Stonemasons of Dumfriesshire

[purplekat]

Hi everyone

I managed to get to the Ewart Library in Dumfries last week, however my apologies as I didn't manage to look at any apprentice records.  I discovered that one of my ancestors, my gg grandmother, lived to be 100, she was born in 1812 and died in 1913, there were a number of newspaper reports about her and it took a lot longer than I thought to find and print them.  In the afternoon I was visiting a lady who had a photo of her.

I do intend to go back in the future and have kept a note of the names here.  I would recommend a visit to anyone who gets the chance, the staff are very friendly and helpful.

Gibson1900 - I noticed that therre are Gibsons living next door to my gg grandparents in Leadhills in the 1851 census.  James and Mary with their two year old daughter Janet. 
Jean 

[Gibson1900]

Hello, thank you for writing, that is very interesting! Do you know the ages and other information (eg. place of birth) for James and Mary?

[purplekat]

Hi Gibson 1900

James is a leadminer born in Crawford, Lanark, not sure if the age reads 20 or 29, Mary is a hand flowerer, (embroiderer), also born in Crawford, again age difficult to read could be 20 or 28. 

Let me know if you think it could be one of your Gibson's.  I think their daughter, Janet Gibson, may have married John Hope in Leadhills in 1873.

Jean 

[Gibson1900]

Dear Jean

It is hard for me to say, because my own information has so many gaps, so I cannot definitely say they are ours, but cannot discount them either. It is interesting, though, because the parents of the Alexander Gibson with whom I began this thread were James and Mary Gibson. She was born in Leadhills and her father, Robert McCall, was a miner there (that is the furthest back I have been able to trace them on the basis of authenticated documents). Thank you for your help and please continue to report any breakthroughs you might make!

[purplekat]

Hi Gibson

I will keep you informed if I find any info, I have been to Leadhills, I would have liked to look around the graveyard but didn't have time as we where on our way to Moffat.  I am planning to go back to visit the graveyards of Leadhills and Crawford as my 100 year old g g grandmother was born in Leadhills and brought her family up there until they moved to Moffat, where her husband Robert was from.

I am interested in the Gibson  family because I noticed a boy named David Blyth Hope on the Leadhills war memorial, (my g grandfather was named David Blyth), I checked the 1901 census and found that his parents were Janet and John Hope, I checked for their marriage, (wondering if Janet was a Blyth), obviously her name came up as Gibson, she is the right age to be the baby Janet of the 1851 census living next door to the Blyth's, but I don't know this for certain, (but it is a very small place)

I thought maybe her son could have been named after family friends but I haven't yet ruled out a family connection as there are two sons of Lucy and Robert Blyth as yet unnamed and unaccouted for, finding them is the basis of my next bit of research.

Jean 

[Gibson1900]

Hello Jean

Thank you for writing – that is indeed an interesting tale about your 100 year old gg grandmother! I wonder if there was something in the air (it being so high up?), because my gggg grandmother Mary McCall herself died only in her 81st year! I wonder if you could also keep a look out for the name McCALL in your Leadhills searches? I have Mary McCall (1782-1863) and Allison McCall (1785-?), born in Crawford & Leadhills to Robert McCall (miner) and Isabel McKonnen/McConner (possibly born in Closeburn, 1779).

So the James Gibson you found was born around 1831 or 1822, depending on how you interpret the census? He could very well be one of mine, because so many of my Dumfries Gibsons go off the radar, and sometimes the reason is because of the Leadhills (= Lanark) connection through their mother. For example, I have a Robert Gibson (c. 1819-1848), son of James Gibson (1773?-1832), who for some reason died in Wanlockhead.

I did try making enquiries at the local museum, but I think they are a bit understaffed!

Museum of Lead Mining
Wanlockhead, ML12 6UT
Tel: 01659 74387
Fax: 01659 74481
Web: www.leadminingmuseum.co.uk

[purplekat]

Hi Gibson

I have made a note of your people and yes maybe there is something in the air in leadhills,one of the newspaper articles on Lucy says that:  'her mother lived to the advanced age of 85, while her father died when 65 years of age'.   Sixty five was probably a pretty good innings for her father, considering he was a leadminer in the early 19th century.

Jean