I posted previously about these families, but not for some time, so I thought I would put my more updated information out for comments, hoping to make connections.
Thomas Wyllie/Wylie and Jean/Jane Morton - banns at Craigie by Kilmarnock and Kilmaurs in May 1806. Jean's father may have been Thomas Morton, possibly from Craigie. Their children were:
James born Sept 1806 Craigie;
George born Dec 1808, christened 4 Dec 1808 at Craigie;
Mary born 09 Jan 1811 at Symington;
Margaret born 12 Feb 1813 christened in Dunlop;
John Wylie born 18 April 1815, christened in Dunlop;
Thomas born 14 May 1817, christened in Dunlop;
David born 22 Jun 1819 Stewarton; and
Jean born 16 Sept 1821 Stewarton.
Jean married James Whiteford (born Antrim, Ireland 3 May 1826, christened Campbeltown, Argyll late May 1826) at Mid Glencraig farm near Campbeltown in July 1849. This was her brother George's farm. James and Jean emigrated to Australia in 1852. They are my great, great grandparents.
George, his wife Mary and their children followed James and Jean to Australia in the late 1850s with George farming at Wild Duck Creek in Victoria.
John married Rachel Taylor and they emigrated to the US, with John farming in Wisconsin. On the 1880 Census they are in Leeds, Colombia. John died in 1890. Their children included George born about 1848 and Rachel 1850 in Campbeltown.
I have Thomas Snr, George and Jean at Caddell Farm Ardrossan on the 1841 census. The other Wyllies listed there include George's wife, Mary Leggatt (born 27 Dec 1825 at Craig Dow, Loch Head, Kirkoswald, Ayr) and children, apart from Janet who is the same age as Jean and couldn't possibly be Mary Leggatt's daughter. Thomas died in 1845 or 46 and I have a copy of his inventory from Caddell farm. This says his oldest son is George so I am not sure whether James died or possibly emigrated as did a number of Thomas & Jean Wylie's children.
Margaret Wyllie, Jean's sister, married Robert KERR. This family farmed Giffordland Mill, High Linn, Dalry and Cranberrymoss (sometimes Cranberry Moss), Kilwinning. Robert Kerr (i) b.1808 married Margaret Wyllie 25 May 183 d. 12 Nov 1880. Their children included:
Jane 1838;
Margaret 31 May 1840,
Mary 24 Jul 1842,
Robert 16 Nov 1844 who married Elizabeth HAMILTON.
Janet born 18 Apr 1847 married Archibald GRAY 23 Dec 1875 died 21 Sep 1935. Archibald GRAY born 01 Jan 1841 died 22 Apr 1918 (second wife).
John born 02 Sep 1849;
James 01 Mar 1852;
Elizabeth born 25 Jun 1854.
Robert and Elizabeth Hamilton's children included:
James b. 1866 d. 5 Jan 1896;
Elizabeth b. 1869;
Robert b. 1872;
Mary b. 1875 d. 04 Jul 1885;
John b. 1878 d. 04 Jul 1885.
I hold a number of OPRs for the Kerrs and they are at Giffordland Mill for most of the time, with the Valuation Roll for 1875-76 showing a Robert Kerr as occupier on both Giffordland Mill and High Linn (possibly his son Robert??? at High Linn).
I would be very keen to hear back from anybody with connections with any of these families. I have been lucky enough to make connections with descendants of John's family in the US and of George Wylie's family in Australia and would love to make more connections.
I travelled to Scotland last year and drove up to Craigie. The church was closed, it's up for sale, but I got a number of photos across the graveyard and fields beyond in the late afternoon sun. It was a quiet, peaceful and very pretty part of the world. I couldn't find any gravestones for anybody recognisably family. I will be back in Scotland in about 7 weeks and hope to go up there again.
Anne
