sunlaws, do you know where?

[Brisgirl]

Hi Robert et al,

Thanks so much for posting about the history of the Sunlaws estate. My great-great-grandfather William Lillico worked as a gardener, apparently in later life the head gardener, at Sunlaws from the 1870s till the 1890s. He and his wife Margaret died at "Sunlaws East Lodge" in 1898 and 1896 respectively. It was very interesting to read about the property's history.

Regards,

Rachel
Brisbane, Qld, Australia

[Sunlaws]

Hi Rachel

Sadly, the Heritage Hub appears no longer to fund the Voyage of the Vampire website, but in the accompanying diaries of Hannah Charlotte Scott Douglas, there is a mention of the Lillicos in December 1856:

24th Mr Kerr went to shoot at Mountteviot, Saw Mrs Lillico in distress at having to leave her present comf: abode, & go back to the tumble down cottage in Heiton. The baby is thriving; I hope the change will not harm her; poor little thing.
25th Christmas-day. Dull & snowy looking; a sprinkling on this ground. I fear this has been anything but a merry Xmas to many. The poor Lillicos went back to their bare, cold and comfortless dwelling this morning at daybreak.

The baby referred to is Elizabeth Lillico- I wonder where the 'comfy abode' was? Had they been temporarily housed in part of the big house for the birth of the baby? This suggests also that William Lillico was already working as a gardener at Sunlaws by 1856.
Regards,
Lesley

[Brisgirl]

Hi Lesley,

Oh my goodness, that's amazing! The baby Elizabeth referred to is my great-great-grandmother, born 17 September 1856. It's possible her mother Margaret gave birth to her at Sunlaws. The earliest record I have of the Lillicos actually living on the estate is the 1871 census and it appears they stayed there until William and Margaret's deaths in the 1890s.

It must have been very difficult making a living as a gardener during the winter months. I imagine William would have done general labouring work wherever he could find it. I feel sad thinking of them trying to eke out a life in a miserable little cottage with their four girls. The birth record of their seventh child, William, states he was born at Sunlaws Lodge, so it looks like they were settled there by then.

Colin Cumming of North Berwick in East Lothian, a fellow descendant of William and Margaret Lillico, has told me that his grandmother (Isabella Mather, born 1873, daughter of Jane Mather, nee Lillico) spoke of going on holidays to Sunlaws Estate, where her grandfather (ie William) was head gardener.

I can tell you what became of Elizabeth... she did indeed thrive. In September 1872, at just 16, she married Andrew Dryden, a domestic coachman, in Kelso. In 1883, they migrated to Queensland, Australia, with four of their five children (2-year-old son James died of measles while the ship was quarantined off the coast at Townsville and he was buried on Magnetic Island), arriving in Townsville on 24 October. They settled in Brisbane and had seven more children (poor Elizabeth!) She died on 18 December 1904, aged 48.

Thank you very much for this information, Lesley.

Regards,

Rachel

[Sunlaws]

 Great to know the story had a happy ending! The 'bare, cold and comfortless dwelling' had a slight advantage over many of its neighbours in that in the 1861 census the Lillicos are recorded as having 2 rooms with windows whereas many of the cottages in Heiton had only one. (They could, of course, have moved to better house between 1856 and 1861.) The east lodge was demolished, but the head gardener's house still stands, as does the school in Heiton (now a private house) which your great-great grandmother would have attended.

Regards,
Lesley

[terianne]

Brisgirl (Rachel)

Hello cousin

My Gr Gr Grandmother Agnes Lillico's (born Heiton 1824) family are from the Sunlaws estate area

Her parents were William Lillico and Mary Hardie and grandparents were Thomas Lillico and Jane Robson

[Brisgirl]

Hi Terianne,

Nice to meet you, cousin Your 3 x great William was the younger brother of my 4 x great John. Sunlaws seemed to feature quite prominently in the lives of the Lillicos. It must have been a major employer of people in the local area.

[terianne]

Since sunlaws estate has been incorporated into the dukes land we don't here much about it especially since the big house became the Roxburgh hotel I visit heiton quite regularly only a few miles from me the Lillico's do appear to have a had a lot on contact within the estate my William was born at crailing parish just along the road from the estate

You probably know this already but Margaret  your William's mother died at sunlawshill and was a housekeeper  both Margaret and John are buried in Roxburgh cemetery  and married at Wilton their children were born in various locations Thomas,Andrew were born at Wilton Jane at Eckford William at Heiton and john at Roxburgh

[MissBrodie]

Hi Terianne et.al

My Great Great Great Grandmother was also Agnes Lillico (born 1824, Heiton).

Thanks everyone for the really interesting and useful posts on Sunlaws.