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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Dumfriesshire => Topic started by: littlej on Wednesday 06 December 06 21:49 GMT (UK)
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Looking at gravestones in Kirkpatrick Juxta whilst researching the Little family, I found memoriams to two family members who died in Jamaica around 1815/16. Anyone any ideas what two young men from a Dumfriesshire farming family would be doing in Jamaica at that time?
Is it possible they just emigrated in search of a better life?
Jac
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Hi jac
Reading the Old Statistical accounts (1790s) http://edina.ac.uk/statacc/ , it was quite common for young men to go seek their fortunes and return.
There were quite a few changes in land tenure at the time as well - leases changed from the usual 19 years to a shorter time and had 'improving' clauses. This meant that it was more difficult to follow in father's footsteps.
Gadget
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Thanks, I thought it may be something like that. Knowing that there was not much likelihood of work on the land for everyone, I suppose emigration would seem very attractive.
Thanks again
Jac
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One of my ggg grandfather's brothers went to New York in 1812 and died there in 1823. His eldest brother had died during the Napoleonic Wars, so ggg granddad inherited the lease. His other brother went to Canada in 1826 and he finally succumbed to the cost of improving leases in 1833 and moved to Wales - which is why I'm Welsh :-\
Gadget
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Looking at gravestones in Kirkpatrick Juxta whilst researching the Little family, I found memoriams to two family members who died in Jamaica around 1815/16. Anyone any ideas what two young men from a Dumfriesshire farming family would be doing in Jamaica at that time?
Is it possible they just emigrated in search of a better life?
Jac
Those are probably a couple of my relatives..... did you happen to take a photo ?
Keeping my fingers crossed in Canada.
Cinderelly
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Looking at gravestones in Kirkpatrick Juxta whilst researching the Little family, I found memoriams to two family members who died in Jamaica around 1815/16. Anyone any ideas what two young men from a Dumfriesshire farming family would be doing in Jamaica at that time?
Is it possible they just emigrated in search of a better life?
Jac
Those are probably a couple of my relatives..... did you happen to take a photo ?
Keeping my fingers crossed in Canada.
Cinderelly
The Little family was huge in those days, many people are related to them, me included!
The earliest I am aware of being Janet Little born 1688 in Canonbie Dumfriesshire....
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I was lucky enough in my Little research to find some relatives already thank goodness.
They provided me with a nice tree....it goes back to 1707 with William Little and Jean Johnstone. They had a son named John who married Katherine Marjoribanks. John and Katherine had four children together that we know of , Samuel , Jean, Margaret and William. I come from the Samuel split.
I do have some Janets in the line. I'll take a closer look when I have a few mintues :)
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I've got 9 Janet Littles in my line and some ladies who have Janet as a middle name. Quite popular !
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I've got 9 Janet Littles in my line and some ladies who have Janet as a middle name. Quite popular !
Grizel Little, b.1721 Milntown, Langholm Mill, Dumfriesshire?
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I only have one and she's born 1811.
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Cinderelly,
If you've done some research already you will know that almost almost every Little has married a Johnstone, and they all have sons called William, Thomas and Matthew. If you send me a personal message, I can send you a picture of the gravestone and the others I took as well. It is very confusing even when you are standing in front of those graves, the dates and the names are quite hard to connect.
Jac
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Hi,
I notice you have Littles in Gloucestershire. My father is a Little living in Gloucestershire. His family moved there from the Johnstone area in the 30's. Just wondered if there was a connection...
cheers
norma
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I have an fairly extensive lineage of my wife's Littles who were, for generations, blacksmiths in Canonbie. But i can only get back as far as Robert Little who was born about 1736 and his wife Peggy Grant, born about 1740. They had 8 children John b1762, Walter b1764, Christopher b1768, Ann b1771, Robert b1775, Elizabeth b1777, Lewis b1779 and Elizabeth again b1782 (the first Elizabeth died young).
I was hoping someone might have connections to thier family tree?
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Hi,
I'm new to this forum and interested in the 'Littles from Dumfries', but I gather this is a pretty common surname so not sure whether to add to this thread or to start another.
My interest is John Little (b about 1777 Lochmaben) who married Janet Richardson (b about 1781 Lochmaben) and their children, particularly Mary Ann Little (b 15 Oct 1815 Tinwald). Mary Ann moved to Somerset and married George Coleman. I believe that Mary Ann had a connection with Dryburgh as that's what she called her new house and I'd always understood that this had a Dumfries connection, but don't know what that is.
Any info about the family or Dryburgh would be appreciated.
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By any chance have you come across a Jane Little who married a Thomas Johnstone probably around 1830 and had a son Thomas in 1833 who married a Janet Wilson in Govan in 1859?
I think she may be my great great great grandmother
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Hi,
Can't help you I'm afraid. I can't get back beyond 'my' Mary Ann Little.
Tim
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I'm coming to the conclusion that the Littles of Dumfriesshire is a box I should never have opened!
I'm helping a friend research her family and so much of what you've all posted rings true as I also have Johnstone and Richardson links but not to the same lines as far as I can tell.
Here's what I have just in case it matches other people's interests:
Elizabeth (or Elspeth) Little born 1837 in Wamphray, Dumfriesshire to John Little and Elisabeth Johnstone.
Is in Wamphray on 1841 Census; Moffat on the 1851 Census; in the Dumfries poorhouse in 1871; living with her daughter and family (Richardsons) in 1891 and 1901. Still trying to find her in 1861 and 1881.
She has two illegitimate children - a daughter Mary Agnes in 1866 and a son John James in 1871. Mary Agnes is living with the McNairn family in 1871 and is listed as Isabella McNairn's grand-daughter - not sure if that's true though. Meanwhile Elizabeth and baby John James are in the poorhouse.
Elizabeth dies in 1905 and John James goes on to marry in Glasgow.
Dumfries Archives have a record of an application for poor relief for John James education made by his mother (the maiden name Mitchell is noted on this, confusingly)
If anyone else is researching this line, do please get in touch to swap info.
Sarah
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Greetings, hope your research has progressed well. My connections are into Wanlockhead and my most distant name is Gilbert LITTLE & Agnes AITKENHEAD and their son James 1762. I would love to find more information about Gilbert Little . Please email if I can be of any help. Cheers Allen