Hello everyone. I would be grateful for some help with this gentleman.
Here is a link to a previous thread about my Small ancestors;
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=767423.72 Leonard is mentioned in the later pages of that thread.
My 3x G-Grandfather is Leonard Small b.1827, Airlie, Angus to Leonard Small & Isabella Hardy.
Leonard Jnr marries Ann(e) Mackay in 1853, Glenisla or Airlie, Angus. I have the following children for them;
William b.1853, Airlie
John b.1855, Airlie
Mary Ann b.1856, Forfar
Charles Henderson b.1859, Rescobie
Isabella Simpson b.1861, Forfar
Leonard b.1864, Forfar
Ann b.1867, Forfar
James b.1869, Forfar
I have Leonard and wife Ann in the following censuses;
1841Blackhill, Airlie
He is 15 and living with his parents.
1851Still at Blackhill, Airlie
He is a 24 y/o farm labourer and living with his widowed father.
I cannot find him in 1861?
However, I have his
wife Ann in 1861 at Gowanbank, Forfarshire.
Ann, aged 32, Married, she is a linen weaver. The following children are with her;
William aged 8 born Airlie.
John aged 6 born Airlie.
Mary Ann aged 5 born Forfar.
Charles aged 1 born Rescobie.
I find it unusual for a mother of young children at the time to have any sort of occupation, especially when she is married? Hubby Leonard is nowhere to be seen?
1871Leonard is still not with his wife in 1871. He is living at Burnside Mill, Forfar. The head of the household is a Thomas Adamson, 48, Linen Weaver.
Leonard is 45, Farm Servant, Married. No other 'Smalls' are in this household.
Meanwhile wife, Ann, a housewife, is living at New Road, Forfar in 1871 with the following children;
Charles, 11, born Rescobie, scholar
Leonard, 6, born Forfar
Mary, 13, born Forfar - a factory worker, winder
Ann, 4, born Forfar
James, 1, born Forfar
1881Can't find Leonard?
Wife Ann is at 12 St James Road, Forfar, as the head, 50, married, and a housekeeper. Children are;
Mary Ann, 24, Linen Weaver
Ann, 14, Linen Weaver
James, 11, scholar
and a boarder; Jane Simpson, 15, Linen Weaver
Leonard appears to be in the Forfar Directory of 1890 as a Factory Worker, 25 Glamis Road, Forfar.1891They are finally together at Littlecauseway, Forfar
Leonard, 64, Factory Worker
Annie, 62
1901Bell Place, Forfar
Leonard, Widower, 74, Retired Ploughman.
Wife Ann dies 1897, Forfar.
If anyone could help track down Leonard in 1861 and 1881 I'd be very grateful. It certainly appears they weren't living together, although I know it was only a snapshot of the nights the census was taken, they had children together from 1853 - 1869. That in conjunction with wife Ann having a job as a linen weaver in 1861 with very young children in the household does raise questions for me.
Many thanks.
Side note; Not sure if any of this will be relevant, but I've found some information over time about Leonard and that he was a bagpipe player often playing at various Highland Games in the area. I've seen a painting of him that someone else had uploaded, and my own father his (2x great-grandson) is like a carbon copy of him. So perhaps he was play away somewhere? Though, it doesn't appear to have ever been his 'profession' as such?
