardeners were knowledgeable and much sought after elsewhere in Britain. Accommodation would have been provided. A head gardener would often be responsible for a large staff and supply the house with fruit, veg & flowers. They often competed at local shows for their masters. Nobody can afford this nowadays.
The commercial forestry which now dominates our landscape is the result of expeditions abroad involving guys who were once just gardeners.
Skoosh.
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My wife is a bit of an authority on this subject, having taken up volunteer guiding in the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh as her retirement project. She has been studying garden history, and Scottish gardeners were in great demand by the owners of stately homes all over Britain as they were literate and intelligent and up to speed with the latest developments in horticulture. Many of the early plant collectors, e.g. Forrest and Douglas (of Douglas Fir fame) were also Scots.
Harry
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Thank you Skoosh and Harry.
Of course, I only know that my 3 x g.grandfather was a gardener at the time of his death as were a couple of his sons, so as the baptism I found has a father who was a gardener I thought there might be a connection.
I did find out that men were asked to join the Militia through a ballot and if they didn't want to go, they had to pay someone else to take their place. If this was the case, then I suppose a gardener, although valued in the gardens, would not have had enough money to pay for a substitute.
Unfortunately, as my ancestor died in 1829, that is too early to be able to follow his career as a gardener either before or after he left Scotland. His occupation was shown in the parish records.
Lizzie
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Lizzie, have a crack at the Scottish National Archives, http://www.nas.gov.uk/onlineCatalogue
don't be too specific, you might be lucky. Newspapers of the time also carried Horticultural Show prizewinners.
Skoosh.
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Skoosh
Thanks, for the link. I'll see what I can find.
Lizzie
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Hi Lizzie,
I have just discovered that Charles Gilchrist & Catherine Robinson are my great x 5 grandparents. I have no further information to help with what you are looking for but wondered if you had any joy with finding out any further information about the Fifeshire Cavalry?
Regards
Claire
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Hi Claire
Welcome to Rootschat.
No, I didn't find out any more info about the Fifeshire Cavalry than I already had.
Which of Charles and Catherine's children are you descended from? Four of their children lived to adulthood and married, Charles 1800-1867, John 1804-1873 (my 3 x g.grandfather, Anne 1808=1874 and Catherine 1812-1895.
Lizzie
ps. If you need any info about your ancestors I have loads.
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Hi Lizzie,
I sent an email to the National Archives of Scotland yesterday on the off chance they might have any info on the Fifeshire Cavalry. I am guessing you may have already done this.
I descend from Ann Gilchrist too and her illegitimate daughter Mary.
Regards
Claire
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Hi Claire
I'm not descended from Anne, I should have put a bracket after g.grandfather! I'm descended from John.
No I've not contacted National Archives of Scotland, I hope you get lucky there, as I'd like to know more about Charles Gilchrist's background before he joined the militia - if they have it in Scotland.
I didn't get the info myself that I have on the Fifeshire Cavalry, Bruce Gilchrist who was born in England but lives in USA, researched the info a few years ago. Do you have a copy of the book The Descendants of Charles Gilchrist and Catherine Robinson Married in Boston, Lincolnshire, compiled by Bruce Gilchrist? There are 206 Pages covering just Anne and her descendants alone up to 2004! I don't know where you live, but there is a copy of the book in Boston Library, Lincs. He also printed an addendum a couple of years after the original book with more information that he had researched or had been sent to him. I know he was collecting more information to put on a CD but he has been ill and is also aged 82 now so I'm not sure the CD will be forthcoming.
At the beginning of the book where Bruce has info about Charles and Catherine, he talks about the payroll records of the Fifeshire Cavalry which are in Kew. He has also found letters regarding the formation of the Fifeshire Cavalry that are in Kew ref WO4/152, WO4/157 p 337, WO1/1094, WO (no ref dated 27 June 1795) which are printed in the book.
I met Bruce when he came over to the UK about 2003 and took him to meet my mother so he could hear, first hand from her, about information he had found out and fill in the gaps he'd missed. He's met hundreds of Gilchrist ancestors and visited over 50 libraries as well as buying 1000s of birth, marriage and death certs. I bought lots of them relating to my family from him a few years ago. The amount of research Bruce did is absolutely staggering but what is in the book up to 2004 only took him 14 years, travelling to UK from USA and visiting 100s of Gilschrist ancestors, he has photographs, newspaper reports of births, marriages and deaths and tragic accidents such as drownings at sea, etc.
I have a copy of the book compiled by Bruce Gilchrist, so if there are any gaps in your research I can probably help out.
Lizzie
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Lizzie this is a little late but there are some strange parallels between your family history and mine. My ancestor William Ranken (g.g.g.g grandfather) was born in Edinburgh to an exciseman who was also a nurseryman. John Ranken's will details the hundreds of trees in his nursery. His brother James and father William were also both gardeners. Family tradition states that they were involved with the gardens at Saughtonhall, but the only reference I have found is to William Ranken being gardener at Lord Somerville's house at Gilmerton (Liberton Parish) also known as 'The Drum.'
There is a circumstantial link with the Baird's of Saughtonhall in that my ancestor enlisted in the regiment where the notorious Captain Sir James Baird of Saughtonhall commanded a company, the 71st or 'Fraser's Highlanders', raised for the American War in 1776. My ancestor had already formed a connection with another officer of the 71st, Colonel Sir William Erskine, a relation of the Bairds, having run away as a rebellious 17-year old to join the regiment Erskine commanded previously, the 15th Light Dragoons.
Under Erskine's patronage my gggg grandfather rose to be a successful staff officer in America. At the end of the war he retired to Fife as tenant of a farm let him by William Erskine where he lived quietly until 1793 when he joined the Fife-shire Fencible Cavalry (commanded by another Erskine). After serving on the Regimental Staff, he took over as a troop commander until he fell ill and died of causes unknown in 1799.
That is how a gardener's son from Edinburgh ends up in the Fifeshire Fencibles!
if you have any details about Saughtonhall in the period, I should be delighted to read them.
For a brief overview on the Fife Fencibles, see here:
http://thaneofife.org.uk/fencible-cav.html
Fencibles weren't militia but regular regiments raised specifically for domestic defence and serving only in the British Isles. Patriotic worthies were authorised to recruit regiments locally in Scotland, as indeed were many regular Line regiments raised in Scotland in the second half of the 18th. This gave them a distinctly local character resembling that of the militia but, despite starting out essentially as groups of neighbours in uniform, Fencible Cavalry regiments, unlike the Yeomanry, were not merely glorified Home Guard units but operated under standard rules of military discipline. They could be moved to anywhere in the British Isles the government required.
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jf99 - Unfortunately, I don't know anything about Charles Gilchrist's background until he joined the Fifeshire Cavalry. I don't know where he was born etc. I just know that he was a gardener at the time of his death and a possible baptism for someone of the same name and approx date of birth that I found on Scotland's People had a father who was a gardener.
Lizzie
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Ah, Lizzie, I understand. So, am I right in thinking it is the father of the Charles Gilchrist whose baptism you found at Scotland's People who was a gardener at Saughtonhall ?
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I found what could be Charles Gilchrist's baptism. It is possible that Charles was born in 1770. There is a baptism record of a Charles Watson Gilchrist, born on 29 January 1770, in New Saughton (Edinburgh) baptised 4 inst (February) 1770. His father was John a gardener and his mother was a Betty Struthers. The name of Struthers appears as a family name in later generations of Charles Gilchrists ancestors which might suggest that the baptism is correct. His age was given as 59 on the records of his death in 1829 which ties in with a birth in 1770.
Payroll records of the Fifeshire Cavalry at the National Archives, show that Charles joined the Cavalry in 1795 and on the records for the second half of 1795, he is listed as "attested Sept 9". He served as a private until 1800. Charles arrived in Boston, Linconshire in the spring of 1798. In the summer of 1798 the troop had moved to King's Lynn, before returning to Boston, where Charles married in September of the same year. It doesn't seem as if he had known his wife very long does it. After his marriage, he was stationed at various places on the east and south-east coasts of England but his wife appeared to have accompanied him to some of the places as the payroll records show that he received a billeting allowance. The troop was eventually disbanded in 1800.
From the place he was baptised (and I don't know Scotland at all), I assume this is the same area as your ancestors were employed as gardeners but whether Charles' father was employed there, I don't know. If you have any info about Charles Gilchrist or his possible father John, or can advise me where to look, I'd be very pleased to receive it.
From what I've read, Provisional Cavalry Regiments were raised under an Act of 11 November 1796, - although the Fifeshire Cavalary was actually raised on 29 May 1794, - to be embodied in case of emergency, for service in Great Britain only. On 13 August 1799, they were converted to Fencible Cavalry. In March 1800, they were ordered disbanded. I thought they were under the command of Commander Major Cmdt. John Anstruther Thompson, although you suggest it was someone called Erskine.
Lizzie
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Lizzie, thanks for filling in the details
From a quick look, I haven't been able to find any references to New Saughton from the mid- C18th. In the 1750s on the Water of Leith just west of Edinburgh Old Town were the properties of Saughton and Saughtonhall. 'New Saughton' may have been established later as a division of one of these or might have been an alternative name for either. Place names could be quite fluid at this time.
As for Charles' marriage in Lincolnshire, do you know that she was a local girl? Could he perhaps have met her earlier on the Fifeshire Fencibles' travels? By the way, if it is useful, I have a falrly detailed note of the Regiment's travels following their departure from Fife.
You are quite right about Anstruther Thompson being the CO. I was writing off the top off my head. There were, though, two officers surnamed Erskine serving in the Regiment.
As for the Fencible Cavalry being "Provisional Cavalry Regiments" when first raised, that could well be although I never came across that term before. Certainly, for what it's worth, the Regimental Paylists and Muster Rolls are mostly inscribed 'Fife-shire Fencible Cavalry'
If I turn up any useful information on C18th Saughton, or the Gilchrists, I shall of course pass it on.
JF
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Hi JF
Yes Charles Gilchrist did marry a girl from Boston, Lincolnshire. He arrived in Boston in Spring 1798, left Boston for Kings Lynn in the summer, then returned to marry Catherine Robinson in August 1798. I don't know why such a quick marriage, she wasn't pregnant - unless she had a miscarriage, so I wonder if they thought he might be away for a long time. They were married by licence and he signed with a X, she signed her own name.
If you do turn up anything useful about the Gilchrists, I'd be happy for the info.
Regards
Lizzie
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Lizzie, you may already know this from Regimental pay & muster rolls but I'll share it anyway. Re:my error concerning officers named Erskine, it looks like Charles Erskine, Lord Kellie, (who inherited the Earldom of Kellie while the FFC was stationed at Sheffield in June 1797) was Charles Gilchrist's troop commander.
This is from a letter my ancestor wrote home from Stilton in Leicestershire in May 1797:
"Three troops under the command of the Colonel are ordered from Lynn to Norwich and Lord Kellie will bring his from Boston and Major Patterson [?Paxton] from Wisbech and are now under orders to march to Lynn. Your humble servant with his troop remains here for the present"
Reading between the lines, it seems Erskine lived something of a dissolute life. He died in October 1799 aged 35 when the Fencibles were at Hythe and is buried in the church there.
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I've not actually seen the pay and muster rolls, they are at National Archives but I don't know how much info is on them. I know they show that Charles was given a billetting allowance, so presumably his wife travelled with him on occasions.
Thank you for the further information, it is all very interesting.
Lizzie
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I don't know if you have found out more about Saughton and New Saughton, but I have been doing a lot of research about it and can help.
Saughton outside of Edinburgh was the hereditary holding of the Watson clan, along with Corstorphine, and the original Saughton manorhouse was built and enhanced over generations. In 1737 the Watsons purchased the house and estate of Cammo, in Cramond parish, which they named New Saughton. The original manorhouse was called Old Saughton until it burned in 1920 and was demolished. The site is now occupied by Broomhill Primary School and grounds. (It is not be confused with Saughton Hall held by the Baird family).
Cammo House was originally built in 1693 by John Menzies of Cammo, then sold to Sir John Clerk in 1710. In 1741 the house was bought by Charles Watson; it was renamed New Saughton. and it became their principal estate. In 1872 Cammo House was acquired by Alexander Campbell, then the Clarks who held it until it burned down in 1977.
Hope that helps get a picture of the area!
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Welcome to Rootschat. I haven't found out more about Saughton and New Saughton, as I'm not 100% certain that my 4 x g.grandfather was born in the area. However, if he was and he and his father were gardeners, it would make sense that they worked at a large house. From what you say, there were actually 2 houses in the area, the original manor house called Old Saughton owned by the Watsons and Cammo House, which the Watson's bought and re named New Saughton. As the birth I've found shows a person with the same name as my 4 x g.grandfather was born in New Saughton, I imagine that would be what was originally Cammo House. I guess, as was common with English stately homes, that the gardeners lived either on the estate or very close to the estate.
Thank you once again for your interest.
Lizzie
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The clarification regarding New Saughton and Old Saughton is very helpful. There seems to be some confusion however over the name "Saughton Hall. " Just to clarify further- or muddy the water more- the name of Saughtonhall- owned by the Bairds in the C18th, is a tidying up of 'Saughton haugh" HAUGH being an area of meadow land by the river and SAUGHTON originally being a settlement identified by the willows or SAUGHS along the watermargin. It has nothing to do with the word HALL
However, when an estate house was built at Saughtonhaugh (St Cuthberts) in 1623 it began the gentrification process by which HAUGH was transformed into HALL. To add to the confusion, by the C19th it was also being referred to as "the old mansion of Saughton."
It may be that houses at either New Saughton and Old Saughton are referred to as "Saughton Hall" in the records but the word HALL tends not to be used to identify an estate house in Scotland much before the C19th with influence from the south. Often abbreviated to HA', it refers more commonly to the principal tenant's dwelling on an agricultural holding- 'HALL of such-and-such'. These on occasion could be occupied and expanded by landed proprietors so that 'HALL of Auchencairn" , for example, might become the name of an estate house by default.
From all this much confusion arises!
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Lizzie, My 2Xgreat grandfather, John Luffman did much the same thing in the reverse direction. He joined the Somerset Fencible Militia at Bath in February 1794, and followed with the unit to Alford Lincs. The purpose of the movement of the Militia was to resist a Napoleonic Invasion, the Authorities were concerned at the possibility of risings in favour of Napoleon and believed that Militia units from another part of the country were more likely to obey their officers and shoot the locals if ordered than troops from the vicinity. Hence the troop movements, in my ancestor's case to Alford Lincs. The detailed movements of these units is recorded in the Muster rolls held at Kew, and it is quite likely that your ancestor joined when the unit passed through his home town. A visit to Kew Archives would determine this. The records for the Somerset Militia, the monthly pay lists include the names of all the troops and not just the officers so if they have survived you will be able to follow his career from start to finish. By the way, at that time Boston was a centre notorious for revolutionary intrigue, and there were several incidents, so the authorities' concern had some foundation, but in view of the number of weddings between militiamen and local women (9 in Alford including my ancestor in 1798 alone) I do wonder if the would have obeyed orders if ordered to shoot?
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Roger - I've never been to Kew, although I ought to make the effort. All I know is that Payroll records of the Fifeshire Cavalry at the National Archives, show that my 4 x g.grandfather, Charles Gilchrist, joined the Cavalry in 1795 and on the records for the second half of 1795, he is listed as "attested Sept 9". Also that in the summer of 1798 the troop had moved to King's Lynn, before returning to Boston, where Charles and Catherine Robinson were married - she was Boston born and bred. After his marriage to Catherine, he was stationed at various places on the east and south-east coasts of England but she appears to have accompanied him to some of the places as the payroll records show that he received a billeting allowance. The troop was disbanded in March 1800.
I've not actually seen the records myself but want to, although I don't think they actually give his date or place of birth.
Lizzie
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Lizzie, If his attestation form has survived it will give date and place of birth, problem is as in my case not many have.S trip to Kew will confirm.
Rogerj.
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Thanks Roger - I can see a trip when the weather improves, is on the cards - although I'm not sure that his attestation form has survived, just the comment on the payroll records that he attested on 9 September.
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Worth a look though, in that era it is rather unusual for full detail of the troopers to survive, but it seems as though these special militia units fared better than most regular units despite what it says on the Kew catalogue.I go to Kew fairly regularly, but not when its cold.
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jf99, that's really interesting about the derivation of the name. I am adding it to my notes.
To make matters even more confusing, there were THREE houses with similar names, but they were related through the Watson family. The Watsons had sold off or dowered (still trying to sort out the lines of transfer) the east part of their lands called Saughton to the Moodie family in the 1600s. In 1660, a Moodie daughter sold that land to Robert Baird who built a large manor called Saughton Hall and gardens on it. The building later became a private asylum, then was bought by the Edinburgh corporation to be developed, but it also burned down in the mid 1950s. There was evidently (and may still be) a Rose Garden, and the Scottish National Exhibition opened 1st May 1908 on the grounds there.
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Hi Lizzie.
I know this is an old chat but I'm also descended from Charles Gilchrist. I have an electronic version of the family tree book if you're still interested I can arrange to send you a copy.
Mark
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Mark - is this an electronic version of the original family tree book and first addendum, or extra information?
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Hi. I thought it was a complete copy of the original book but it turns out to be an addendum update for the descendants of William Gilchrist born 1869 (my great grandfather & Bruce's Uncle Will).
I have a copy of the book & am happy to copy relevant pages for you if you don't have it?
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I have the original book and also the first addendum dated November 2005, but if it's a later addendum I'd like an electronic version, I remember Bruce said years ago that he hoped to do another addendum and send it out electronically, but I assumed he'd not been able to do it.
I take it you are descended from Charles Gilchrist's eldest son also called Charles (1800-1867), whereas I am descended from the 3rd child, 2nd son John Gilchrist (1804-1873).
I am always astounded at the amount of work that Bruce put into compiling the Gilchrist family tree and it was partly due to his work that I decided to research the rest of my family tree.
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Hi
Yes I'm descended from Charles son of Charles. My branch settled in the North East before my parents arrived in Warrington via Saddleworth where I was born.
When my grandpa John died in 1962, he had two daughters and so the Gilchrist name was looking to disappear from this branch. However my parents gave me the middle name Gilchrist to preserve the name for one more generation & when my daughter was born in 2009 we have her the same middle name to continue the name. If she has children & decides Todo the same that is up to her, but I hope she does! She didn't meet either of my parents as my mum died in 2005 but she loves reading the book.
It really is a terrific achievement on Bruce's part & I was pleased I could give him an update before he died
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Hi Mark
I've sent you a PM.
Lizzie
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Hi all,
I realise this is an old thread, but I'm really grateful for the information on here - I am currently researching my partner's ancestry, and his 4x great grandparents are Charles Gilchrist and Catherine Robinson.
I wondered if any of you have found any more information on the family since this thread's last replies, as I'd be very grateful for any knowledge you may have found on this family in the last two years, and the possibility that Charles Gilchrist could be Charles Watson Gilchrist; the son of John Thomas G Gilchrist, himself a son of Thomas G Gilchrist (a baillie and merchant).
Best wishes,
Holly
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Just sent you a PM in response to yours. I have Charles Watson Gilchrist's parents as John Gilchrist and Elizabeth Struthers, and his grandfather William Gilchrist, not Thomas G Gilchrist, but I'll do some more research on this.
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Iimagine the gardeners in Scotland moved around on a seasonal basis, somewhat like the agricultural labourers in England.
From the many gardeners in my own tree, I don't think that was the case. They all seem to have stayed put most of the time, and when they did move it was often to another estate owned by the same employer.
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Continuation of this thread
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=842552.0