Dear Debbie
You living at Small Burns has fired me up a bit on the old research; I had lapsed for awhile but I am fascinated by the lives of the Allendale farmers/miners.
I have been rummaging about and have found the following:
on
www.genuki.bpears.org.uk/Allendale/The Whitfields.html Nicholas = Elizabeth 1679, 1 child born at Small Burns
Thomas Whitfield = Elizabeth Walton 6/06/1782 9 children born between 1783 - 1800 at Smallburns and Wolf Cleugh. William son of Thomas and Betty Whitfield was born at Small Burns on 25/04 1783.
From ancestry.com:
Hannah Hethrington was born in 1824 in Smallburns to Robert Hethreington and Sarah Swindale
from Genes Reunited, census:
1841; cannot find who lived at Small Burns but have found it on some documents as Smail Burn
1851: Living at Small Burns Thomas Harrison (unmarried) aged 42, with his mother Hannah (aged 72) and John Armstrong (Farmer's boy) and Mary Armstrong, servant. By 1861 Thomas and his mum were Turney Shield (he was retired farmer by then, aged 52!); servant Jane Armstrong (Armstrongs at 4 High Burns in 1861)
1861: John Forster (
possibly my great, great, great grandfather) born Kirkhaugh in 1789; Ann, born 1792 and Margaret born 1837. I know that John and Ann were still there when they died at the end of that decade (precise dates to follow). They were all living at 1 Small Burn. Next door at 2 Small Burns was son, Robson, aged 28 and his wife Hannah, aged 24 and their son John aged 1. Next door again at 3 Small Burns was Joseph (another son) aged 34 and a widower, with his daughter Mary aged 11.
(John Forster and his family (including Joseph, Robson and Margaret) seem to have been at Stob in 1851 and Stable in 1841).
On this census, in 1861, there was also 4 High Burns with the Armstrong family - Jane, widow and her children Mary, Thomas, George, Isabelle; 5 High Burns with Joseph Swindle, Jane and Betsy Swindle; 6 High Burns Isaac Lee and servant Elizabeth Oliver.
Is there a place called Ger Cook/Cock? or Gire Coats near Small Burns as I seem to have seen that somewhere as well.
Swindles/Swindales/Whitfields/ Forsters/Robsons/Viponds/Shields seem to abound in my research.
I tried to attach the photo I have of John Forster but it would not let me as it is too big a file....sorry.
I am semi-retiring soon and hope to make more time for research on the area around Knock Burn and Small Burn as my family seem connected with both farms.
Hope that this helps and I shall keep posting any finds.
Best wishes,
Rosamond
ps as the wind whistles round Small Burns at least some of your ghosts will have names!
