Hello, all!
I'm looking for any information on the name Sproul in Paisley, specifically my maternal great-great-grandmother, Robina Sproul (1875-1940) - which isn't a name you hear every day!
What I know is that Robina Sproul was born 23rd January 1875 in Paisley to Mary-Ann Sproul (whose job is 'yarn dryer') with no father's name on the birth certificate - and indeed 'illegitimate' written on it! Mary-Ann marked the certificate with an 'x', indicating she perhaps couldn't write. I believe Mary-Ann's parents were Robert Sproul - born around 1814 - and Mary Graham, born around 1823.
Robert Sproul's parents were Andrew Sproul and Ann Speirs, who were married around 20th November 1811 in the Abbey district of Paisley - for which I found the old parish record. As far as I know, Mary Graham's parents were Archibald Graham and Hannah McVicar, but I know nothing more about them.
To return to Robina Sproul, she married James Whitehill McLean (of Paisley) on 3rd October 1902. He must've been born around 1871-4, and his parents were Joseph McLean and Janet Whitehill, who married 1869, Paisley. It gets a little murky before that, but just in case anything sounds familiar: Joseph McLean's parents were James McLean and Sarah Galbraith/Galbreath, who married on 16th March 1833, Paisley.
Janet Whitehill's parents were James Whitehill (born 1819 in Houston; died 1876, Paisley) and Marion Paton (1820-1899); his parents were Peter Whitehill and Margaret McEwen/McEwing. Marion Paton's parents were John Paton and Marion Craig.
I planned to keep that simple, but hey...got out of hand :s
If anyone therefore can make any sense of all that and gimme some hints/info, I'd be delighted to hear it!
Many thanks,
Stewart Potter.
