Mcilwraith/variants Brick Wall in Lanark--DNA anyone?

[debbikiebler]

Nearly 20 years of research has led to only brick walls.  I'm not giving up, but in the meantime, I've had my father submit his DNA to Ancestry.com FamilyTreeDNA.com, and GedMatch.com.  Although he's matched to thousands of people, the Mcilwraith line is totally blank.  If you have coal miners in your family in Lanark around 1900, would you please consider having your DNA done.

If you're interested in the story--until his mother Cissy died, my Dad had been kept in the dark about the fact that she was illegitimate.  A family friend who worked with the real father in the coal mines in the 1940's told us his name--Bobby Mcilwraith (although he did not know how it was spelled).  He had been sworn to secrecy before Cissy's death.  Cissy--a nick name designed to confuse the issue--was born November 17, 1910 in Newton as Sarah nmn Thomson to Sarah Gray Thomson.  At six weeks old, Sarah Gray Thomson left her daughter with her mother, Sarah McIlvain Thomson, to raise and immigrated to Colorado, USA.  After the death of three sons in WWI and her husband, Sarah McIlvain Thomson brought the remaining family members to Colorado in 1921.  My dad was born in 1931 and from that point Sarah nmn Thomson took on the name Cissy, and my dad was told she was the youngest daughter of Sarah McIlvain Thomson.  At one point Cissy wanted to go to work, and Cissy's husband even got an "abbreviated" copy of her birth certificate so it would not reveal the truth.  Looking back, my dad always wondered as a young child why the family always visited his one "aunt" Sarah Gray Thomson more than the other "aunts."

How will I ever know I have the right Robert McIlwraith?  I've hired a researcher, contacted the Glasgow Genealogy Center at the Mitchell Library, looked at poor relief records, baptismal records, kirk session minutes, found the original birth certificate, poured over coal mine records, spent hundreds of credits on ScotlandsPeople, started a tree on Ancestry.com (which now has over 60,000 people but only one McIlwraith!), and as a last resort have done DNA for my dad.  He's now 83 years old and I'm afraid I'm running out of time to find his grandfather's family.

Can anyone help?

[aghadowey]

Since you know where Cissie was born in 1910 have you looked at the 1911 census to see if you can spot her father?

[debbikiebler]

Yes, I have exhausted all census records, Glasgow Genealogy Center, kirk session minutes, poor relief rolls, coal mining records, and on and on to no avail.  Sure wish I could look at the 1921 census.  Cissy's father was not in the picture at all.  I'm not sure his family even knew she was born.  Cissy's mother, Sarah Gray Thomson, was the only parent listed on the birth certificate and it was marked illegitimate.  At six month's old, SGT left Cissy to be raised by Sarah McIlvain Thomson (Cissy's grandmother) and came to Colorado to work as a domestic servant.  The problem is that I only know, through a family friend, that the father's name was Bobby McIlraith.  SMT and her living children came to Colorado in 1921.  The family friend lived two doors from my family on Spittal Terrace and also came to Colorado about 1950 and now lives in the original house SMT purchased on Depew Street in Denver.  He worked with this Bobby at the Bardykes Pit Mine, and told me he lived in High Blantyre and rode his bike to work.  The other problem, the family friend was born around 1925, Bobby would have been born around 1890, and I don't know what years they worked together, but I'm guessing in the 1940's.  I'm not sure I'll live long enough to look at the 1941 census.  That's why I think my only hope is DNA.  I've traced a family that looked like a match, but our DNA did not match.  Long reply--sorry, but thank you.  Debbi

[mosstrooper]

Debbi,
           I  was raised in Lanarkshire in the village of Plains where lived a family McIlwraith, a  Mining family. Sylvia McIlwraith still lives there and I will be in her street tomorrow, Sylvia is getting on in years now,

James. 

[debbikiebler]

Oh my goodness, this would be so helpful.  If she knew of a Bobby McIlwraith (not sure of spelling) that worked at the Bardyke Pit and lived in High Blantyre, riding his bike to work, that would be a small miracle.  Our family friend, Bill "Willie" Scott, worked with Bobby and lived on Spittal Terrace with my Thomson family.  Bill (wife was Jean) is now around 90 years old, so there's a chance she knew that family too.  I'm so excited to hear what you find out.  Many, many thanks, Debbi   

[whiteout7]

Could this man be a possiblity?

Robert McIlraith
1901 England, Wales & Scotland Census
Lanarkshire
Birth Year
1889
Age
12
Registration District
Calton

Actually he is in the 1891 census aged 2 in Calton but as Robert McIlwraith.

[mosstrooper]

Debbi,
          I visited Sylvia today, she is in her 80s, as far as she knows none of her family ever had
connections in the USA, her brother Jack emigrated 60 years ago to Canada and is still there aged 86. She has no relatives named Robert (Bobby) I'm afraid,

James.

[debbikiebler]

He could be the right one.  Do you have any more info, such as occupation, 1911 census info, parents? 

Thank you so much for your help.

[aghadowey]

1911 Scottish census is only available on Scotland's People site (pay per view for everyone).