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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Stirlingshire => Topic started by: aspicer84 on Friday 23 February 18 23:28 GMT (UK)
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It has been written in an article that Peter SAWERS was a great grandson of a SAWERS of St Ninians and married 4 times. Id love to find out more about his parents and grandparents if someone would be kind enough to help! Ive attached the newspaper article from 1859 after Peters death
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Whoever wrote that isn't too sure of his facts is he? ;)
Is someone mentioned in this article an ancestor of yours? I am thinking that as the family appear to be wealthy, there are likely to be other records of them. Have you explored google, online trees etc. for clues?
The obvious thing to do it draw up the outline of a tree using what can be gleaned from the article, then look to Familysearch and Scotland's People for proof. I suppose it depends on how close these people are to you as to whether you will want to pay for the information you need from SP.
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Ive put together a family tree on ancestry, and have purchased Peter's will from Scotlands people, along with death record that listed his parents as Margaret HAY and Robert SAWERS of Black Loch but thats as far as I can get it seems... hit brick wall!
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The article names his mother as Margaret Kay. ;)
As Peter did not have any children you are obviously not descended from him. Who are you descended from?
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I have only had a bit of a look so far, but I found mention of a John Sawers of St Ninians who died in 1809 aged 83 or 89 (difficult to read the numbers). Source: "Scots Magazine 1809". He might fit in somewhere.
It might also be worth considering misspellings of that surname.
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What age was Peter when he died in 1859?
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I found this in the index on SP:
SAWERS
PETER
ROBERT SAWERS/MARGARET HAY
M
25/07/1773
495/
10 296
Cumbernauld
Presumably it is the record of death that you have purchased. What is the date? 1773? Is this Peter's date of death? I thought he died in 1859 - or was that one of those articles written a lot later than the event, hence the vagueness of facts?
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In Peters will he mentions his two Natural born sons Robert Gordon SAWERS and John Stevenson SAWERS, and daughter Isabella McFarlane SAWERS. Robert is my 2nd great grandfather. I’m not sure who Their mother was... Peter was around 80 Or 85 when he died in Nov 1859.
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That index listing mentioned by Ruskie is a baptism. SP indexes 5 baptisms of children to Robert Sawers and Margaret Hay: unnamed child 1762 (tempting to think that this is his 'eldest brother' John, named in the newspaper article), Marion 1765, Robert 1768, James 1770, Peter 1773. Peter's death index says he was 86 when he died, which fits a baptism in 1773.
The 1851 census transcription lists at Nether Kirktonfield, Neilston a household headed by Peter Sawers, Deputy Lieutenant for the County of Linlithgow, Justice of the Peace, and bleacher employing 16 men, 33 women, 3 boys and 5 girls, born Dunbartonshire, Cumbernauld. It gives his age as 40, however, so I think if I were you I'd want to check the original to see if I agree that it is 40. The 1841 transcription says he was 45, which is also questionable.
As he owned land, the obvious source to look in is the Registers of Sasines. This is the record of changes of ownership of land in Scotland since the 16th or 17th century. They are mostly indexed, and they usually tell you the relationships of the people when there is a change of ownership. Neither the Registers nor the indexes are available online. You have to go to the National Records of Scotland in Edinburgh (or get someone to go on your behalf) to view them.
I see that in the 1851 census Peter Sawers, 42, born New Monkland, was listed as the Free Church minister at Gargunnock.
The Scotsman has many articles referring to Rev Peter Sawers. The earliest of these relate to litigation between him and his brother Henry over the execution of their uncle's estate. Later on, Rev Peter Sawers was convicted of defrauding the North British Railway by tampering with the date on a railway ticket, and this led to a long series of litigation and proceedings both in court and at the Free Kirk Presbytery, Synod and General Assembly. Unfortunately the images available online are very poor and I was able to decipher only about a third of them. I did not find an obituary.
He seems to be the Peter Russell Sawers, aged 70, who died in Edinburgh Newington in 1885.
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Thanks for the clarification Forfarian. :) I took the "lack of heirs" in the heading of the article to mean that Peter had no heirs. ::)
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Thanks for the clarification Forfarian. :) I took the "lack of heirs" in the heading of the article to mean that Peter had no heirs. ::)
He obviously had no legitimate children, but he had heirs in the shape of his brothers' families. Even if he had not left a will, his property would have gone to them. I think the article is a bit sloppy!
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The Caledonian Mercury, 6 April 1725
ADVERTISMENTS
"Upon the 21st Day of April instant, at two a clock in the Afternoon, in the House of Elizabeth Sawers Vintner at St. Ninians; to be sette by Roup for the following Season, ....".
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https://books.google.ca/books?id=PsM4AQAAIAAJ&pg=PA55&lpg=PA55&dq=reverend+peter+sawers&source=bl&ots=EN7Zf3yfC2&sig=kg9HuS_riwD4C3e5dmwFEm8KOYM&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwil_LDhz77ZAhUE1WMKHQkcAg0Q6AEIJjAA#v=onepage&q=reverend%20peter%20sawers&f=false
Peter Russell Sawers Minister of the Free Church seems to have been an interesting individual. I didn't spot anything which points to his ancestry. Just Google Minister Peter Sawers/Sawyers and there are many references to him.
Henry Miller held the lands Kirkton at Neilston which included Kirkton Mill, Kirkton Farm and Kirkhill in 1790 and I will assume Peter acquired the farm from him or his estate. The earliest I see Peter mentioned there pertains to a plowing match held there in 1837 and the latest in 1859. It seems to have been an annual event.
Don
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Thankyou SO much for all the research you have helped a lot! I never thought that Peter Sawers had ANY natural children until I read the attached which is his Will and Testament. Its a little hard to read but it states he has two sons and a daughter.
Robert Gordon SAWERS
John Stevenson SAWERS
Isabella McFarlane SAWERS
I can't seem to find any recorded births for any of them, however -
1841 Census - Robert Gordon Sawers was 9yo living with his Aunt & Uncle "Newhouse" Torphichen
1851 Census - Robert was a visitor at a home in Edinburgh - apprentice silk mercer?
1855 Immigrated to Australia Departed from Liverpool Arrived Melbourne
1860 - Married Harriet HAWORTH
1863 - Harriet gave birth to my great - grandfather Henry James SAWERS
The attached I found from Trove dated October 1861 in the Argus newspaper Melbourne. So I knew there was a definite connection. I have to assume that they were all illegitimate children from perhaps random women as Peter Sawers didnt marry. Maybe Robert wasn't familiar with his father Peter at all and therefore never made an attempt towards the will?
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Here is an extract of Peter Sawers will where he mentions his natural children. Thoughts?
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Here are the probable nieces and a token nephew.
Margaret Hay Sawers daughter of James and Janet Marshall d 10 Sep 1892 at Newhouse, Torpichen she was 92, single and a Farmer. Sister Agnes died (same place) 1893. A brother Henry died there 1863.
There is a Margaret Sawers in Shotts who died in 18 DEC 1858 daughter of John (farmer & landed proprietor) and Janet Russell. Also single. Janet might be an informant error and if her name was actually Mary then there could more births in Cumbernauld.
Don
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In reply to the article on the first post, regarding the first mentioned Robert Sawers, Black Loch Lanarkshire. I lived next to the Black Loch which is on the border of counties, Stirlingshire and Lanarkshire next to the village of Limerigg, the 1881 census shows members of the Sawers family in this area and lists where born.
http://tompaterson.co.uk/censussearch.php
http://tompaterson.co.uk/census.php?Dwelling=795&Census=Slamannan
James
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I was wondering where I would find out the information about Henry Miller or Millar who is said to have held the lands of kirkton in 1790. I'm hoping it might give me some clues as to Peter Sawers esq's parents and grandparents if he indeed inherited Nether Kirkton from family.