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)