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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => West Lothian (Linlithgowshire) => Topic started by: patannk on Tuesday 23 March 10 07:42 GMT (UK)
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I am helping someone who is researching her Scottish ancestors and she has various documents (going back to 1799) that say the family lived at Meadowhead, West Calder?
We found West Calder on a map, but couldn't find Meadowhead, so wondered if it was the name of a village or perhaps a house or farm?
Her ancestor is John Graham Fairley, who died in 1906, but we are hoping to find some trace of previous generations of the family in West Calder?
???
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Hi,
If you go to this site and search for West Calder, then click on "West Calder a Parish in Midlothian", on the second page of results is a picture of Meadowhead Farm and House. http://www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/
Susan
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HI
Meadowhead is part of Addiewll which is a village just outside of West Calder; but it does have close links with West Calder; In fact the address is commonly Addiewell, West Calder.
The name Meadowhead I believe comes from a man who owned the land around that area but I might be wrong. If you do a google search for Meadowhead, Addiewell you'll find a fair amount of information on it. The houses I think where originally built to home the shale oil workers employed by Parrafin Young and also Coal Miners; it is very much proud of it's historical links with coal mining.
H
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I live near Meadowhead, which as has been said lies beside the A71 near Addiewell, just along the road from West Calder. Meadowhead itself was a Hotel up to the 1980s there is nothing else there, maybe a farm, but that is all.
Someone will be along soon who has access to the records, failing that you can join Scotlandspeople and search yourself.
James.
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Many thanks for your help!
It is so great to be able to call on the help of other Rootschatters.
;D
I now have a photo of the house and have learned some more about the area around Addiewell.
I also looked at some of the censuses on Ancestry, to see if I could find any Fairleys living there and have, so far, found some in 1851 and 1861 listed under West Calder.
As you say, the PRs would show the period that the Fairleys were living in the area...
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Hello,
Meadowhead belonged to the Graham family, the Fairley connected came as the male line had died out, I've got information on the family but would have to dig it out.
The Farmhouse was later turned into a Hotel owned by the Gillespies - I worked there in the 1970's.
if you check the 1851 census returns for West Calder you'll find John Graham of Meadowhead and details of his family - I also have some burial records for the family.
I have always wondered if John was related to James Graham who was known as the "Laird of Muldron" and had a larger farm in the area.
Hope this helps ... cheers ... Meg
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Many thanks for the info, which I will pass on to the relatives.
Any other info you have on Meadowhead and the Graham & Fairley families would be most welcome!
I did do some checking on Ancestry, in the early censuses, to see who I could find in the West Calder area with the Graham & Fairley surnames. Sadly there are no images to be viewed?
I shall have another look at what I found....I have been chasing other ancestors, more recently.
;D
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You may be able to find it on an old map.
Follow the links in this posting:
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,351410.0.html
Josey
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Many thanks for the map!
How recent/old is it?
???
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My uncle was the manager at the Meadowhead hotel from 1966~1971
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Tom, Chris or Tony???? Tom was running things where I was there - early 70's, Chris was concentrating on the Regal and Tony and Madelaine came over from the States often.
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My uncle was Tommy Gillespie from Newtongrange. My dad, Jimmy Gillespie sometimes went across aswell . I can remember going to the meadowhead for a night out, many moons ago.
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How interesting to hear from someone with family connections to the Meadowhead Hotel!
;D
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Just out of interest, the Gillespie family owned Breich Inns for a few years. Breich Inns 4 miles from West Calder.
Mirrin
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The Meadowhead Hotel was a popular Sunday evening rock venue in the 70s for live bands who did covers of bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Eagles, etc, etc.
If memory serves me right, the licensing laws meant they had to serve food, some of which was a real delight. :o Although I think they once did a passable chicken and chips in a basket, or maybe that was just the beer effect. ;D
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Go to the " Addiewell Heritage site" and you will find some interesting information on Meadowhead and the Graham Fairley you are researching.
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Thanks for that info!
;D
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I used to go to the dances in the 70s, was always packed to the door. If you didn't go early , you didn't get in. Definitely served food ( your ticket included it) tam Gillespie had a wee dog that used to wander round, it's name was polo. Think it was a border terrier but not completely certain.
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:)My great grandmother was a Jessie Fairley who was a housekeeper for Mr Graham, at Meadowhead. Jessie Fairley working to the past was the daughter of Christina Gray and Mr James Fairley. Her sister married a Clarkson. Janet Graham married a Mr George Gray of Leithheadmill and Rusha , Eddiebrownhill. Kate Graham, her sister married Mr Jas Gray of Harper Rigg. James Graham was at Muldron. Christina Graham their mother married a John Graham of West Colzium. Her brother John Graham of Handerwood and Muirhousedykes was the ancestor of Mr John Graham of Meadowhead farm. The mother of Christina Graham was Christina Somerville who married John Graham and lived at West Causewayend farm (1690 - 1754) House built 1757 was still standing twenty years ago, modernised and with a carved lintel including the names of Christina and John. Leithhead mill is an attractive private housing development, Harper Rigg is a lake, and you should find most of the farms between West Calder and Kirknewton on the Lang Whang.
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Janet Graham married a Mr George Gray of Leithheadmill
http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NT1163
Kate Graham, her sister married Mr Jas Gray of Harper Rigg.
http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NT1061
James Graham was at Muldron.
http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NS9258
Christina Graham their mother married a John Graham of West Colzium.
http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NT0858
(If you use a search engine looking for Colzium, you will find https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colzium which is an entirely different place with the same name,)
Her brother John Graham of Handerwood
Handaxwood?
http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NS9459 West Handaxwood
http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NS9560 East Handaxwood
The mother of Christina Graham was Christina Somerville who married John Graham and lived at West Causewayend farm (1690 - 1754) [/quote]
http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NT0860 and
http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NT0861
Rusha
http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NS9960
Eddiebrownhill
Addiebrownhill
http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17&lat=55.8440&lon=-3.6164&layers=5&b=1
http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NS9962 (click on map to enlarge it)
Muirhousedykes
http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17&lat=55.8408&lon=-3.6275&layers=5&b=1 (slide the blue button to left and right to compare this map with the satellite view)
http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NS9862 (Muirhousedykes isn't actually named)
Meadowhead
http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17&lat=55.8399&lon=-3.6154&layers=5&b=1
http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NS9861 (Meadowhead isn't actually named)
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Very impressive, it saves me looking out my old photos. Two bits of gossip. John Graham's sister was Mrs Tennant Cairns (maybe Carnys). The Grahams had evidently been farming in Mid Lothian for some time. The Leithheadmill was owned by two brothers that never spoke to each other. as I mentioned, pure gossip. I believe that the farms were originally set up to feed the cattle travelling from Glasgow, before they hit the Edinburgh markets.
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I forgot to mention the Fairleys. John G. Fairley was the son of William Fairley who was a millwright in West Calder and the brother of Jessie Fairley. His brothers were Jas. Graham Fairley and architect., W. Graham Fairley (Brisbane), George G. Fairley, and sister Christina Fairley (Mrs Stewart). John Fairley's family were Jennie (Mrs Draper), Bessie, Christina (Mrs Griffes?), Madge and Catherine. This should take you to the beginning of the 20th century. Even in one generation the connections can become quite distant, still it is interesting to find out the lives of who came before.