Yes, the Disruption of 1843 prompted a building frenzy by the breakaway Free Church, churches, manses and Free Church schools being built with incredible speed and vigour. Iain ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jose JONES" <jose.jones@wanadoo.fr> To: "jody allen" <fraochale@gmail.com>; "D&G Mailing List" <DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2010 8:28 PM Subject: Re: [DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY] Stone masons > > My GG Grandfather was a stone mason from Carnwarth but lived in > Ecclefechan, > Dumfries shire. He did a lot of research into his family tree in the > 1890's > when he was in his eighties! He traced links with his family in Illinois > and > I have a lot of his original correspondence. Most importantly of all, he > wrote a book with many additional details of all the family members. > Ironically he wrote very little about himself but what he write I quote > below: > > Mary Paterson and John Tennant were married 6 September 1844. A mason to > trade from Carnwath upward of Lanarkshire and at that time Masons' wages > had > fallen to the very low figure of 2/- per day (10p).in 1842 but at that > time > it took a turn and in 1844 over 16/- per week mainly owing to the > dismission of the free church. Manses and Churches to build causing a > demand for masons and just following that the Caledonian Railway commenced > which raised them to 22/- and 24/- per week. About this time she (his wife > Mary Paterson) started a shop for straw bonnets, ribbons etc and adding > one > thing to another until the trade because over much for her working > sometimes > up to midnight and sometimes never going to bed at all. So the mason work > had to be dropped as the shope[1] was the main thing. About 1849 we[2] > shifted from the foot of the old entry to the one in which she was born > and > had formerly belonged to her Great Grandmother and Grandfather, her mother > having been born in it as well as herself but having had to remove from it > we bought the present one and by hard work late and early her brother Adam > and me built and finished it, slating, plastering, journeying except some > doors and windows and time after time adding house after house. > > It was about 1864 I proposed going to Carlisle and selling Drapery and I > had > a good few men coming from Carlisle for suits and likewise taking order > for > men and boys suits and it turned out to be very successful and I had a > first > class trade. I think this was what better than our home trade I had to be > in Carlisle four to five days hard working all the time taking orders. > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > [1] Actual spelling > > [2] this is the first time that he has referred to himself in the first > person > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "jody allen" > To: "D&G Mailing List" > Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2010 5:38 AM > Subject: [DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY] Stone masons > > >> >> Can anyone share with me what a stone mason's day might be like in the >> early >> 1800's in Galloway? .... > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without > the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >