McWhir/Byers from Dumfriesshire(Lockerbie)

[brandane]

Looking for any info on the McWhirs from this area, what I have gleaned so far:

William McWhir born 17/08/1869, (mother Agnes McWhir also had another illegitimite son John McWhir b.16/08/1876 at Chanlockfoot, Penpont, father of John and William not known) married Agnes Wilkieson(parents John Wilkieson and Elizabeth Baird, siblings John Wilkieson b. 20/09/1867 at Old Luce, Wigtown and Mary Ann Wilkieson b.23/11/1868 at Old Luce, Wigtown))on 05/12/1890 at Holywood.

Children from marriage of William McWhir and Agnes Wilkieson:

1) William McWhir b. 11/10/1892 at Millhouse, Applegarth.

2) John Wilkieson McWhir b. 22/02/1894 at Dufflebridge.

3) Mary Agnes McWhir b. 22/10/1896 at 15 Harcourt Place, Lockerbie

4) Agnes McWhir b. 04/08/1898 at 15 Harcourt Place, Lockerbie married Joseph Arthur Sharkey 1920 (my great grandparents).

5) Mary Helen McWhir b. 30/12/1901 at Lockerbie, married John Thomson Byers (parents Mary Jane Byers and James Byers) on 26/12/1928 at St Andrews Church Gretna.

[longshanks]

Your McWhirr genealogy shows some substantial geographical swings within Dumfries & Galloway. Penpont and Chanlockfoot (Drumlanrig) are towards the fringes of Wigtonshire and Glenluce is certainly in peninsular Wigtonshire (Stranraer), so perhaps you should include a Wigtonshire posting. Whereas Lockerbie Annan and Gretna are in a close triangle and in areas to which people were migrating by the late 19th century, drawn by the railways, factories and mills.  It is important to identify if possible indigenous locations where people may have lived for generations, and late 19th century magnets, to which people moved to get better opportunities, particularly at a time when people were being forced off the land.

[neilby]

Hello. I don't have any McWhir connections, but James Byers and Mary Jane Thomson are my great grandparents. Funnily enough, I was just looking at their childrens details this morning and discovered that John Byers was the only one I didn't have any info on. Do you have any more info on the Byers / Thomson connections?