How To Confirm a Probable Tree Link?

[Martin109]

I'm trying to establish a link between my known Sawers ancestral tree and another Sawers branch.

I've actually posted this question before in 2012 - here - but did not get a reply to the question itself at that time; perhaps a fresh look will generate some new ideas.

My own well-known tree fragment looks like this:

James Sawers (probably weaver) b1728-1734, d1786 [my direct ancestor]
Married Janet McKesson (b1718, d1795) in 1757
Issue:
William, b13.5.1758 (became planter in Jamaica)
John, b18.2.1761 (became planter in Jamaica) (son John, b1817, became Provost
                           of Stirling, 1849-1858)
                        (son Robert, b1821, apprenticed
                        to Sawers & Sconce, Writers)
James, b17.4.1763 (also planter Jam.)     
Isabel, b11.11.1765


The other well-researched tree fragment I think mine links to is:

William Sawers, bc1695, probably cooper
Married Jean Greenock c1720
Issue:
John, b31.8.1721
Margaret, b9.11.1723
William, b21.1.1726
James, b11.1.1729 (I think this is 'my' James, above)
Elizabeth, b12.5.1733
Thomas, b18.10.1734
Jane, b25.6.1737
Alexander, b1744

I believe that James, b1729, is likely to be my ancestor James.

There are a couple of bits of evidence pointing in this direction:

James's first son is called William; according to the tradition of name choice, this suggests James's father was called William, as the first son is normally called after his paternal grandfather.

James's second surviving grandson Robert, b1821 (younger brother of Provost), became a writer (lawyer), having been apprenticed to Sawers & Sconce;  John Sawers, b1790, grandson of John, b1721, above, was joint Procurator Fiscal with Robert Sconce and partner in this firm.  The apprenticeship suggests a family connection to me.  If I'm right, John b1790 and Robert b1821 would have been second cousins.

Is this all far-fetched?  How would you go about attempting to 'cement' the link?

[Marmalady]

Check for wills of everyone -- they might mention siblings, nephews, nieces, other family members etc
Check for obituaries in newspapers -- for the above reason

I was able to prove a relationship when i found an obituary describing a known ancestor as the "last surviving nephew" of the suspected connection

[Martin109]

Check for wills of everyone -- they might mention siblings, nephews, nieces, other family members etc
Check for obituaries in newspapers -- for the above reason

I was able to prove a relationship when i found an obituary describing a known ancestor as the "last surviving nephew" of the suspected connection

Wills... now that's a good idea.  I only have the will of John, b1761, d1839.  Not sure how I got that, but I did not search for it myself.

How and where would I look to find other wills?  Some will have been lodged in Jamaica.

[RJ_Paton]

Check for wills of everyone -- they might mention siblings, nephews, nieces, other family members etc
Check for obituaries in newspapers -- for the above reason

I was able to prove a relationship when i found an obituary describing a known ancestor as the "last surviving nephew" of the suspected connection

Wills... now that's a good idea.  I only have the will of John, b1761, d1839.  Not sure how I got that, but I did not search for it myself.

How and where would I look to find other wills?  Some will have been lodged in Jamaica.

Try Scotlands People first  (there are 125 wills/testaments listed for the surname Sawers)

It may also be worthwhile checking for Wills/Testaments of any widows and check under their Maiden Names

[Martin109]

I've had a good look at several will I hoped would lead to something, but have not come up with any illumination of my question so far.

[Ruskie]

I'm expect you have probably already gone down this route, but the first thing I thought of was this -:

Have you checked the area for any other James Sawyers born in the area around 1728? You may need to check a bit further afield too just to ensure you have been thorough. If there are none, then this adds more weight to your theory that James 1728 is son of William.

You say James is probably a weaver. Is there no evidence as to his occupation? A weaver (unless he is in business for himself perhaps) is a fairly lowly occupation so producing sons who presumably became wealthy and educated seems to be a bit of an anomaly. Not impossible of course. Do you know the occupations of William and Jean's other sons?

You mention that the naming patterns tie in with William being the father of your James. Do any of the names of James' other children fit with the family of William and Jean? eg regarding the Scottish naming pattern - first son named after father's father, second son named after the mother's father, third son named after the father etc and the same with the daughters being named after the mother's relatives. If this is consistently the pattern with your James's family then this is a stronger indication that they followed the naming pattern than just saying that his first son was William perhaps named after grandfather William (which may also just be a coincidence). As we know some people followed the pattern quite strictly and others 'just a bit'. 

You say that you are trying to match up your James with someone else's 'well researched tree' (presumably they have noted sources which is how you come to this conclusion?) Have you contacted the tree owner to see if they can help you further? Have you confirmed this research for yourself in case there are errors?

Another thing you may wish to do is trace all the children of William and Jean to see where they ended up, what their occupations were, where they lived. You may find that they lived close to each other, worked together, or had the same occupations. You may find something that links your James to them.

It might also be worth checking for deaths for James, the son of William and Jean, in case he died in infancy or when young.

Thinking about Sawers and Sconce - have you looked into the possibility of trying to obtain apprenticeship records of Robert, or checking for any newspaper reports associated with the firm (and Robert in particular) in the hope that relationships are given?

Just a few avenues that come to mind which you may or may not have thought of. Good luck!

[Martin109]

Many thanks, Ruskie.

That gives me lots of ideas to follow up!

One bit of information about the idea of his being a weaver is from the Stirling Weavers' Guild Minute Book:

Weavers' Minute Book
Stirling 28 March 1748
The which day Jamesis Sawrers has become servant or Journeyman
to William Gillscroft and that from Candlemas 1748 to Candlemas
1749 and that he obliges himself to serve his (serve his his)
good master as a servant ought and should do

James [ ] present Deacon
Henry [ ] clerk

Records 1734- 1760 5 November 1757
Anent the bill of Entry given in by James Sawyers merchant
and weaver in St Ninians craving to be allowed to trade and
mechandise as a Gild brother within this Burgh during life,
It being verified to the Gildry that he had the qualifications
required in a person craving as aforesaid, The Gildry therefore
find him qualified, but before admission Remits him to be sworn
as a Burgess in the Town Council as usual

My James also got married in 1757.

[Ruskie]

Hi Martin,

So it appears James was of high standing, being a weaver and merchant/businessman and a Burgess, so it follows that his sons were educated.

Have you looked at all the Sawers families in the area? Maybe put them into family groups just to check that for example there is not another James born around 1728, or that family members from a number of Sawers families have not got mixed up ....

Can I just clarify the entry from the Weaver's book? Presumably the James they are referring to has previously served an apprenticeship and this is basically an employment contract for one year? I ask because your James was born in 1728 and would have probably undertaken an apprenticeship at a young age (checking required here)  - 11 to 14 I am guessing? I know apprenticeships lasted a number of years (6?). Your James would have been about 20 in 1748. So I'm just checking to see if the sums add up and I think they do.

Have you looked for James's apprenticeship records?

I know it is a bit touch and go as to what documentary evidence has survived since that time so in reality there may be little or nothing to find, and you just have to work with what you've got to paint the picture. If it were my family and I was unable to find any other Sawers and in particular James Sawers of the right age, I would be pencilling the families in as mine.