Thomas Brown

[JanPennington]

Hi
I work as a volunteer at a House Museum In New South Wales. It was built in 1840's for Scottish born Thomas Brown.  Recently we have been finding conflicting stories about Thomas and I have volunteered to try to find convincing evidence.
I am familiar with English records  but not with Scottish records.
He was an MP and according to their website
He was born on 1 Dec 1811 at Craighead and he married Mary Maxwell in 1838 before arriving in Australia in 1839. His father was David Brown. 
Some documents/books claim he was from a farming area in the North of Scotland but others suggest he came from a coal mining area further South - he started coal mining in the area he settled and also instrumental in beginnings of iron industry.
I looked on Scotlands People and found 2 marriages that could include the one I need. 
  How much does it cost to buy a record?  It was unclear on the site.
  Where is Craighead?  My searches seemed to suggest Lanarkshire but I can't find Craighead on a map.
  Are there only church records from that time? 
Thanks for your patience with such a long post.  There are other queries but they Australia related.
Jan

[Johnf04]

At Scotlands People, you have to buy credits - the minimum is 30, which are 7 pounds 50. It takes 6 of these credits to view a record.

[Flattybasher9]

There is loads of information regarding Thomas Brown, his wife Mary and Eskbank House Museum on the web.

http://eskbank.lithgow.com/about/

http://www.lithgow.com/historyavenue/1842_browns.html

Malky

[JanPennington]

Thank you.    Yes I am aware of those websites and I work at Eskbank House but we are now being told from other sources/people that some of the facts included on the sites are inaccurate. 
Information of his life in Australia is probably accurate.
It is his early life that we are unsure of.  One book claims he was from Inverness and the NSW Parliament records say he was born in Craighead which I have been unable to identify with certainty.  He seems to have married Mary near Dalkeith.
We have very little material relating directly to Thomas except a copy of the record of the ship he arrived on and the silver trowel he used to lay the foundation stone for the school he paid for.  All his possessions seem to have been dispersed after his death as he and Mary had no children to inherit them.
He is a bit of a mystery.
Jan

[pharmaT]

Craighead is a very popular place name in Scotland.  For example there is a Criaghead Farm near me.

[Flattybasher9]

"He was born on 1 Dec 1811 at Craighead"

Jan, where does this information come from?

Malky

[Flattybasher9]

Noting the possible wedding place, Westerkirk, and the date, there is a birth of a

BROWN THOMAS to father DAVID BROWN on the 13/06/1811 S/P ref 854/10 171
Location :- Westerkirk, Dumfries Shire.

Malky

[JanPennington]

That birth record is interesting I found a baptism record for Dec 1811
 24 Dec at Muthill, Perthshire with father David Brown and mother Christie (nee Mackie)  and there a Craighead golf course near Crail.

Johnf04 - Thank you information about costs.  I may try buying 30 credits to check some of the records I found.

A book on Migration to the Lithgow are says Thomas was born in Inverness but so far I can see nothing to support that.  The author would I think have been using second or third hand information.

Jan

[Flattybasher9]

There is a Craighead just North of Inverness on the coast, just North of Rosemarkie.

But there is also a Craighaugh, Langholm, Dumfriesshire.

Malky

Ps, you do not need to purchase credits for searching S.P. You get a basic search for free.