Hi all - especially in this case Gillian.
Firstly, there's some really interesting info appearing on this thread - so glad to have stumbled upon it!
Gillian - I notice you have both Neishams and McClures in your list of interests. I also have both, in a slightly complicated way. This is difficult to explain, but if there is any cross-over, this may be comprehensible tp you, and you may have more information. Bear in mind that my name is Ian MILLAR...
George Neisham and Margaret Adamson had a son, John Neisham, who married Helen MILLER (daughter of James MILLER and Mary McClellan). George is my GGG grandfather on my MOTHER'S side. James Miller and Mary McClellan are my GGGG grandparents on my FATHER's side.
James MILLER and Mary McClellan had another daughter, Jane. Between 1860 and 1870, various Neishams and MILLERs lived at the same address in St Michael Street. Jane MILLER had an illegitimate daughter, named Mary Anne Cassells. In 1865, the Neisham/Millers at the same address named their new-born child after her - Mary Anne Cassells Neisham.
Mary Anne Cassells had an illegitimate son with Charles McCLURE, then died, aged 21, in 1866. Charles went on to marry another woman, then died, I think shortly before his father drowned in the Nith. Charles's mother was a Bogie, descended from the Bogie gardeners who were acquainted with Robert Burns, etc. etc.
ANYWAY - the son of Mary Ann Cassells and Charles McClure was my great-grandfather. Not surprisingly, he was not sure what to call himself - he appears as James Miller or James Carter (he was brought up by his grandmother, who remarried). Also, James Cassells, James Carter-Miller, James Miller-Cassells. For whatever reason, we ended up as Millers / Millars.
I should REALLY be a McClure, as far as I can tell. And my mother is descended from the Neishams, who are the real subject of this thread.
Even I am confuse now javascript:replaceText('%20???',%20document.postmodify.message);
