Generation 5: Minto of the Prairies: William Scott (b: 1872) and Hannah Newton

                                                             Bill Scott circa:1935
My grandfather, William Scott, was born in 1872 at the Synton Gardens cottage in Ashkirk Parish, Selkirkshire, Scotland.  (An explanation on how to find Synton Gardens is included in the Generation 4 chapter of this blog.)

William, who was called Bill, was my family's last direct ancestor to be born in Scotland as he and his family emigrated to Canada in 1880 when Bill was seven years old.

Bill's parents were Alexander and Janet Scott who emigrated to Canada with 5 young children in tow,  ranging in ages from 1 to 9 years.  Their Atlantic crossing took over 2 weeks and must have been quite the adventure for the young family.  They landed at Quebec City and made their way to Seaforth, Ontario, where Alexander's brother Walter lived with his family. Living quarters were found for the new immigrant family and Bill's dad went to work for Walter in his furniture manufacturing company.

Like most Scots the desire to own their own land was a driving force and early in the next year Alexander left his young family in Seaforth and went west where he filed a homestead claim for land located about 30 miles south of Brandon.  Alexander quickly built himself a little sod house for protection from the elements while he set about establishing his farm.  First order of business was digging a well by hand and luckily good water was found.  Next he built a log house for his family and a long barn for some farm animals.  By early 1882 the farm was ready for his family so Alexander went back to Seaforth to collect them.

The family farm was located at 30-5-19, about a mile north of what was later to become the townsite of Minto.  Bill's father was of the stern and religiously pious stock common of many Scots of that era and children were to be seen but not heard.  Growing up on the farm the children were all expected to work and what schooling they received was at the Riverside School situated on the Thos. Wood farm.  These were lean years and money was scarce so going to school meant walking which meant barefoot in the summer and with nothing more than gunny sacks covering their feet in the winter.  As the years passed Bill was kept home more to help on the farm and really only went to school for a few months a year.  But it wasn't all work on the farm and somehow Bill and his brother Jack found time for some sports.  Baseball was their favorite game and since there was the two of them, one became the cacher (Bill) and the other became the pitcher (Jack).

When Bill was old enough he purchased the north half of 29-5-19 and built a house on it.  In 1898 Bill married Hannah Newton who was one of xxx children born to Robert Newton and .....Kinsella.  Hannah's parents were Irish and for those counting they were Protestant.

add more about Hannah....

When they married Bill was 26 and Hannah was 24.  For their honeymoon, the young couple enjoyed a free trip to Winnipeg on the first train to go through Minto on the C.N.R.  After their honeymoon they returned to reside on his farm where they lived for the next 20 years.

Bill and Hannah had 4 children, Lillian, Ruth, Marion and my father Bob.  They attended school in Minto travelling there from the farm by either horse and buggy in the summer, horse and cutter in the winter, or walking the two and half miles distance.  The children participated in the Annual Boys and Girls Club Fair held in Minto where Ruth was a perennial winner with articles she had sewn.  During the war years 1914-1918, when help was scarce, Lillian and Ruth drove a four horse team in spring and fall, and grain wagon during harvest to help Dad on the farm.  The parents were both active in Church work so the children spent many pleasant Sundays attending Church and Sunday School - transportation to Church was in a Surrey, a two seated buggy with top and sides to put on if it rained.

Because of Hannah's poor health the family left the farm in 1919 and moved to Winnipeg.  The family farm was rented out until sold to Russ McArter in 1949.  Bill found work in Winnipeg and they lived there for two and half years until he developed a heart condition.  Bill's father was the Post Master back in Minto and when he died in 1920 Bill moved his family back to Minto to work at the Post Office and was appointed Post Master in 1922, a position he held until his death in 1938 at the age of 56.

add more about post office legacy......

Like his parents, Bill and Hannah became very active in Church work, he serving as an elder on the board of stewards and as Sunday School Superintendent.  Bill became a school trustee when the new school was built, held offices on the Memorial Hall board and the Canadian Order of Foresters, and was secretary of the Curling Club.  Hannah held offices on the Ladies Aid and the Missionary Society, of which she was a life member, and the Sunday School.

Bill and Hannah Scott, circa 1935 

Lillian and Ruth married local farmers Bert Cruise and Ollie Johnson.  Marion married George Grieve who was a clerk in a local hardware store and eventually they opened their own store in Minto.  In 1935 Bob, who was 19 at the time, left Minto to become Assistant Postmaster in Hudson Ontario. It was there that he met Mary Stutt and they were married in 1939.

                                       L-R: Bob, Ruth, Mr. Scott, Marion, Mrs. Scott, Lillian
                                                                     circa 1935

In 1938 Bill died suddenly of a heart seizure while walking home from the Post Office.  He was active in every movement for the betterment of the district. He took a keen interest in sports and was an outstanding baseball player. In later life he excelled as a curler. The Memorial Hall was dear to his heart and for several years he had been its Secretrary Treasurer.  The Church has always held first place in his life and for many years had been an office bearer. The Church had been too small to accomodate the sorrowing friends who gathered for his funeral service.  

                                             Hannah and Bill Scott at Minto home, circa 1935

Hannah had not enjoyed the best of health for some time but her death in 1950 followed only a short time in hospital.  Both Bill an Hannah Scott are buried in the Minto Cemetery alongside his parents.

Generation 4 - Our Immigrant Family: [Alexander Scott (born 1840) and Janet Grieve (born 1844)

Alexander (Sandy) Scott circa 1920

This Generation 4 posting is about Alexander Scott who was born in 1840 at the Lodge House to the Synton Estate in Ashkirk Parish.  Called Sandy from a young age he was the 5th of what would be 6 children (all boys) born to William and Mary Scott.  When we visited the area in the 1980's we found the remains of Synton Lodge, a little cottage situated adjacent to the main Synton House.  Sandy's father was a Thatcher and the family lived on at Synton Lodge for only a few years after his birth before moving to a cottage on nearby Dimpleknowe farm that was thereafter called the Thatcher's Cottage on subsequent census returns.

Sandy was just 8 years young when his father died in 1848.  After his schooling Sandy stayed on in Synton where he found work as a Thatcher and remained living with his widowed mother at Dimpleknowe.  In 1870 Sandy married Janet Grieve. He was 29 and she was 20.  They were wed at Synton Gardens where she lived with her father, Robert Grieve, the widower of Janet Shakleton.

Janet Grieve was actually born in a lovely little village just a few miles to the east called Lilliesleaf.  Grieve is a name with a long attachment to the Borders as is Scott.  Her father Robert was a farmer which is no surprise as this is a farming community.  

It's important to note that Sandy and Janet were wed according to the Forms of the Free Church of Scotland and therefore we can expect that our family led a more pious lifestyle than members of the more moderate Church of Scotland.  The Free Church was established during the "Disruption" in the 1840's when the more evangelical members split from the Church of Scotland in a bitter national protest against what they regarded as a patronage system where, amongst other complaints, rich landowners selected local ministers.  I've often wondered what tensions existed in our family's community of Ashkirk especially considering that the local Free Church was built right next to Synton Mills, in the heart of Synton, an area mostly populated with our Scott relatives during those years.

To give you some more insights into the character of our family I will tell you that Synton Mills was also the site of newspaper article I found published in 1855.  The Kelso Chronicle article was a review of a Temperance meeting hosted by Mr.Thomas Waldie of Synton Mills.  Reportedly the meeting room was filled to the door and the speaker from the Scottish Temperance Society was gratified to find that the temperance principles (to reduce or prohibit the use of alcohol) in this district had been "attended with much success".   Just how close was our family to Mr. Waldie? Well, I can tell you that not one but two of Alexander's brothers apprenticed under Mr. Waldie at Synton Mills, William and Walter. The principles of the Free Church and the Temparance Society would stay with Alexander the rest of his days.

                                                              Synton Mills, 2011.

                                                          Synton Mills, 2011.
                                          (note the creek running by the left side of the house)

In 1871 Sandy and Janet Scott were living with his mother when their daughter, Janet Shackleton Scott was born.  A year later their first son was born, my grandfather William.   By this time Sandy was employed as the Estate's Garderner and his young family was now living at Synton Gardens.  Synton Gardens had long been connected to our family and was often used for special events as reflected in the records of births, marriages and deaths.  The cottage is still in use today although it's once proud stone wall that encompassed it's huge back year is now in disrepair.  When we visited in 2011 a local farmer told us that the house is now owned by a professor in Edinburgh who basically only visits during the summer.

Ashkirk is about midway between Selkirk and Hawick on the A7 road.  After leaving Ashkirk and heading south to Hawick there are two turns to the left that take you into the Synton Estate.  The first takes you past Synton Mills while the second takes you the Synton Parkhead route.

To find Synton Gardens head south from Ashkirk on the A7 take the second turn left which has a sign to Synton.  Turning left off the A7 follow this small country road past a terraced cottage on the right and you will come to the Synton Parkhead farm on the left.  Just beyond the last house of Synton Parkhead take the lane that turns left off the main road.  Follow the lane up into the fields and stay right at the first drive way which goes up to a new build house that must be quite close to where the old Main Synton Estate house was previously situated.  Staying right you continue on the lane and shortly you will come to another driveway, this time to the right.  Take that driveway and go thru the gate which was mostly grown over when we visited in 2011.  Follow the driveway until you come to the wonderful cottage which is Synton Gardens, the home where my grandfather was born in 1872.

2nd house at Synton Parkhead, 2011.

  Lane to Synton Gardens is just to the right of this house.

Lane up to Sinton Gardens, 2011.

                                      
                                                                Synton Gardens, 2011.


                                     
                                             The view from the front of Synton Gardens, 2011.

Synton Gardens is situated with a lovely view of the valley and the pond below was called the Fish Pond on a 1858 map I found.  Alexander was employed as the Estate's Gardener and the high stone wall encompassing the back yard must have provided a good nursery and would have served to keep deer out as well.

Over the next few years three more children were born to Sandy and Janet Scott at Synton Gardens.  John was born in 1874, Mary in 1876 and Annie in 1879.  Then, on April 1, 1880, Sandy's mother Mary died at Synton Gardens at the age of 74.  Her passing proved to be a turning point in our family's history.

Many years had passed since Sandy's younger brother Walter had emigrated to Canada in 1866.  As a teenager Walter had apprenticed under Mr. Waldie at Synton Mills to be a joiner and he put those skills to work in Canada.  Although just a young man Walter quickly established a business in the bustling Ontario town of Seaforth, where he and a partner named Bell set up a furniture manufacturing business.  I haven't yet determined if this Mr. Bell was related to our family thru Walter's grreat grandmother's family of Bells.  The business did well and I've seen several references that state their's was the first furniture manufacturing company established in Canada.

With Walter well established in Canada by 1880 we can guess that he sent letters home which spoke positively about the the prospects in Canada.  By this time in Scotland's history many young men and young Scottish families had already left Scotland for the promises of their own land and of fortunes to be made in Canada, the United States, Australia and elsewhere.  The plan to emigrate to Canada must have been on Sandy and Janet's minds for a long time because just two months after the passing of his mother they travelled to Glasgow and boarded a ship to Canada.

They had purchased passage to Canada aboard the Canadian III, an Allan Line steamship which departed from Glasgow on June 5, 1880, and arrived in Quebec city almost two weeks later on June 18th.  From there the family made their way to Seaforth, Ontario, where Walter was waiting for them.  For the remainder of that year Alexander worked in his brother's furniture manufacturing business but like most Scots the yearning to own his own land was strong.

In 1869 the newly formed Dominion of Canada purchased the vast North West Territories from the Hudson Bay Company and when the Manitoba Act was passed the next year, creating the Assiniboia as Canada's newest Province, surveyors began the work of surveying areas for settlement.  By 1880 settlement had steadily moved westward and the large portion of land in the southwest part of the Province had now been surveyed and marked with corner posts and a new Lands Title Office was to be opened soon in Delorraine to handle the expected rush of new homestead claims.

Early in 1881 Sandy left his family in Seaforth and headed west with his friend Robert Campbell.  They first travelled by train which took them Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, which was as far as the rail construction had made it by that time.  From there the remainder of the trip was on foot as they walked some 30 miles south to claim their homestead only to walk another 30 miles to Deloraine where they were amongst the first applicants to file claims at the new land office opened there.  Sandy paid $10 for his homestead claim of 140 acres.  Their homestead was located on 30-5-19, one mile north of what was to later become the town of Minto, Manitoba.

The hardships that the pioneers on the prairies faced during this time are difficult for most of us to comprehend today.  Thankfully many family stories were documented later and they help shed some light on the challenges and inconveniences our homesteaders faced.  In 1979 the good folk of Minto published stories of their families in a book titled Minto Memoirs.  Alexander and Janet's family are mentioned often in the book and in sections where you least expect it.

Take for example the homestead story of James Graham and his wife, the first women settler in this part of the prairies.  Mr. Graham and his family left Ontario in June 1881 and travelled by train to Portage La Prairie.  There he purchased a team of oxen and a Red River Cart (covered wagon) and headed south to claim a homestead in Township 6 Range 19 while his family stayed behind with friends in Portage La Prairie.  Travelling with Mr. Graham was a young boy named W. Ellis and at one river crossing he crossed the river by himself, leaving the boy to take care of the oxen and wagon on the other side.  Mr. Graham had to walk the remaining 30 miles to the area he planned to claim but when he finally arrived he found that all the homesteads that were any good had already by taken.  By this time he was running short of food so decided to head back when he came across two men.  They had lots of food and insisted he go with them to the next Township where they said lots of good lots were still available and the next day Mr. Graham picked on a homestead at 12-5-20.  These two strangers that had helped him were none other than our Sandy Scott and his friend Robert Campbell.

Of course Mr. Graham's adventure was just beginning and after he filed his claim in Deloraine he then travelled back to Portage La Prairie.  On July 12, 1881, the Graham family packed up their covered wagon with some modest supplies and headed to their new homestead.  Travelling with them on this journey was Sandy Scott and Robert Campbell.  It took a full week to make this wagon trip so Mrs. Graham and the children slept in the wagon at nights while the men slept under the wagon on a straw tick.  "The mosquitoes were so bad we were nearly eaten till the men got a smudge made for the cattle".  They finally arrived at section 30-5-19 where Sandy Scott was living in his tent.

The first order of business was to build shelter so while the Grahams organized their tent and such Sandy Scott and Robert Campbell travelled on another 10 miles further to collect logs at Souris River.  They all lived in tents for some time while the men set about building 'soddies' to better protect them from the elements of that first winter.  After the soddies were built they could then begin the work of digging wells and building more substantial log houses for themselves and barns for their animals.

Mrs. Graham reported that the first snows of that winter came on 12th of November and she didn't see another person outside of her family until April 1st, when two men came across the prairie walking on top of the snow. The snow was so hard packed it would carry a team of horses or oxen and sleigh any place.  

Early the next year, 1882, Sandy Scott collected his wife and five children in Seaforth and brought them west. They travelled on the Canadian Pacific Railway which had been extended by this time to Brandon, which was nothing more than a cluster of tents and shacks.  From Brandon they made the final 30 mile trek to their homestead by oxcart which took 3 days.

Just how challenging life was to the homesteaders on the Canadian Prairies is really too difficult for us to imagine today.  A wood stove provided the means for cooking although not very efficient.  A well had been dug by hand and fortunately provided good water. Light was provided by coal oil lamps but was not conducive to reading.  Beds were of wooden frames and laced with heavy cord to support the mattresses which made of hay or straw.  Horses were of the utmost importance.  They were shipped from Ontario to Boissevain and purchased there.  The family was very proud of their fine animals.

Almost immediately upon his arrival in the area Sandy began playing an active role in the development of the community.  Establishing the municipal district of Riverside was the first order of business and Sandy  became a member of its first council which was established in 1881.  Religion was important to the homesteaders and with no church  the first religious services began in 1882 in Sandy's home. From that time until his death Sandy's home was to be the home for visiting ministers in the district.

Over the next years Sandy and his family built up their farm while adding three more children to the family: Alexander (junior) was born in 1883, Isabella in 1885 and Nellie in 1887.  They also continued to buy up what little land they could afford as the Land Grant Applications held by Archives Canada shows Alexander purchased the North East section of 30-5-19 in 1886 and the South East section in 1887.

Sandy must have sent word back to Ashkirk about the opportunities in Canada because in 1887 his brother George's two sons, William and Robert, emigrated and joined Sandy in Riverside.  The two young brothers eventually homesteaded three quarters of a section on 14-5-20 which was three miles southwest of Minto. In 1890 their father George and the rest of their family also emigrated from Scotland and joined them on the farm.

In 1898 a branch of the Northern Pacific Railyway (later to become the CNR) came through the area which allowed the farmers to ship their grain by rail.  A daily rail service to Winnepeg was quickly established and with it the construction of the Minto townsite began in ernest.  A number of stores were soon offering a wide variety of goods.  A lumber yard, a bank, a school and all the other critical pieces were quickly constructed and a thriving community soon emerged.

Grout's store was amongst the first buildings erected and above it a hall was built.  Known as Grout's Hall it became the home of the Presbyterians and the Baptists while Noble Hall to the south was used by the Methodists and the Anglicans.  In 1903 the Presbyterian Church was built and Sandy Scott was a member of its fist church board.

A small post office was built next to Grout's store and Sandy became the first Postmaster for Minto in 1898 and remained in the position for the rest of his life.  Each day he would walk the mile from his farm to the Post Office until 1905 when they moved into a new house in the town of Minto.

Regardless of the short stay in Seaforth, Minto was our family's first real home town in Canada and Sandy and Janet had become an important part of this community.  Sandy Scott died suddenly on December 31, 1920 and an obituary tribute titled "ALEX. SCOTT, MINTO PIONEER, IS DEAD", was printed on the front page of the Manitboba Free Press the very next day, January 1, 1921.  The obituary stated "...the exemplary life he spent among us for over 40 years cannot fail to leave upon us an impression of the things that are noblest and highest, impressions which will ever be green and fresh and of great value to all who knew him."    Janet died six months later.  They had come a long way from Ashkirk and were buried side by side in the Minto Cemetery.

                                         

Minto circa: 1908

                                                                Minto circa: 1909

                                                                   Minto c:1913

Generation 3 - The Scotts of Ashkirk: [William Scott (1801-1848) and Mary Scott (c1806-1880)]

In this posting I discuss my great great grandparents, William Scott and Mary Scott, who married in 1826 and raised their family in Ashkirk Parish in Selkirkshire, one of the Border Counties of Scotland. If there are readers of this blog that are concerned about a marriage between two Scotts you may find it comforting to know that I haven't yet found any other connection between William and Mary's families. However, I must add that Ashkirk has long been occupied by families with the name of Scott, so much so that in his 1837 'statistical account' of Ashkirk Parish the Reverand G.J.Hamilton explained that "...at one time almost the whole parish belonged to gentlemen of the name of Scott."

To find Ashkirk on a map first locate Edinburgh then head south on the A7 road which winds its way through the Scottish Borders as it makes its way to Carlisle in England.  The little village of Ashkirk is on that A7, about 40 miles south of Edinburgh; midway between the larger towns of Selkirk and Hawick.

I've visited Scotland several times over the years and I can report that Ashkirk lays amongst some of the most beautiful rolling hills I've seen anywhere.  The patchwork of fields and clutches of trees are of the  vibrant greens the Scottish Borders are famous for.  The Ale River winds it way through the valley and passes fields that are still dotted with sheep, as evidence of the Border's thriving woollen industry of the 19th century.  But Ashkirk's history is much older than the textile days, as by any measure Ashkirk is considered an old Parish.

[Note: For the fashion aficionados reading this blog I can report that the Borders still produces fine woolen products and other luxury end clothing lines.  A leading manufacturer is Lyle & Scott who still produce their internationally acclaimed cashmere's in Hawick but if you plan to visit their flagship store in Covent Garden, London, bring your credit card. Speaking of Lyle & Scott I should mention that a cousin of ours was employed as a Foreman at Lyle & Scott's in the mid 1900's - his son, an electrical engineer, lived in York, England, although I believe he recently passed.] 

If you enter Ashkirk from the A7 you will almost immediately come to a junction in the road which denotes that you are already in the center of the little village's core.  Yes it's tiny.  The village's core consists of only a handful of cottages intermixed with a couple of businesses, which include a restaurant and small garage.  If at the junction you look north up the hill you will see a few more cottages hidden amongst the trees but looking southwards, across the A7, the valley seems only filled with the green fields of the local farms. 

The population of Ashkirk is reportedly about 190 persons so the nearby farms must be included to get a count that high.  Don't be deceived,  today's Ashkirk is a thriving rural community.  Several large houses have been built in recent years as it seems to serve as a bedroom community for some of the larger nearby towns. 

Continue driving straight through the junction and after you pass a couple of houses you will hopefully notice a small seemingly unused lane to the right that goes up the hill to the Ashirk Church.  This of course is a must see but the lane is difficult to drive so I suggest you park at the bottom and walk up.  A word of caution to Canadians - you won't find anything that truly resembles a parking spot so join the others and just find a place to pull over.

                                                  Merv and cousin Jean visit Ashkirk in 2011

The church that stands today was built in 1790 on the foundations of a much older church.  In a booklet written in 1984 by a young Alasdair Allan, he explained that the previous 'auld kirk' of Ashkirk was a low building with a steep roof, thatched with heather, in which the congregation would sit on the earthen floor. He also explained that many of the Parish's dead had been buried beneath the church over the years.

                                                              Ashkirk Church, 2011

The 'new' church stands a lovely knoll overlooking the valley but it's not for it's view that I tell family members to visit. The main reason to visit the church is to see the memorial to our ancestors, William and Mary Scott.  

When we visited the Churchyard in 1987 we found the headstone to William and Mary.  It was an exciting discovery which ignited the genealogy 'bug' within me. 

Headstone memorial to William and Mary Scott

Photo taken in 1987 Ashkirk Churchyard.

However, when we visited again in 2011 we found that the headstone memorial to William and Mary had fallen and was laying face down in the grass.  Fortunately it appeared to be intact and with care it could be restored to it's upright position one day.

                                        The now toppled over headstone memorial to Willam Scott 

                                          who died in 1848. Photo taken in 2011.

After you've found the headstone in the churchyard make sure you check the door to the church. It's usually kept unlocked and you'll likely be able to go inside and look around.  You will be suitably impressed by the beautiful stained glass windows but look closely because one is fashioned on the (Corse) Scott coat of arms.

When you leave the church continue on the Bxx road towards Roberton and you'll quickly come upon the Woll Golf Course.  If you are a golfer then make sure to plan a round as these are the lands of the family of the Woll Scotts and you won't want to miss the opportunity.  If you are not a golfer then stop anyway and enjoy the lovely new restaurant which provides great views in a very picturesque setting.  The website for the Woll golf course and their several holiday cottages is:  http://www.wollgolf.co.uk/.

After your stop at the Woll Golf Course you have several options and you'll want to do them all.  You can continue on the Bxx and enjoy a beautifully picturesque drive up into the hills and over to Roberton. Or you can drive back to the junction in Ashkirk and take that Bxx road up over those equallly beautiful hills and down into the Ettrick from the eastern side, not far from Ettrickbridge End.  They are equally beautiful drives and should both be explored which is why I recommend staying a few nights in the area.  There are plenty of Bread & Breakfast or self-catering cottages to choose from. 

William and Mary Scott:  
This posting is about our William Scott who was born in 1801 at Catslacknowe in the Yarrow Valley.  In 1826 William was living at Ettrickbridge End where he worked as a labourer when he married Mary Scott of Ashkirk Parish.

Mary was born at Kirkhope in 1806 which is just up the road from Ettrickbridge End.  Mary's parents were John Scott and Helen (Nellie) Scott and by 1810 Mary and her family had moved to Ashkirk Parish in the valley just south of the Ettrick Valley.

Although William and Mary's wedding was proclaimed in Yarrow Parish the couple took up residence at Synton Parkhead in Ashkirk Parish.  Their first child was born there later that same year and following the Scottish naming tradition this first son was named after the father's father, William.

Synton Parkhead lay in that part of Ashkirk Parish called south Sinton.  When our William moved to the area in 1826 the largest land owner in the area was a John Corse Scott who lived at the main Sinton House. By that time the only other land owner with the surname Scott in the Parish was Charles Balfour Scott Esquire of Woll, who's lands lay up the hill from the village's church and cemetery.

Synton Parkhead farm, 2011


Kathy buying eggs at Synton Parkhead, 2011


Synton Parkhead, 2011

It's important to note that during these same years Mary's two older brothers had married in Ashkirk and their families were also living in Sinton.  The result was that Mary and William had relatives living in seveal of the houses of Sinton for much of their lives.  Scott is certainly one of the most common names within the Borders and even today with a quick check of the British Telecom phone book I found 17 Scott families living in Selkirk and 27 living in Hawick and another 6 in Lilliesleaf, a tiny hamlet just east of Ashkirk.

William found employment as a Thatcher (of roofs) primarily, although on one record I found he was listed as a Game Keeper.   He and Mary had 6 children and all were boys: William, John, Robert, George, Alexander and Walter.  Their last child was born in 1846 and only 2 years later William (the father) died at the very young age of 48.  A news paper story published on October 27, 1848 in the Kelso Chronicle explained the circumstances of William's untimely and tragic death.  Reportedly he had walked the 6 miles or so to Hawick the previous day and was returning with some articles he had purchased one particularly frosty night.  As he did not arrive as expected his wife and a neighbour went looking for him in the morning and found him not far from home where he had literally frozen to death overnight.

Mary was left a widow with 6 boys ranging in age from 2 to 22 years.  These were harsh years for the poor and to be a widow with young children would have just made everything that much more difficult.  Their home at that time was the Thatcher's cottage at Dimpleknowe farm where Mary remained the rest of her life.  The Dimpleknowe farmhouse still stands today although I suspect the cottages have been replaced with proper farm out-buildings and more recently some bed and breakfast facilities were added. See (http://www.dimpleknowe.co.uk/ ).  Speaking of local B&B's two more are nearby at Synton Mains (http://www.syntonmains.com/ ).

                                                           Dimpleknowe farm, 2011.

Mary died at her son Alexander's (my Great Grandfather) home, Synton Gardens, in 1880 at the age of 74.  After his mother died Alexander, or Sandy as he was called, promptly moved his young and growing family to Canada to join his younger brother Walter who had emigrated in 1866.  Brother George would follow Alexander in 1890 but the other 3 brothers remained in Scotland.  John had moved to Innerleithen near Traquair and was employed in a textile mill there (as were all of his family) when he died of an accidental fall in 1886.  Robert or Rab as he was called was a shepherd and he lived out his life in Ashkirk, dying a pauper at his home in Synton Parkhead in 1908.  William, the eldest son, pre-deceased his mother dying in 1878 at nearby Abbotrule, Southdean.

It was this William of Abbotrule that was the direct ancestor of my cousin Jean.  He married the Ashkirk girl Jane Hogg and they had one son, also named William of course.  The younger William wrote a poem in 1901 that is in Jean's possession.  It tells anecdotes about his uncles, Alexander and Walter, and about his grandmother Mary, and of their life growing up in Ashkirk. I'm happy to report that the poem is filled with fond memories of their childhood and of the Ashkirk area:

"...just like oor ain auld native 'Yill'
Gaun roorin doon by Ashkirk Mill
Or jookin' through amang the braes,
And singin' as in by gone days.
When we were young and free o' care,
And a' thing seemed sae fresh and fair...'

It's a wonderful poem and certainly reflects a love for Ashkirk and a passion for Scotland. Although these were years of poverty it appears our family found a way to enjoy their life none the less.

 The area truly is one of the most beautiful little valleys in all of the Borders although I may be a little biased because not only was Sinton the home of my great great grandparents it was also where my great grandfather and my grandfather were born. We have long ties to Ashkirk and with it's history of Scotts our family's connection to Ashkirk may be even longer than I now know.

Directions to Sinton and Dimpleknowe Farms:
To find Sinton locate the entrance to Ashkirk off the A7.  From that point head south to Hawick and take the second left hand turn which has a small sign to 'Sinton'.  This is a cute little country lane that winds past a large terraced house on the right before coming to the farm of Synton Parkehad on the left. Staying on the lane and you will wind your way thru the hills until you come to a cross road which is where the Dimpleknowe farm is located. The following link to the Borders Family History Society's information about Ashkirk inlcudes an interactive map at the bottom which will be helpful in finding the old farm names.  You may have to copy it into your browser if you can't click on it and go directly to the site.

http://www.bordersfhs.org.uk/ashkirk.asp

Ashkirk's History:

If you are looking for a reason for Ashkirk's original existance then its little church holds the answer.  The following link will take you to a site provided by the current church's administration. Their short explanation of Ashkirk's history is a good instroduction:

https://sites.google.com/site/ashkirkparishchurch/parish-profile/ashkirk---it-s-story 

Generation 2 - The Yarrow and Ettrick Weaver: [William Scott (c1779-1855) and Isobel Bell (c1783-c1853)]

This posting is dedicated to our 2nd earliest generation for which I have records for - William Scott and Isobel Bell. This William Scott was born in Traquair Parish about 1779 to the shepherd William Scott and his wife Euphemia Smail.

The Scottish naming tradition was that the first born son be named after the father's father so it's likely our William born about 1779 was the shepherd's first male child and it's also likely that our shepherd's father was also named William.

Some 20 years later, in 1800, the young William married the even younger Isobel Bell (born about 1783 in Haddingtonshaw, Dunbar) at Catslacknowe, a cottage of the Yarrow Feus that is situated on the bank of the Yarrow Water.  Catslacknowe is therefore the earliest specific place where we know our family once lived.

Yarrow Feus is labelled on the map below...situated on the A708 road just east of the B709 turnoff north to Traquair where the label reads Mountbenger Hotel. (I should try to figure out the GPS coordinates for Catslacknowe Cottage and add them here.)

During our visit to the area in 2011 we travelled south from Traquair on that B709 road which climbed into the same steep hills that our shepherd tended his flock in the 1700's.  I was happy to be travelling thru these hills in summer weather because I'm not sure whether I would have tackled it during a famous Scottish winter.  How our Shepherd managed is certainly beyond me.

                                            Entering the Yarrow Valley from Traquair, 2011.

As the Yarrow river and valley came into view I was struck by its beauty.  Thru the heart of the valley flows the Yarrow Water, meandering slowly from St. Mary's Loch in the west to where it joins the Ettrick Water, some 8 miles east. Steep rolling hills rise quickly from both sides of the river. It's no wonder this picturesque setting was a favorite of Sir Walter Scott's, the 19th century poet and novelist.  But he wasn't the only one to write about the Yarrow as it seems agreed that more has been written about the Yarrow than any other river in Scotland.

Catslacknowe Cottage is situated on the north side of the A708 road which travels from Moffat in the west to Selkirk in the east.  The road winds its way thru the valley travelling alongside the Yarrow Water for the most part and it seems that every turn in the road provides another place name rich in history.

To locate Catslacknowe cottage you can begin at Tibbie Sheils Inn, situated on the western end of St. Mary's Loch.  This was a favourite rest spot for Scott and his friend and writing colleague James Hogg.  A monument to Hogg is situated just a stroll up the hill from the Inn where it stands gazing out over the lake.

                                                           St. Mary's Loch, 2011

Travelling east as you leave the Inn you will quickly be crossing the xxxx Burn which trickles into St Mary's Loch from the very hills was at one time home to the Black Douglases during the infamous years of reivers and thuggery.

What seems like only a few yards further along the A708 road and those with sharp eyes will find another old stream bed running into St Mary's Loch.  Follow that creek up the hill and you will find the remains of "St. Mary's of the Lowes" also called the "the Forest Kirk".  It is argued that here, not Selkirk, was the "Church of the Forest" where William Wallace was proclaimed Guardian of Scotland in 1298 after his defeat of the English at Stirling the year before. Many a Scott and Grieve were buried here during the reiving times and the church itself wasn't replaced until the Church down the road at Yarrow was built in more modern times - 1640.

Back on the A708 road and still travelling east your next point of interest is Dryhope Tower, situated on the north side of the road as you near the eastern end of the lake.  The tower can be seen from the road and is only a short walk up the hillside.  Now set up to receive visitors you can go into the old tower and read the information signage explaining its place in history.  Once the home of the ancient family of the Dryhope Scotts this tower was typical of the peel towers built along the waterways to guard against the English who would would arrive at Berwick (pronounced Bear-ick) on the east coast and make their way inland along the Tweed, Yarrow, Ettrick and other rivers.  Built for protection this tower was once the home of the 'Flower of Yarrow', Mary Scott, who's love story with the famous reiver Watt Scott of Harden is well documented.  They are the direct ancestor's of Sir Walter Scott.

                                          Photo of the ruins of the Dryhope Tower with sheep
                                  leaving their shady spot as Kathy strolls up to the entrance, 2011.

Back on the A708 road again and you will next come to the junction where the B709 road to Traquair and Innerliethan heads off north past Hogg's birth place at Mountbenger.  On the map above there is a spot called Mountbenger Hotel which may have been the name of the later Gordon Arms Inn which was another watering hole with a rich history of its own.  Staying on A708 to Selkirk we next pass the turnoff to Sundhope on the right before we come to new build Catslacknowe cottage which lies on the left side of the road just before the cluster of houses called Yarrow Feus.  Once a small stone cottage typical of the area the new build cottage with its flat roof line does not seem to resemble anything nearby...and perhaps that was the builder's hope.

A small turnoff in Yarrow Feus takes you left, up the hill above the Catslacknowe cottage to where the Catslacksburn farmhouse is situated.  At one time this entire hillside was feued off or leased into several parcels of land on which about 14 families lived, each with different trades to offer their community.

                                                  View of Yarrow valley from Yarrow Feus, 2011.

                                                Yarrow Feus at turnoff to Catslackburn, 2011.

The Old Parish Records for Yarrow include the marriage of William Scott to Isobel Bell at Catslacknowe Cottage on Oct 12, 1800.  Isobell was only 17 or so therefore it's likely that Catslacknowe was where her parents lived.

Our William was to become a Hand Loom Weaver which was considered quite the artisan during these days before the industrial revolution.  Below is a etching showing the cottage of a Hand Loom Weaver who is working on the left side of the picture while his wife and children gathered around the fire watching the smoke rise up thru a hole in the roof.  This was their modest life.

                                            Photo of etching of Hand Loom Weaver's cottage
                                            at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, 2012.

                                               Photo of two Hand Looms, back to back, in
                                                National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, 2012.

As a Hand Loom Weaver our William would have earned a bit more money than most other trades so it's not surprising to see that their marriage is recorded in the Old Parish Records as are the births of their first three children.  Again following the Scottish naming tradition their first born son was named after the father's father......the shepherd William.  This baby William is our direct ancestor and he was born March 11, 1801 at Catslacknowe.

In 1803 a second son was born at Catslackknowe and named John so if they continued following the Scottish naming tradition then John was also the name of Isobel's father.  By 1805 our young family had left Catslacknowe and their first daughter, Margaret, was born at Singlieburn on the Ettrick Water which travels the valley to the south of the Yarrow.  Tradition was to name the first female child after the mother's mother therefore it's likely Isobel's mother was named Margaret. Their next child born was another girl and you would have been correct to guess that she was named after the father's mother - Euphemia.  In all, William and Isobel had 12 children and I can confirm that the final 8 were born at various cottages along the Ettrick Water.

To get to the Ettrick Valley from the Yarrow one continues on the A708 road from Catslacknowe heading east to Selkirk. A little over a mile further along is a junction where you turn to the off the A road to the right and cross the Yarrow Bridge..... but before you head over the bridge check out the Yarrow Church and Manse at the junction.  You can be sure that our ancestors regularly worshipped here....perhaps much longer than for just a generation or two.

After your visit at Yarrow church head south over the Yarrow bridge on the narrow and winding little road that doesn't even rate to be called a B road.  This C or D road takes you south through Kirkhope and joins the B7009 which travels alongside the Ettrick Water.

                                                     Photo taken of Yarrow Church in 2011.

Finding records about Willliam and Isobell's later children was not an easy task for me because none of their births were registered with the church.  This may have been an indication that the family was now very poor and simply didn't have the money to pay the pennies needed for registration.  How could this happen to our (well paid) Hand Loom Weaver? Well, one clue is that this was the beginning of the Industrial Revolution and woollen mills were being built all around the Borders incorporating powered weaving looms.  Wages began to fall dramatically after 1820 as immigration into weaving towns like nearby Selkirk and Galasheils created a labour surplus.  By the 1840's, when powerlooms had been perfected, the handloom weavers of Scotland had declined to destitution and near extinction.  This unforutnately was the fate of our William too, which I'll explain shortly.

In 2012 I rented a small basement flat in Edinburgh for a month and conducted my family history research at the  Registry House there called Scotlands People.  I found records for all 12 of the William and Isobel's children and traced most of the children for a few generations more.  I can report that the family stayed in the Ettrick Valley from 1805 through 1826 when their final child was born and that earlier homes were at Singlieburn, Gilmancleugh and Ettrickbridge.

                                            Photo taken of Kathy crossing the bridge entering
                                                               Ettrickbridge from Selkirk, 2011.

Two of William and Isobel's children, both boys, died young and another two boys aren't found on later Scottish records so it's likely they emigrated to England or abroad.  All of the rest of children moved into either Selkirk or Galasheils and took jobs working in the woolen mills there. The only exception was the eldest son, our William.  He was working in Ettrickbridge in 1826 when he married Mary Scott from Ashkirk Parish, a farming community just over the hills to the south.  William and Mary chose not live in the mill towns and instead raised their family in the more peaceful setting of Ashkirk, but more about their generation in my next chapter.

I find it interesting that our ancestors lived in the Ettrick Valley because this is the area central to the origins of the Scott Clan.  All the mighty Scott reiving families originated here in what was called the Ettrick Forest.  Much has been written about the Scott clan and its many colourful reivers who lived along the Ettrick.  All the local towers and stately houses seems to have been owned by Scotts at one time or another and it's tempting to think that our family's lineage began where the Scott clan itself began but that is hard if not impossible to prove.  Any search of Google will list books related to the Ettrick but if it's local history you want then a must on your book list Thomas Craig Brown's book written in 1886 and titled "The History of Selkirkshire; Or, Chronicles of the Ettrick Forest".

The cheif of the Scott clan has always been the Duke of Buccleugh and his family's lineage has been traced back to the days of King Kenneth MacAlpin himself.  As the story goes the King was out with his hunting party at a spot about 2 miles up from the junction of the Ettrick and the Rankelburn.  It was here that the Scottish King was so impressed with a young local lad that he named him John Scott of Buccleugh.  It's said that this young lad was from Galloway which is to the east of the Borders and would indicate that his ancestors were Gaels that came from northern Ireland - a branch of the Celts.  This seems to tie in nicely with other historical reports as all seem to agree that the name Scott derives from the Scots who invaded Dalriada (Argyle) from Ireland in earlier times.  Even the Romans knew these Scots well and called them Scoti's, meaning 'sea pirates' which described well their combative relationship with the Romans.

When the days of reiving were finally 'put down' in the early 1600's it's said the mighty rieving clan of the Scotts turned in their swords for pens and became lawyers and businessmen.  Today's Duke of Buccleugh is the largest land owner in all of Britain and his home at Bowhill (open to the public) is situated nearby.

With the children moving into Selkirk, Galashiels, Ashkirk and abroad I found that William and Isobel had moved from Ettrick too.  By the 1841 census William and Isobel were no longer in Ettrick but were living north of Edinburgh in Milton of Balgonie, a small village in Markinch Parish, in what is fondly remembered as the Kingdom of Fife. What drew them there?  Balgonie was an established coal mining community for centuries and during the early 1800s many woolen mills were being built in Markinch so perhaps employment was the draw?  Or, perhaps they were drawn there for family reasons because living next door to them in 1841 was the 83 year old weaver's widow, Margaret Bell.  Perhaps this Margaret, who was born in the Yarrow, was Isobel's mother as I had indicated earlier regarding the naming tradition? As Margaret Bell was born in Yarrow and her husband was a weaver I've often wondered if our William learned the trade from his father-in-law at the Bell family home in Catslacknowe?  There are always mysteries to solve in genealogy.

The widow Margaret Bell was 93 in the 1851 census and still living next door to William and Isobel but she didn't appear in the 1861 census so one can assume she passed.  I do know that Isobel died a short time after the 1851 census because by 1854 William have moved to Selkirk and was living near his son James.  A year later, in 1855, William died at the age of 76 and his death registration reports him as a widow and a pauper.  There is no grave marker for him in the old Selkirk cemetery which may indicate that his family did not have the money to pay for one.  However, there is a simple grave marker back in the churchyard at Ettrickbridge which only states "William Scott 76 years".  Maybe his children buried him back home on the Ettrick but that is a mystery which I haven't yet solved.

Generation 1 - The Shepherd from Traquair [William Scott (born about 1755) and Euphemia Smail (born about 1755)]

The earliest generation of our family that I have found records for are William Scott and his wife Euphemia Smail.  They were both born sometime between 1749 and 1759...over 250 years ago.  An 1855 death record of their son states that William (the father) was a shepherd from Traquair Parish.

Traquair is in  Peeblesshire which is one of the 4 counties that make up the Border Counties of Scotland. Locate Edinburgh on the map below and travel about 20 miles straight south on the A703 road to reach Peebles.  The A72 road east of Peebles takes you to Innerleithen and Traquair is situated directly to its south on the B709.



Kathy and I have visited the Borders several times over the years and during the summer of 2011 we rented a lovely terraced cottage in Peebles, the largest town in the county of Peeblesshire.  The best part of the visit was that a newly found cousin, Jean, joined us in Peebles and toured the countryside with us for a few days.

                                          Our Peebles' cottage is on the left bank of the canal, 2011.

Peebles is very picturesque and lies alongside the historical Tweed River. A short stroll up the Tweed from Peebles takes you to Neidpath Castle.  Situated high up the river's bank one can see how Neidpath provided its residents with a great view of the Tweed which at one time meant a great view of any invaders travelling up the Tweed, whether they be from England or from rival Scottish clans.

                                         
                                                               









                                                             



                                                                   Neidpath Castle

                                                               
                                                            Tweed River below Neidpath.

Scott is a very historical name in the Borders and residents with that name can be found in most towns and areas around the Borders.  On the other hand there have been very few Smail families in the Borders over the past couple of centuries therefore it surprised me to find that a primary tourist attraction of the Peebleshire area is the Robert Smail Printing Works located in the village of Innerleithen.  Now owned and operated by the National Trust of Scotland the print shop was established in 1866 by Robert Smail but I haven't yet found a connection between him and our Euphemia.

Just south of Innerleithan on the B709 is the famous Traquair House which dates back to 1107.  Link to Traquair House: http://www.traquair.co.uk/.  Originally a hunting lodge for Scotland's Kings and Queens Traquair House has long been owned by the Stuart family.  Its colourful history included providing safety for Catholic priests during times of terror for them and support for Mary Queen of Scotts and the Jacobite Rebellions.  Over the centuries the reivers and bandits in the hill country around Traquair were replaced by sheep and it's no surprise that our William was therefore occupied as a shepherd there in the later part of the 1700's.  As the Stuarts where the major land owners of the area it's likely that our shepherd was employed by them.

Travelling on the B709 southward from Traquair House we quickly came upon a small group of houses and Traquair Church.

Traquair Church, 2011, with rolling hills in background.

A bronze plaque in the churchyard explains that a church has been at Traquair since 1116 and that the present parish church was erected in 1778...about a year before my Great Great Great Grandfather was born in Traquair Parish. The plaque also states that buried in the churchyard is David Bel who died in 1691.  Upon his tombstone is carved a pair of scissors and flat-iron to denote his trade as a tailor.  Remember the Bel name and his trade because it will come up again in a later posting.  

As we continued our drive south on the B709 we next climbed into the very hills where our shepherd would have tended his flock.  To give you some sense of their humble and meagre living conditions during the late 1700's click on the link below and scroll down to the photograph that shows the cottage of a shepherd named Jaimie Tait who lived in neighbouring Dryhope Haugh till the late 1800's.  Mr. Tait's cottage was typical of the farming cottages found in these parts and therefore it's probable our shepherd lived in something quite similar:   http://heritagehub.tumblr.com/post/1091447160/emigration-in-1848 .

Scotland's famous novelist, Sir Walter Scott, grew up in nearby Ashetiel and walked these very hills collecting stories and poems about Scotland's past from the local characters he met along the way.  Sometimes joining Sir Walter on his well documented walks was his dear friend and colleague, James Hogg, the poet known as "the Ettrick Shepherd".  Hogg was born and raised just over the hills to the south of Traquair and down into the valley of the Yarrow Water at Mountbenger House.  As all three lived in these hills during the same years I picture in my mind Mr. Scott and Mr. Hogg meeting our shepherd as they strolled these hills.  Maybe our shepherd even provided Scott with some stories of his own.

I recently found a very old etching of a shepherd in the Traquair hills that depicts the very years our shepherd tended his flock there.  The etching was published in one of Hogg's books, titled "Works of the Ettrick Shepherd".  The image portrays a shepherd and his dog standing guard on their flock in a beautiful and tranquil setting.  It's the closest thing to a photograph of our shepherd that we'll ever find.  Rather than thinking of the poverty and hardships our shepherd most assuredly had to endure I prefer to think of a more tranquil life that he and his wife would have enjoyed: http://www.graven-image.co.uk/2010/10/traquair-scottish-borders/.

Welcome to my family history blog.

My goal when setting up this blog was to provide our family with information about the places in Scotland where our ancestors lived.  I have added only a limited amount of information about the people themselves as the more complete genealogy is provided in my family book "Scott: the story of a family".

The map below highlights in green the 4 counties to the south of Edinburgh which make up what's called the Borders.  The grey dashed line to their south is the border line with England.

The towns I'll be talking about in this blog include: Peebles directly south of Edinburgh some 20 miles; Innerliethan just east of Peebles; Galasheils east again; Selkirk which is south of Galasheils; Hawick wihich is south again; and Moffat which you can find by following the red line/road west from Selkirk to it's end point.



As for our ancestors that lived here I can report that I  have now traced our family back 5 generations into Scotland, all of which lived in the Borders of Scotland.  With the information provided in this blog hopefully others of the family will have less difficulty than I did in finding where our ancestor's lived in Scotland if they decide one day to take an ancestral journey to the home of their roots. From our earliest known generation to the most recent generation born in Scotland, the postings in this blog are:

Generation 1: The Shepherd of Traquair
                     William Scott (born about 1755) m: Euphemia Smail
                     (born about 1755)

Generation 2:  The Yarrow and Ettrick Weaver
                      William Scott m: Isobel Bell
                      (born about 1779 at Traquair)

Generation 3:  The Scotts of Ashkirk
                      William Scott m: Mary Scott
                      (born 1801 at Catslacknowe)
                    
Generation 4:  The Emigration to Canada
                      Alexander Scott m: Janet Grieve
                      (born 1840 at Ashkirk)

Generation 5:  Minto of the Prairies
                      William Scott m: Hannah Newton
                      (born 1872 at Ashkirk)