SMITH - Parkend (nr Heck & Thorniethwaite)

[Via Parkend]

Pam
Sorry to get  slightly off the topic, but I am chasing information on the Smith family associated with Parkend, which is between Heck and Thorniethwaite (as mentioned in this thread).

The earliest I have is:
James SMITH
Birth: 28 NOV 1796, ** Ae Bank, Tinwald, Dumfriesshire, Scotland
Death: 23 OCT 1873, ** Newfield, Ruthwell, Dumfriesshire, Scotland
Burial: 27 OCT 1873, at Kirkmichael

He was the grandfather of Sir William Wright Smith, who was also born at Parkend.
Maternal surnames used in his children and grand children include: Thomson, Aitken, Bell and Carlaw.

Craig Smith
Perth  W. Australia

[Boongie Pam]

Hiya Craig,

A very warm welcome to Rootschat   

I've split your post off to get maximum coverage 

I don't have any info on this family but I can check if they are listed in Lochmaben burials. I'll do it when I get home 

All the best,
Pam
 

[Via Parkend]

Pam

Many thanks

You can find James Smith at:

http://www.wardjc.com/people/p00001xv.htm#I39616

I started looking after reading a diary written by his grandson Carlaw for his emigration to NZ in 1873-4. He traveled with his uncle, Alexander Melville Babington Smith, who was only a few years his senior.


CMS

[Via Parkend]

Perhaps this map would help.

CMS

[Via Parkend]

There doesn't seem to be a lot of help out there, but I have carried on regardless!
The family came from Tinwald, lived at Kinnelbridge in 1851 and at Parkend in 1873.
The following details are mainly from the 1851 Census. (By the way it was census day in Australia yesterday.)

Smith Family at Kinnelbridge in 1851:
All children born were at Tinwald unless otherwise noted
Asterisk indicates person at Kinnelbridge for the Census.
*SMITH, James    
Address: Kinnelbridge(840)
Parish: Lochmaben
CARPENTER          Age: 56    
Born: Tinwald Dms       
SMITH, Mary (Nee Thomson)
Wife,             Age: 56
SMITH , William Thomson      Age: 30
*SMITH , John
Teacher of English          Age: 26    
*SMITH , Janet Harkness      Age: 24    
 SMITH, Mary Thomson      Age: 24
SMITH, Robert Thomson      Age: 22
SMITH, James Thomson      Age: 21
*SMITH , Wellwood Thomson   Age: 19
SMITH, Jean            Age: 17
*SMITH , Charles Willoughby   Age: 14    
*SMITH , George Greig      Age: 13
*SMITH , Alexander Melville Babington
(Melville)         Age: 11    
*SMITH , William A   
(Carlaw William Aitken)   
Son of William T Smith   Age: 8
Born: Liverpool England
Also at Kinnelbridge:
*THOMSON , Robert
Relationship: brother of James Smith    
Brother in Law???
Unmarried
TEA MERCHANT retired       Age: 44
Born: Kirkmichael Dms
*FARGRAY , Robert Thomson Smith FAIRGRAY            
(Bob) - Son of Janet Smith & John Fairgray
Born Lochmaben Dms       Age: 2
SMITH, Helen
Daughter of John Smith
Address: St Thomas Chaple(840)
Parish: Lochmaben
Relationship: grand daughter of John Cron
Born: Lochmaben Dms       Age: 5

At Parkend 1851
HARKNESS , William    
Address: Parkend Farm(840)    
Parish: Lochmaben
Relationship: head of household
Marital Status: married
Occupation: FARMER of 130 acres employing 7 labourers
Age: 53
Born: Moffat Dms
Household No: 3A/19

[Boongie Pam]

Hiya,

I can only apologise for taking so long to get back to you.  My Lochmaben book has been missing since I moved house but now found.

The index I have covers 1766-1770 and 1796-1819.  SMITH is a fairly common occurrence on the list main appearances are in Hightae, Barras, Lochmaben.  One entry fro Parkend is...

SMITH
John, portioner of Parkend 6 May 1802

If you have any other's in this time frame you want me to check please let me know.

Pam
 

[Via Parkend]

Pam

Thanks for the progress. I have just had a visit from some Fairgrays from NZ and they have added a lot of information into the pot.

James' father was indeed John Smith c1758-1805 and his mother Jean Thompson c 1761-1808.

The parents of Mary Thomson, Wife of James Smith were Wm Thomson 1766-1839 and Janet Harkness 1766-1855 and her parents John Harkness 1735 1811 and Margaret McVittie.

The Fairgrays have supplied a photo of the outsized Smith family headstone at Kirkmichael, which records a number of the people listed in my earlier post.

One of the best aspects of the census information is that of being able to use the database to create lists of who was at what house, who were the other carpenters in Lochmaben and so on.

I couldn't understand why the Smiths seemed to be so well off. Mary Smith was not at Kinnelbridge for the census, so I tracked her down staying at her mother's house with her two unmarried brothers, her other unmarried brother was with the Smiths. Judging by subsequent letters she inherited her parents property and Parkend, which was occupied by a childless Harkness family in 1851. We forget the importance of inheritance in the C19.

In my gg father's diary he mentioned visting the property "Bengal" before leaving for NZ and that Tom Wright accompanied him and his uncle to the station.  The 1851 census reveals that Bengal was owned, or at least occupied, by the Wright family, that Tom was one of the sons and that the father was William; surely the source of Sir William Wright Smith's name.

As a newbie I am beginning to enjoy the deductive and verification processes.

Craig

[meandcupcake]

Hi Craig,

Hope you read this message.  Helen Smith living at Kinnelbridge in 1851 is my gr grandmother.  I have the photos of the stones at Kirkmichael and of the farms where the Smiths lived.  Haven't got back any further than John Smith and Jean Thomson who lived at Aebank and are buried at Kirkmichael.   I would be interesed in the details of your branch.
Lynne