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I have found the deaths of some Grahams in TUNDERGARTH Parish (FHL microfilm 1067971) to whom I MAY be related because the timing is right and I know the family had connections there.  I would appreciate it if anyone is able to tell me any more about the following people:

William Graham of Peatstackdale interred 23 May 1820 age 76 (=> born 1743)
James Graham of Peatstackdale interred 10 Feb 1820 age 73 (=> born 1746)
Margaret Graham of Peatstackdale interred 9 Jan 1813 age 32 (=> born 1780)

also Agness Byers of Banks died 22 Aug 1836 (no age given)

MY INTEREST?  My 3rd GGrandfather James Graham (1771-1855) had parents William Graham and Agnes Byers according to his 1855 death registration.  This registration shows a longterm connection to Lambhill in Tundergarth parish. I know nothing more about William Graham.  No birth or marriage info.  My Agnes B was born in 1742 in Westerkirk, so this is the only William G in Tundergarth who would be about the right age to be her husband.  An age for Agness at death would have helped confirm or reject these people as related, but alas ...

The William and James here look like brothers while Margaret could be a daughter to one of them.

Information anyone?

To wulgraham

Thank you for the parental info

Actually, my Grahams do have some Langholm connections.  John Graham 1799, the oldest son of James Graham 1771 and Isabella Borthwick 1767 who survived, was baptized in Langholm.  I had always assumed that was because Isabella B was born in  Langholm (parents Alexander B and Isobel Paisley).  I guesstimated that  James' father William Graham was born around 1740 because his mother Agnes Byers was born (in Westerkirk) in 1742.  John is a prominent name in every generation of my Grahams beginning with James and Isabella's children, but I can't pin down the source of it. 

The other 7 children (4 survived) were all baptized in Westerkirk.

Do you by any chance have the Langholm MIs?

rlg

to wul graham

The people in the 2 pictures of the one tombstone are relatives.  William Graham (1806-1895) is the eldest son of George Graham (1775) and the others mentioned are some of his family members.  This George is the brother of my direct ancestor James (1771-1855) who married Isabella Borthwick.  Thus, both George and James are sons of William Graham and Agnes Byers, while the William on the stone is a grandson.  (There is also a Sarah Graham who is a sister to James and George.  There may also be a younger brother John 1884 as I mentioned in my OOPS memo.  I welcome any further intelligence about him in the hope of verifying or rejecting him.)

The Agnes Graham who married Adam Edgar is a closer relative.  She is a daughter of James Graham (1771-1855) and a younger sister to my gg grandfather William Graham (1804-1880) who emigrated to Canada with his wife Hannah Bell and their childrensomewhere around 1853.  Obviously this William (1804-1880) is also a son of James.

The third inscription I am unable to read, so I can't comment.

To the best of my knowledge at this point, we are not related.

No, I have never been to Scotland, but my wife and I hope to rectify this within a couple of years.  I do have the Westerkirk MIs.  You forwarded them to a cousin of mine last year and he forwarded them to me.  They have proven very useful indeed.  Thank you.

to Margaret55

We are definitely related.  Your Alexander (1809-1873) is a younger sibling of my William Graham (1804-1880) who came to Canada as was Agnes who married Adam Edgar in wulgraham's picture.  All three (William, Agnes and Alexander) were children of James (1771-1855).  (I'm guessing that the last picture wulgraham took might be his tombstone, but I can't see it well enough.)  There are two other siblings who lived -- John 1799 who married Helen Thomson and Isbel 1797 who married Thomas Hope.  I also believe that there were 3 more sibling -- one John and two Williams -- who died early in life.

to both

I was suggesting that the James Graham (1771-1855) might be the one baptized in Hutton and Corrie to William Graham.  The death entry in 1855, though, suggests suggests some connection to Tundergarth through a place called Lambhill.  The statement to this effect was made by his neice Helen Graham who we have deduced is his younger brother George's daughter, a younger sister of the William in your first photograph.

I can't find any information on the birth of William Graham (James, George and Sarah's father), his marriage to Agnes Byers or the deaths of William and Agnes.  The are no Westerkirk MIs for them or burial entries to the best of my knowledge.  His wife Agnes Byers was born in 1742, so I'm guessing that William was probably born about 1740.  He may have been an Ag Lab like his sons James and George and so may have been transient for part of his life.  Even if James was born in Hutton and Corrie, it doesn't mean his father William was born or even firmly established there.

wul, what do you know about the parents of your Archibald Graham?  They seem to be contemporaries of James, George and Sarah in Westerkirk.  Perhaps there is a connection after all.  I won't bet on it though because there are Grahams by the bushel everywhere in Dumfries!

RLG

I am hitting a wall in my research and wonder if anyone has further information.  My problems revolve around WILLIAM GRAHAM and AGNES BYERS. 

I can find Agnes' birth in 1842 to George Byers who married Grisil Johnston (both events in Westerkirk).  I can find the births her of children George G (1775) and Sarah G (1777), both in Westerkirk.  I have the 1855 death info provided by Helen Graham (George's daughter from Bentpath) which also identifies James Graham (1771) as the son of William and Agnes G.

I know that James married Isabel Borthwick, George married Peggy Rieve and Sarah married Peter Byars/Byers -- all in Westerkirk -- and I have been following their descendents. 

Where does James come from?  I have discounted the connection to a James Graham from Torthorwald and his siblings (whose father was a William Graham) because I can't find any sign that they had anything to do with Westerkirk or the surrounding parishes (births, marriages or censuses) while James, George and Sarah do.  I have concluded that James, George and Sarah are the only verifiable children for William and Agnes.

I am clinging to the belief that the James in Westerkirk was the one baptized in Hutton and Corrie in Mar 1771.  When I checked those PRs, I got no other children there (maybe bacause the recording of BMDs stopped after 1771 and only resumed in the 1800's) for William. 

Can ANYONE confirm the James -- Hutton and Corrie connection?  The 1855 information seems to suggest a Torthowald connection.  Does anyone have any other children for William and Agnes?

As for WILLIAM GRAHAM, where did he come from?  I can't even find his marriage to Agnes.  Was it perhaps an irregular marriage which missed getting recorded?  (James and Isabella's in 1792 was irregular and they were fined by the church for it, but it was recorded by the church.)  William is like a phantom to me -- appearing only as a father with no verifiable info on him to this point.

RLG

I have 2 questions about the Canonbie MIs posted by robbiesmum/Bridget on 09Mar2009 and would welcome a response by ANYONE about them.

First, are Canonbie MIs available anywhere?  I have the pre-1855 version, but would like the post 1855 entries which would then include the two which were posted.

Second, I am a direct decendent of William Graham + Agnes Byers, then James Graham + Isabella Borthwick and then William Graham (1804) + Hannah Bell who came to Canada.  My cousin Sandy D sent me the two MIs from this site.  I am trying to follow through all the Graham descendents. 

The Alexander Graham in the first MI is definitely the 1804 William's younger brother and everything on it is fine with me.  I'm just not sure the the MI for James Graham is Alexander Graham and Agnes Tidman's son and am looking for some confirmation.

The problem arises with the census entries in 1841/1851/1861 versus 1871/1881.  The James with Alexander and Agnes in Rowanburn in 1841/1851/1861 is born in ESKDALEMUIR and is a coal miner.  I have confirmed this birth from PRs.  The Alexander with Mary McIntosh in 1871/1881 is born in CANONBIE and is a gamekeeper at Gilnockie.  The MI matches the 1871/1881 entries perfectly.

I'm just not sure that 1841/1851/1861 match 1871/1881 and the MI for James.  If the MIs are on opposite sides of the same stone or adjacent stones, they are undeniably related individuals.  If they are in different parts of the cemetery, there may be no connection at all.  Does anyone know?

To the good, I can find Mary's parents John and Margaret McIntosh.  I also think that the Mary Graham in 1871 was really the Margaret/Maggie Graham in 1881.  There is no birth record of a Mary, only Margaret.  If so, the first four children Margaret, Agnes Alexander and John would fit the traditional Scottish naming pattern if the grandparents really are Alexander and Agnes Graham and John and Margaret McIntosh.

Answers anyone?

RLG