Meadowhead, West Calder?

[ElderPete]

 :)My great grandmother was a Jessie Fairley who was a housekeeper for Mr Graham, at Meadowhead.  Jessie Fairley working to the past was the daughter of Christina Gray and Mr James Fairley.  Her sister married a Clarkson.  Janet Graham married a Mr George Gray of Leithheadmill and Rusha , Eddiebrownhill.  Kate Graham, her sister married Mr Jas Gray   of Harper Rigg.  James Graham was at Muldron.  Christina Graham their mother married a John Graham of West Colzium. Her brother John Graham of Handerwood and Muirhousedykes was the ancestor of Mr John Graham of Meadowhead farm.  The mother of Christina Graham was Christina Somerville who married John Graham and lived at West Causewayend farm (1690 - 1754)  House built 1757 was still standing twenty years ago, modernised and with a carved lintel including the names of Christina and John.  Leithhead mill is an attractive private housing development, Harper Rigg is a lake, and you should find most of the farms between West Calder and Kirknewton on the Lang Whang.

[Forfarian]

Janet Graham married a Mr George Gray of Leithheadmill

http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NT1163
 

Kate Graham, her sister married Mr Jas Gray of Harper Rigg.

http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NT1061

James Graham was at Muldron.

http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NS9258

Christina Graham their mother married a John Graham of West Colzium.

http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NT0858
(If you use a search engine looking for Colzium, you will find https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colzium which is an entirely different place with the same name,)

Her brother John Graham of Handerwood

Handaxwood?
http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NS9459 West Handaxwood
http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NS9560 East Handaxwood
 
The mother of Christina Graham was Christina Somerville who married John Graham and lived at West Causewayend farm (1690 - 1754)  [/quote]
http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NT0860 and
http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NT0861

Rusha

http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NS9960

Eddiebrownhill

Addiebrownhill
http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17&lat=55.8440&lon=-3.6164&layers=5&b=1
http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NS9962 (click on map to enlarge it)

Muirhousedykes

http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17&lat=55.8408&lon=-3.6275&layers=5&b=1 (slide the blue button to left and right to compare this map with the satellite view)
http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NS9862 (Muirhousedykes isn't actually named)

Meadowhead

http://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=17&lat=55.8399&lon=-3.6154&layers=5&b=1
http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NS9861 (Meadowhead isn't actually named)

[ElderPete]

Very impressive, it saves me looking out my old photos.  Two bits of gossip.  John Graham's sister was Mrs Tennant Cairns (maybe Carnys).  The Grahams had evidently been farming in Mid Lothian for some time.  The Leithheadmill was owned by two brothers that never spoke to each other. as I mentioned, pure gossip.  I believe that the farms were originally set up to feed the cattle travelling from Glasgow, before they hit the Edinburgh markets.

[ElderPete]

I forgot to mention the Fairleys.  John G. Fairley was the son of William Fairley who was a millwright in West Calder and the brother of Jessie Fairley. His brothers were Jas. Graham Fairley and architect., W.  Graham Fairley (Brisbane), George G. Fairley, and sister Christina Fairley (Mrs Stewart).  John Fairley's family were Jennie (Mrs Draper), Bessie, Christina (Mrs Griffes?), Madge and Catherine.   This should take you to the beginning of the 20th century.   Even in one generation the connections can become quite distant, still it is interesting to find out the lives of who came before.