Thomson's Close

[KeiDun]

In the 1851 census a relative was living on High Street Thomson's Close in the Montrose Burgh.  Is there any chance this would have been in Old Montrose, which also seems to have had a High Street.  If not, does anyone know if it would have been possible to walk from the station in Montrose to Maryton or the Powis Woods or how long that would have taken?  I am trying to track the final hours of another relative's life.  Many thanks.

K.

[GordonFindlay]

Montrose Station to Maryton is perhaps 45 mins walk.

There's a town plan of Montrose surveyed 1861 at https://maps.nls.uk/townplans/montrose.html but I haven't yet spotted a Thomson's Close. Mind, not all of them are labelled.

[KeiDun]

Thanks, Gordon, for your information.  I have found the High Street in Montrose from that map but like you, have not found Thomson's Close.  That it would take 45 minutes to walk to Maryton, and then probably another 30 minutes or less to get to Powis Woods would make the High Street in Montrose a possibility. I am a bit stuck because the article in the 1851 newspaper indicated he had vistited a relative in Old Montrose. Here is the text of the article:

The body of Alexander Dunbar, blacksmith, Arbroath, was on Monday found suspended by a handkerchief, in a wood near the farm of Powis.  Deceased has left a widow and two children.  It appears he had come from Arbroath in the morning to see a relative who resides at Old Montrose—-had left that place about mid-day, and in less than two hours thereafter was found by two persons in position above stated, quite dead.  The only cause that can be assigned for the rash act is, that the deceased was understood to be in embarrassed circumstances.

The only relative that seemed to fit was his brother-in-law, a successful shoemaker living on this High Street Thomson's Close. I suspect he denied him a loan or support.  I assume he took the train up from Arbroath.  Old Montrose, of course, is very close to the farm of Powis.  I also wonder if, as a tradesperson like a shoemaker employing 2 men and 3 apprentices, your shop was where the family also lived.

[GR2]

If the is no directory indicating the position of the close (it's not in the OS namebook, so probably won't appear on a map), then you could look for the brother-in-law in the 1851 census on FreeCEN. The address given there might give an indication of where the close was situated. If not, look at the adjoining households at each side until you come to an identifiable place.

[Forfarian]

Alexander Thomson, Writer, lived at 125½ High Street. I have found him there with his family in the 1841 census, and Alexander's widow Margaret Sharp died at that address in 1865.

Perhaps Thomson's Close was at 125½ High Street?

[KeiDun]

Thanks GR2 for the idea on FreeCen. I do have his census record from FreeCen but had not thought to check on either side. And thanks Fofarian for the thought on Thomson. I will check that out further. They may have lived close.
K.