Thursday, 3 January 2013
The Story So Far
So far in my family history project I have catalogued factual information on 160 members of my family going back eight generations. I had hoped to investigate particular individuals further, perhaps learning more about their lives, their surroundings,their work. However my experience investigating John Barclay and his son James has taught me it's relatively easy to find the key events in a person's life: birth, marriage, children, death; however it's more difficult to fill in the detail. Clearly I now need to decide on my next steps in this project: should I gather more event dates for more people further widening the family records; should I try to get more event dates for the people I've already identified, for there are certainly gaps; should I focus on some key tools and resources to help me with my research or should I investigate occupations, locations, relevant world events that my ancestors would have encountered during the course of their lives?
James Barclay's Story
My research has uncovered most of the key events in James Barclay's life. His birth in 1823; his marriage in 1852 to Helen Sanderson; the birth of their two children Mary and Agnes; the untimely death of Helen in 1872; his second marriage to Ellen McGuire in 1873; the birth of their four children Ellen, Jane, James & John (my Great Grandfather); his death in 1883.
And yet I know there is much more to James's story than these facts convey. The challenge is getting beyond the events of his life to the story of his life. I know that he was a Joiner. I know that at age 50 he married a woman thirty years his junior. I know that when he died he left a son who was under two years old. I know that his second wife went on to marry again and have another son and that the children of all three families (James & Helen, James & Ellen, Ellen & William McLauchlan) were all brought up together. I know that Ellen (like James's first wife Helen) didn't reach age 50 and as a result my Great Grandfather was left to register his own Mum's death when he was just 18.
These are the makings of a story but they're not quite enough to be a story, so I guess I'll need to keep looking.
And yet I know there is much more to James's story than these facts convey. The challenge is getting beyond the events of his life to the story of his life. I know that he was a Joiner. I know that at age 50 he married a woman thirty years his junior. I know that when he died he left a son who was under two years old. I know that his second wife went on to marry again and have another son and that the children of all three families (James & Helen, James & Ellen, Ellen & William McLauchlan) were all brought up together. I know that Ellen (like James's first wife Helen) didn't reach age 50 and as a result my Great Grandfather was left to register his own Mum's death when he was just 18.
These are the makings of a story but they're not quite enough to be a story, so I guess I'll need to keep looking.
Tuesday, 1 January 2013
Ladyland
In the Parish of Kilbirnie in the 16th century there were three baronies: Kilbirnie, Glengarnock and Ladyland. It is Ladyland that is relevant to my ancestry and although the first Lairds were Barclays there is nothing in my research so far that suggests a connection. What I do know is that John Barclay, my great, great, great grandfather was a servant at Ladyland House.
There are two Wikipedia articles worth consulting. The first is simply a definition of barony; the second gives a comprehensive history of Ladyland.
In the events outlined in the article,the timeframe relevant to my ancestry starts in 1803 when William Cochrane inherited the estate on the death of his father. On 5th September 1815 William married Catherine Hamilton, a distant relative of the Hamiltons of Ladyland, and it's likely that William and Catherine would have been John Barclay's employers.
I know that John married Menie Montgomrie on 29th December 1823 and I also know that they first had a son James born on 26th May 1823 at the family's home in Newton Street. For now there's not much more to the story. John and Menie went on to have at least another three children and by the time of John's death in 1861 he no longer worked as a Servant because the occupation quoted on his death certificate was Slater. I'm intrigued to know more of John and Menie's story but for now I will move on to their first son James.
There are two Wikipedia articles worth consulting. The first is simply a definition of barony; the second gives a comprehensive history of Ladyland.
 |
| Ladyland House |
In the events outlined in the article,the timeframe relevant to my ancestry starts in 1803 when William Cochrane inherited the estate on the death of his father. On 5th September 1815 William married Catherine Hamilton, a distant relative of the Hamiltons of Ladyland, and it's likely that William and Catherine would have been John Barclay's employers.
I know that John married Menie Montgomrie on 29th December 1823 and I also know that they first had a son James born on 26th May 1823 at the family's home in Newton Street. For now there's not much more to the story. John and Menie went on to have at least another three children and by the time of John's death in 1861 he no longer worked as a Servant because the occupation quoted on his death certificate was Slater. I'm intrigued to know more of John and Menie's story but for now I will move on to their first son James.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)