There used to be a family of McIlwraiths here in Motherwell. I knew them in the late 1960s & early 70s when I worked with Mrs McIlwraith. Her name was Barbara and she would have been, I think, in her late fifties back then. I know she has been dead for many years now. Her husband was Robert and they had 3 children, Robert, William and Janice.
One of the boys, Robert I think, died young, he would have been in his late thirties I think. Don't know where the other two are now.
Barbara originally came from the Cambuslang area but I don't know if her husband also came from there or if he was a Motherwell man. I only mention this as Cambuslang is the next parish to Blantyre.
I hope I'm not muddying the waters by giving you this information. I have been trying, over the past few days, to put an age to the elder Robert, he worked in Colville's steel works in Motherwell and he was still working in the early 1970s but must have been in his late 50s at least. That's as much as I know.
