Showmen & women ancestry in Scotland - Thomson, Horne, Coats, Lovett, Adcroft...

[hebbie]

In the course of tracing my family tree I have found a relative, Mary Malcolm, who married an Irish travelling showman, William Thomson, in Lanarkshire, Scotland in 1853. I've traced a few of their descendants, some of whom are still involved in the shows. I'd be delighted to hear from anyone else who may know of other present day descendants.
William & Mary began married life in Airdrie, where William worked as a miner, their first four children died young and after that they took to the road again - mainly in central/east coast of Scotland (Glasgow, Fife, Mid/East Lothian) and they had seven more children.
Their only son to live to adulthood William Thomson married Jane Cummings. William travelled in the north east and eventually settled in Dundee. Some family names on this side of the family are Aitken & Kayes.
Barbara Thomson married Robert Wilkinson in 1896 in Glasgow. Nothing known of her wherabouts after marriage.
Agnes Thomson married James Adcroft. Settled in Glasgow. Other surnames on this branch are Taylor & Stewart & Codona.
Mary Ann Thomson married Walter Coats then William Bastable. Other surnames on this branch are Lovett, McIndoe, Patterson.
Margaret Thomson married Charles Horne.
Elizabeth Thomson married Robert Horne (brother of Charles)
Both had families. Other surnames here - Slater & Taylor.

If anyone recognises these names I'd be delighted if you got in touch. Any help much appreciated. Would be happy to share anything I know of the familiy history with any of their descendants.
Thanks, George Hebenton

[aap]

I am interested in COATS. My uncle Paddy Gess married Annie COATS.They lived in Inverness.
Also MCINDOE;my great-aunt Bertha married Walter MCINDOE. I knew them in Glasgow.
I would be happy to hear anything about these families
Alice in Australia.

[hebbie]

Hi Alice,

Lovely to hear from you.
I'm afraid I don't know much about the Gess family - but here's what I do know - Paddy & Annie had 3 kids -
Annie 1948 in Glasgow,
Patricia Vori Gess 1949 in Inverness
Melvin Harvey Gess 1956 in Inverness
Patricia was divorced (don't know first husband's name)  then remarried to Alan Yearling in Oban in 1982.
Melvin married first 1989 in Northumberland to Carole Macdonald, then 1998 in Gretna to Loraine Turner.
An Annie Gess died in Northumberland area in 1997 with a birthdate of 1919. I'm wondering if this is your aunt?

I've been in touch with a Tara Coats in Aberdeen (granddaughter of Annie's late brother Angus Coats, a hotelier). Then Tara put me in touch with her uncle Mike Coats a police inspector in Inverness. They've helpd me with their branch of the family tree and I've also researched a bit more.

I know your aunt Annie had sisters called Mary
(1911-1987) single lived in Inverness
Nora Coats (born 1916 in Gretna) possibly died young
Martha Coats (1921-1989). Mrs McGahan
Helen Coats (1921-1989). Mrs Macdonald
brothers
John Robert Coats (1910-1984) married Christina Evans
Thomas Coats died 1942
Angus MacPhail Coats (1926-1994)

I know they won't be directly connected to you as Annie was only an aunt by marriage but it seems the same surnames reappear so many times within the showfolk community that there's lots of different inter-relationships.

In fact... I've just been looking again at the family tree ... and your aunt Annie's great-grandparents on the Coats wide were William Coats & Christina McINDOE.
Also Annie's cousin Martha Lovett married WILLIAM McINDOE in 1946 in Brechin. I know they had at least one son also WILLIAM born in Stirling in 1948.

My brother bumped into a Jim Patterson in a pub in Glasgow last year. (His granny was your  Annie's aunt Mrs Ellen patterson nee Coats -  I hope that makes sense?) So, it's a small world!

If you want more precise details of any of the people I've mentioned or a copy of the family tree just get in touch again. The family tree is by no means complete so  if you can add anything to my knowledge I'd be happy to hear from you.

Thanks for taking the time to get in touch.

All the best from Glasgow

George (Hebenton)

[aap]

Hi George,Thank you very much for all that. We all seem to be intertwined don't we?
If you know of Freddy Bastable, his mother was my granma's,(Sarah Strand) cousin.
I knew of Paddy and Annie's children but did not actually know them. I have been in Australia almost 60yrs now,so I am trying to find my mother's brothers'families. I also have
a cousin in New Zealand who is interested in our families.
I have noticed that same names crop up again and again.
I suppose that those who travel in the same circuit get to know each other well.
I do not know of any of those other names you mentioned,
sorry.  My mother's showfolk family were STRAND and their
associated families.  There were 8 sisters and 4 brothers
and most stayed with the fairground community,I believe.
Some names are,WHEATLEY,SMITH,HILL,EVANS,WHITE,and
of course McINDOE and GESS
Kind Regards
Alice.

[williamthomson]

hi i am william thomson my i am the grand son of william i know he was the only son but he married ivy shaw a hawker from london he had five children my father the oldest william 

[spanishlady]

I noticed on your post that the name Wheatley was mentioned I am trying to trace Fred Wheatley or any other Wheatleys.  I know the Wheatleys in England had a travelling fair and have traced some of them going back quite a while but have got stuck with Fred Wheatley.  Can any one help.

Spanishlady

[spanishlady]

I noticed on your post that the name Wheatley was mentioned I am trying to trace Fred Wheatley or any other Wheatleys.  I know the Wheatleys in England had a travelling fair and have traced some of them going back quite a while but have got stuck with Fred Wheatley.  Can any one help.

Spanishlady

[DebbiGess]

Hi,
I am Paddy and Annie Gess (nee Coates) Granddaughter, Melvin's daughter and Anne and Patricia's niece.

Melvin (my Dad) was married to Joan (maiden name unknown. Now called Skingsley) in 1974, then Loraine Brown (my Mam) in 1982, then Carole MacDonald, then had some non-married relationships, then married Loraine (my mam) again in 1998, he left her in 2013 and is now with Sandra Clements, to be married.
His first born daughter is Louise Gess (1976), with his first wife, Joan.
Then went on to have Emma Loraine Gess in 1983 to Loraine. Emma has now married Jason Fergus.
Her daughter, Grace Emma Roberts was born in 2006.
They had me, Debbi Melle Gess in 1984, I married Lee Daniel Hall in 2004 and divorced 2013, after having 3 children - Daniel Kenneth Patrick Hall (2004), Chloe Olivia Mel Hall (2007), Joshua Harvey James Hall (2009)

Anne Gess married Jim Greenacre, no children.

Patricia and Alan had a daughter called Jai Gess Yearling, who has gone on to marry Mark Moody and so is now Jai Moody.
Patricia (Pat) is also remarried, and I last heard was living in Tunisia.

[DebbiGess]

I am interested in COATS. My uncle Paddy Gess married Annie COATS.They lived in Inverness.
Also MCINDOE;my great-aunt Bertha married Walter MCINDOE. I knew them in Glasgow.
I would be happy to hear anything about these families
Alice in Australia.

Hi Alice,
I'm not sure what that makes us, perhaps distant cousins? Patrick (Paddy) was my Grandfather, he passed away in 1962 so I never actually got to meet him as I was born in 1984.
Annie was my Grandmother- me and my sister, Emma, fondly referred to her as 'Nans' and she passed away in 1998.
Annie, along with her 3 children Anne, Patricia and Melvin ended up in Northumberland (after living in lots of different places). She lived in Morpeth in her later years and my Dad (Melvin) now lives in Berwick / The Borders of Scotland.