James Rankin Laing

[loveleelaydee]

I've attached Marys death certificate. Hopefully it works!

I don't have any further info on James junior I'm afraid as I'm trying to work through the direct line which follows William Laing and Elizabeth Millar's son Robert. If I come across anything though I'll be sure to let you know.

According to the family James was only able to set up the business due to a connection with the Duke of Hamilton. No evidence at all to support this however and due to your post am now wondering if that should be the provost of Hamilton instead!



So did Margaret Black/Barr sell the business and if so do you know who to? Guess I'm just trying to tie up the connection between both her husbands owing a watchmaking business.

ta,
Fran

[akissling]

Thanks so much Fran for the certificate! Margaret tried to run the business for William Barr after he died. In the 1851 she is listed along with her son, daughter and one man who worked for her. I found the attached newspaper clipping announcing her sale of the inventory because she was retiring. I am guessing that means it went out of business rather than selling it. I found a photo of some curing irons that were auctioned off made by James Laing for Walter Black as well. For some reason I can't attach either clipping to this message.
Alison

[akissling]

Mrs Margaret Barr retires

[akissling]

Curling Stones

[akissling]

One more thing Fran. It seems that James Rankin Laing was married 3 times or at least had children with three different women. Here is a death announcement of his daughter Jane Laing who died in 23 OCT 1854. She died a year before James and Margaret were married. It also seems that Margaret had their son James at the same time or just before they married in 1853. On Margaret's death certificate James is listed as her child and his is 2 1/2 years old.

[akissling]

Sorry, one more thought. I wonder if James R. was an apprentice of William Barr, jr, the 1st husband of Margaret Black. William Barr was at least a second generation clockmaker. His father, William Barr had a nice business in Hamilton starting in the early 1800s. He and his son went into business together to form Wm Barr and Son. I remember some sort of notation in the census that she had one man working for her but I can't find it right now. Just a thought and potentially completely wrong!

[loveleelaydee]

Thank you so much for all of this - very very helpful!

Couple of q's?

Was Walter Black a baker as well as Provost?

I have Margaret and James' wedding as being 31/07/1853 so depending on Jane's age when she died she was possibly born during the marriage though like you I would think that James Jnr was born before they married. With Mary being born in their short marriage too they sure didn't waste much time!

James Laing bought over the jeweller business of Francis Chapman at Brunswick Street, Glasgow but not sure where he was apprenticed previously. He was boarding with a family Marnoni in 1851 census whose trade was mathematical instruments

Off to Scotland's People centre on Monday to hopefully iron out some issues including the matter of James' marriages and children. I'll let you know if I get anything worth sharing :-)

[akissling]

Hi Fran,
Yes, Walter was a baker/grain dealer. He seemed to be a mover and a shaker in Hamilton. There are lots of newspaper articles in the Glasgow Herald mentioning him. He was married twice and left his business to the family of the first marriage. I believe this caused a rift in the family and some of the family moved to California and New Zealand. It probably makes more sense that James was the apprentice of the business that he bought. Maybe he just knew Margaret and William because of their trade. Margaret's death certificate mentions a child from her first marriage that died. I would think Jane would be listed too but maybe if she was theirs this wasn't done in those days.
I am sure you have already seen the clipping I posted. It looks like someone in the Marnoni family ended up in New Zealand (this is where the information came from). I guess Robert Laing is the brother of J.R. and Wm Laing??
Have fun at the centre! Thanks again for all of your information!

[loveleelaydee]

Hi

Very late in replying (sorry!) but just to say that I had no luck at all at SP centre tracking down James' children with Margaret. The death of Mary is the only certificate really. Despite even having a date for Jane's death from the newspaper there seemed to be no official record.

Not particularly useful but thought I'd let you know anyway.
Fran