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