robert speir

[dday]

Hello everyone
I am researching my husband's family tree, the Speir's of Dalry and surrounding areas. I have started with robert and jean and then robert and marion kirkwood and on down to the present. The majority are associated with north and south camphill farm and ardenslate farm. I am wondering if anyone can tell me how or if the speir's school in Beith connects to this family. Any information would be greatly appreciated

[chempat]

Welcome to rootschat, dday

Some history of the school from a google search:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spier%27s_School

You have given no dates for these, so no idea if they tie together:
'robert and jean and then robert and marion kirkwood'

[dday]

Robert Speir [1703-1801] and Jean Brown [1703-] were married in 1724. Their son Robert [1726-1810] married Marion Kirkwood [1727-] in 1750.  Their son James [1751-1809] married Margaret Easdale [1750-]. The information on the Speir's school website names John Speir's father as being Robert [writer of Beith] but no dates on birth or death so it's very hard to search with no info to go on. Just wondering if someone has made a connection

[chempat]

If you read the full entry it states that John Spier died 1858, and was the son of Margaret Gibson Spier, died in 1870.

Scotlandspeople gives
Margaret Gibson Spier dies in Largs/Ayr in 1870 age 79

Living at Whang, Beith, Ayrshire in 1841
Robert Spier   60
Margaret Spier   45
Margaret Spier   20
Robert Spier   20
Helen Spier   15
Andrew Spier   12
John Spier   9
James Spier   7
Agnes Barclay   30
Sarah Harkins   20

So Robert born about 1780 in Ayrshire

Added:
Margaret is a widow by the 1851 census, a lodger in Devon with 2 of her children (Andrew and John)

[chempat]

You could apply for his will (testament) from Scotlandspeople:
John Spier 04/03/1859 of Cuff in the parish of Beith, died at Broomfields, Largs
Ayr Sheriff Court  SC6/44/26

Added:
Similarly information at death on Margaret from Scotlandspeople.

And also Robert , 1841 and 1850.

[dday]

Thank you for your help. Unless there is a second marriage somewhere that I am unaware of, I have come to the conclusion that my family is not related to the Speir's school. I find it surprising since my family are all from Dalry or Beith. I shall keep digging.

[q98]

Go to the following website:
http://www.ayrshire-roots.co.uk

Register (free) at the 4th last para which starts "If this is your first time using the database ... "
Await the answering email. When received, follow any instructions.

There are many SPEIR/S/SPIERS listed in the  Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald BDM Intimation Database 1856-1899 .  Two I noted were a James SPEIR who died early-June 1860 at North Camphill, Dalry and, in either late-May or early-June 1864, an unnamed girl was born at North Camphill to a John SPEIR.

Hopefully, these BDMs will progress your tree.

q98

[dday]

Every little bit of information helps. Thank you

[q98]

Hi again dday
I am unsure how knowledgable you are about genealogy, so apologies if you know what next to search for.  Search  ScotlandsPeople  for both Death and Birth Extracts.

In the case of the child, her Birth Extract will provide her parents names. Armed with that, search for their Marriage Extract. This, in turn, will provide their parents names. You should now have the parents AND grandparents names of the child.

In the case of the Death, search for the Death Extract which should record the widow's maiden name. With that information, search for their Marriage Extract which will record the parents' names of each party.

Once again, good luck.