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? ....