Houston estate, Bathgate

[bonjedward]

Anyone know anything about the Houston estate near Bathgate?

I have a death record from 1851 in Bathgate:

Mary Thomson wife of the late James Thomson Overseer at Houston
10th Novr.

He probably died between the early 1820s and 1841. Does anyone know of what records might exist for this estate?

[Rockford]

Hi David,

Is this the place?

http://www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/houstounhouse/

Now classed as Uphall/Broxburn, the area probably came under Bathgate for some time, as some of my own relations had 'Bathgate' in addresses around the Uphall area into the 1920s.

It might be worth contacting the hotel to see if they have any info.

You can also search the National Archives of Scotland website at www.nas.gov.uk.  Although the catalogue is not the most user friendly, a search for Houstoun House throws up some items, from at least the late 1770s through to the late 1880s.

Best wishes

Rockford

[bonjedward]

Thanks, yes, that must be it. I had no idea the place was so grand and so historic.
There seem to be a lot of papers relating to it at the national archives, so it looks promising.

James Thomson was a farmer in the early 1800's, so I'm guessing that would have been rented from the estate too. I'll have to plan a trip to Scotland to visit the archives some time soon!

When I found his wife's death record yesterday, it was my first success for 5 years searching that branch. It's particulary interesting to me, as according to an old family story his wife Mary Bruce was related to the explorer 'Bruce of the Nile'

thanks

[Rockford]

Hi David,

It must have been quite an extensive estate at one time.  Some of the references in the National Archives seem to relate to a farm in Knightsridge, which is now part of Livingston.

Good luck in your searches for James and his family!  I have a load of Thomsons as well who seem to have come from around Falkirk/Polmont and I know how hard it can be to find the right ones.

Best wishes

Rockford

[mosstrooper]

David,
           I live only 2 miles from the Houston Estate. Back in those days it was very large and incorporated many Farms around here, quite a lot of info available online I think, you could start here :-

   http://www.uphall.org/

Census records, old and new photos and much more.

James.

[bonjedward]

thanks. Uphall.org is a pretty impressive website with a lot of useful information ( a lot of my ancestors lived in the area). Unfortunately with this particular family, James Thomson probably died before the 1841 census. His widow was living with some of her children at Mosshall, Whitburn, and in 1851 at Milton farm, Dalmeny.
So Houston estate records (and maybe gravestone inscriptions) are probably my best bet.

Although Mary died in Dalmeny in 1851, her death was recorded in Bathgate parish, and when Mary's daughter Janet Catherine died in 1858, also in Dalmeny, she was buried in Bathgate Old Church Yard. They must have had a strong connection with the area.

Interestingly, of the ten children of James Thomson and Mary Bruce, at least 6 survived to adulthood and 5 to old age (70s and 80s). But not one of them ever married (I'm descended from the only one who had children, Janet Catherine, 2 illegitimate. And yet several of her brothers had farms of around 150 acres with 10 or so employees each. You would think they would have been an attractive match for the local girls. Maybe they were really ugly, or weird! The sisters just worked as housekeepers for their brothers.