Today's Rootsweb Review announced the following new website: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~sctwigfc/. "Welcome to the home page for the Wigtownshire Free Census Project. This project aims to provide a "free-to-view" online searchable database of the 19th century Scottish census returns. It is part of the larger UK Free Census Project (also known as FreeCEN: http://www.freecen.org.uk/cgi/search.pl). For more information please read the Census Project FAQ (http://www.freewebs.com/mmjeffery/Census%20FAQ.htm). Uploaded returns for various counties, including Wigtownshire, may be searched in the UK FreeCEN database: http://www.freecen.org.uk/cgi/search.pl." This new site includes links to: Wigtownshire Project: * 1851 Census progress * 1861 Census progress Scotland Project: * Scotland Project Home * Census Project FAQ * Search the Database * Database Search Hints Census Help: * Transcriber Software Pack * Victorian Handwriting Samples * Name Thesaurus * Old Occupations * Old County Names * GENUKI Gazetteer (Excellent) * 1851 Enumerator's Instructions * Transcriber Help Pages Other Links: * GENUKI Wigtownshire * Dumfries & Galloway FHS * Ayrshire Roots * Cyndi's List - Wigtownshire * Old Maps Co UK * NLS Early Maps of Scotland * Statistical Accounts 1791, 1845 Enjoy! Mary

Thanks Bruce for your most thoughtful information. That Barbara Thomson most certainly sounds as if she's the one. I will pursue that further to see if there are any living descendants of hers. ----- Original Message ----- From: Bruce McDowall To: pmcvetty Cc: [email protected] Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 12:41 AM Subject: Re: [WIG LIST] THOMSON/MCTAGGART of Wigtown Hi Patti, My only THOM(P)SON was Agnes, (my ggg'grandmother), from Kirwaugh, Kirkinner. I don't have her parents or any other family members for her, so I can't connect to yours from Wigtown. I do happen to have the following MI: Old Kirkyard Wigtown, Birchman No. 392. Erected by James Stevenson in memory his spouse Barbara Thomson who died on 24th June 1840 aged 45 years Also his son Anthony who died in infancy Also the above James Stevenson who died 9th Septr 1877 aged 85 yrs West side John McTaggart who died 1st Feby 1851 aged 33 years This looks like your Barbara THOMSON. If so, you may want to follow their family. If you don't already have the following, it may give you a starting place. The 1841 census from http://www.freecen.org.uk/cgi/search.pl Piece: SCT1841/901 Place: Wigtown -Wigtownshire Enumeration District: 3 Civil Parish: Wigtown Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island: Wigtown Folio: 3 Page: 7 Address: North Side High Street Surname First name(s) Sex Age Occupation Where Born Remarks STEVENSON James M 45 Shoemaker Outside Census County (1841) STEVENSON Alexander M 20 Cabinetmaker Journeyman Wigtownshire STEVENSON James M 14 Tailor Apprentice Wigtownshire Page: 3/8 STEVENSON Jane F 11 Wigtownshire STEVENSON William M 9 Wigtownshire STEVENSON Anthony M 6 Wigtownshire STEVENSON Thomas M 3 Wigtownshire The 1851 census from http://www.dgcommunity.net/historicalindexes/census.aspx Name: Stevenson , Anthony Address: North Side High Street (901) Parish: Wigtown Relationship: son of James Marital Status: unmarried Occupation: SCHOLAR Age: 15 Born: born Wigtown Wgt Household No: 3/34 Name: Stevenson , James Address: North Side High Street (901) Parish: Wigtown Relationship: head of household Marital Status: widower Occupation: SHOEMAKER Age: 56 Born: born Creetown Kbt Household No: 3/34 Name: Stevenson , Thomas Address: North Side High Street (901) Parish: Wigtown Relationship: son of James Marital Status: Occupation: SCHOLAR Age: 13 Born: born Wigtown Wgt Household No: 3/34 I wonder if the John McTAGGART who appears on the above tombstone was a nephew of Barbara THOMSON. From the IGI, he appears to have been: Individual search: JOHN BEDDIE MCTAGGART Christening: 23 AUG 1818 Wigtown, Wigtown, Scotland Father: JAMES MCTAGGART Mother: JANET FARLOW Batch No.: C119012 Parent search: Birth/Christening, Wigtown, Scotland, British Isles Father: James Mctaggart, Mother: Janet Farlow Exact Spelling: Off 1. JAMES MCTAGGART - International Genealogical Index Gender: Male Christening: 11 MAR 1821 Wigtown, Wigtown, Scotland 2. JOHN BEDDIE MCTAGGART - International Genealogical Index Gender: Male Christening: 23 AUG 1818 Wigtown, Wigtown, Scotland 3. WILLIAM MCTAGGART - International Genealogical Index Gender: Male Christening: 26 AUG 1832 Wigtown, Wigtown, Scotland 4. ELIZABETH MCTAGGART - International Genealogical Index Gender: Female Christening: 24 AUG 1823 Wigtown, Wigtown, Scotland 5. JANET MCTAGGART - International Genealogical Index Gender: Female Christening: 29 OCT 1826 Wigtown, Wigtown, Scotland 6. MAY MCTAGGART - International Genealogical Index Gender: Female Christening: 13 DEC 1816 Wigtown, Wigtown, Scotland Similar (edited) census results for this family: Piece: SCT1841/901 Place: Wigtown -Wigtownshire Enumeration District: 3 Civil Parish: Wigtown Ecclesiastical Parish, Village or Island: Wigtown Folio: 3 Page: 13 Address: Back Road Surname First name(s) Sex Age Occupation Where Born Remarks MACTAGGART James M 45 Sawyer Wigtownshire MCTAGGART Janet F 45 Wigtownshire MCTAGGART John M 20 Cabinetmaker Journeyman Wigtownshire MCTAGGART James M 20 Cabinetmaker Apprentice Wigtownshire MCTAGGART Elizabeth F 17 Wigtownshire MCTAGGART Janet F 14 Wigtownshire MCTAGGART Catherine F 11 Wigtownshire MCTAGGART William M 8 Wigtownshire 1851 Name: McTaggart , Catherine Relationship: daughter of James Marital Status: unmarried Occupation: Age: 20 Born: born Wigtown Wgt Name: McTaggart , Elizabeth Relationship: daughter of James Marital Status: unmarried Occupation: TEACHER Age: 26 Born: born Wigtown Wgt Name: McTaggart , James Address: South Side Back Road (901) Parish: Wigtown Relationship: head of household Marital Status: married Occupation: SAWER wood Age: 56 Born: born Wigtown Wgt Household No: 3/68 Name: McTaggart , Janet Relationship: wife of James Marital Status: married Occupation: Age: 56 Born: born Wigtown Wgt Name: McTaggart , William Relationship: son of James Marital Status: unmarried Occupation: WRITER apprentice Age: 17 Born: born Wigtown Wgt The second given name of Beddie has me wondering what was the connection with the BEDDIE family. There doesn't have to be a family relationship, as sometimes close friends, landowners, or prominent citizens were so honored. There was a John BEDDIE in Wigtown at that time who was a writer. I have a connection to the BEDDIEs via marriage to the DICKSONs. Regards, Bruce

Hi' Maisie, yes, bread is a very interesting subject, Beatie's Bread for instance, the war time and post war baps and batch loafs. There were four boys in our family, no girls, unfortunately, we took it in turns to go to the bread shop, or bakers shop in South Street every morning in Garlieston, where I grew up. The standing order, was for half a dozen baps and half a loaf, the loaves were baked in batches of two, and when you purchased half a loaf, the odds were even that you would end up with a good portion of the other half when they were pulled apart, and if it turned out that way, the extra piece would get eaten on the way home, warm fresh bread, who can withstand the temptation, I loved it. A little over a year ago I was back in my native village, and staying in nearby Whithorn, the loaf is still available, but skinnyer and prepackaged, to me it didn't taste the same, and even the baps were a bit on the skinny side, but did taste much the same as they did when I was just a boy. Here in Australia, one can buy bread from more than a dozen cultures and most of them are excellent and mouth watering, so maybe these days I'm a bit spoiled from choice, but I would love to go back to the old days, even for just a short time, and live it all over again. Len.

All this has me reminded of a song I remember hearing as a child, from the telly or radio I think. It's about Glasgow (Castlemilk high-rise estate) based on the call, 'Haw Maw, thraw me doon a jeely-piece!' of which the chorus was something like: Oh you cannae throw a piece oot o a twenty-storey flat Seven thoosand hungry weans can testify tae that Be it butter cheese or jeely, though the bread be plain or pan The odds against it reachin earth are ninety-nine tae wan. It a a protest song about high-rise living in Castlemilk or other places! Jenny -- Dr Jenny Blain Sheffield Hallam University [email protected] or [email protected] 07919 556371

Dear Friends in Queensland, we have been watching in horror the scenes of the flooding you are enduring, and can only say that our hearts go out to everyone. We are just about to watch an ABC film. I have been reading up about Major General Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane, born and died in Largs, Ayrshire. Best of luck, Alan and Diana Henry

Sam, hope you are all safe and on high ground. Chin up to all. On looking at a map of Wigtownshire it shows it to be about 32 x 29 miles, about 480 square miles. A map of Queensland, Australia, shows the flooded area at : http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=-26.784818281741096~152.96827574171027&lvl=7&dir=0&sty=r&cid=B45BE63DA52D0EDA!196 The distance from Brisbane to Hebel may be around 335 miles, about ten times that of Wigtownshire. I would gladly accept any correction from you. Shirley

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: jmurray81_1 Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.britisles.scotland.wig.general/1968.4.1.1.1.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: hi, thank you that does help alot. wow your my 3rd cousin :) nice to meet you. do you know of john'a where abouts and maybe if he is stll alive? Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.

Hi Don, Growing up here in Australia, I had always thought of back road as you have described. There is a tour company here who use that concept: http://www.backroads-touring.com.au/ Your comment about the 'low road' I feel is worthy of some further explanation. I was told that this was a euphemism for the immediate transport of the spirit, (on death), back to the homeland. Hence, the soldier about to die was to get home before his companion traveling above ground. This fits nicely with the fact he was never going to meet up with his true love on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, but I wonder if this expression of 'low road' was ever in common usage in Scotland, or if it is poetic expression? Regards, Bruce

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: shermain11 Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.britisles.scotland.wig.general/1968.4.1.1.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: hi, John Mcmeckan and Rebecca Hopewell had the following children:- Annie Mcmeckan 1928 John Mcmeckan 1930 Rebecca Mcmeckan 1932 Ellen Mcmeckan 1936 Martha Mcmeckan 1938 (my nanna) Barbara Mcmeckan 1940 Jean Mcmeckan 1941 Mona Mcmeckan 1945 Hope this helps Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: jmurray81_1 Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.britisles.scotland.wig.general/1968.4.1.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: hi did your mum have any other sisters or brothers? Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.

Yes, and Donald, sometimes I take "the back roads" from North Bannister to Narrogin and from Narrogin to Lake Grace. Ironically, the Lake Grace "back road" is probably used more than the "main road" via Wagin now that it has been sealed. :-) See you at the Burns Supper ... David

I am sure "back road" is a general English language expression used everywhere to donate an alternative route between two places, usually the old meandering and scenic route that the locals still use. To test this I asked my wife whose family have lived in the same part of Herefordshire, England, for over 400 years (yes, I got into a spot of difficulty taking her off to the colonies) what was the name of the old secondary route between Leominster and Ludlow and without hesitation she said "the back road". So I don't think "the back road" is a particular Scottish saying and I am more mindful of "the high road and the low road....................."? Donald Main -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Maisie Egger Sent: 11 January 2011 10:45 To: [email protected]; leonard miller logan Subject: Re: [WIG LIST] Scottish words Len, Your reference: "While on odd words, and sayings, '' the back road '' easily comes to mind, where did it come from? For every major highway in Wigtownshire connecting towns or villages, there is a '' back road, or the old road, in most cases, the original road. If you were to ask the location of a farm and it was off the main highway, you would be directed to go by the back road, rather than go by the B 32 or the A 55. Most of these roads followed the coast and connected with all the coastal villages, and are still widely used today, mostly by tourists and locals travelling to the commercial centres, and in Wigtownshire there is an absolute maze of them, and that is what makes the south of Scotland so unique, I have never heard the phrase used anywhere else, does anyone else know." -------- When I tracked down "far-out" cousins in Auchencairn, Kirkcudbrightshire, they and their neighbours, who were invited in to visit me to see if they knew anything more about my father's forebears, mentioned going "up the back road." As they lived on Main Street, which was the main street of Auchencairn, it was indeed a back road to "somewhere else" or a circuitous route to the main road. We also used the term back road in Glasgow as distinct from a main route to get to one's house. Same applied when some of my relatives lived in Haddington, East Lothian. It would seem, then, that "the back road" is commonly used in various places in Scotland as an aside from the main road. Should we discuss bread? Pan loaf. square/plain loaf, half a loaf,...which it isn't, depending on where you come from? Perhaps not as we are straying a bit, but again, looking at the larger picture of what families ate, the topic of bread is not so far off the scale. The history of Ireland cannot be told if one does not talk about potatoes and the Great Famine. Maisie ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: shermain11 Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.britisles.scotland.wig.general/1968.4.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Hi, My granmother is martha barr daughter to John McMeckan born 1904, and sister to John Mcmeckan born 1930. Would be glad to help with any information you need. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.

Hi I have a family called Smith living at Torhousemuir near Wigtown in 1860 and they lost 3 children in about 6 weeks. I wondered if anyone knows of any epidemics or anything in that area about that time? Thanks Andrea Walker

Hi I'm not sure if this is connected to 'back road' thread but here in Dumfries the layout of streets in the development of the old Burgh followed a common plan. The high street was narrow at each end in wide in the middle. Gates were placed at each end. Animals were kept in the middle part during the night to keep them from straying. Scottish towns did not have town walls, like some of the English cities. Instead, the houses in the high street had yards (yairds) called tenements and the rear wall of the tenement doubled up as the town wall. In Dumfries, one of the first streets to develop outwith the high street area was Loreburn Street which was originally known as 'the back street' and is still referred to as 'the back street' today by locals. It runs parallel to the High street. Incidentally, the name Tenement was transferred to the high occupancy buildings which were originally built on these tenements, especially in the cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. Best wishes Ian A McClumpha Need help with your Scottish Family History research? Let Imchad Ancestry assist you. Please look at our website: www.imchad.freeola.com -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of donald main Sent: 11 January 2011 11:07 To: 'Maisie Egger'; [email protected]; 'leonard miller logan' Subject: Re: [WIG LIST] Scottish words I am sure "back road" is a general English language expression used everywhere to donate an alternative route between two places, usually the old meandering and scenic route that the locals still use. To test this I asked my wife whose family have lived in the same part of Herefordshire, England, for over 400 years (yes, I got into a spot of difficulty taking her off to the colonies) what was the name of the old secondary route between Leominster and Ludlow and without hesitation she said "the back road". So I don't think "the back road" is a particular Scottish saying and I am more mindful of "the high road and the low road....................."? Donald Main -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Maisie Egger Sent: 11 January 2011 10:45 To: [email protected]; leonard miller logan Subject: Re: [WIG LIST] Scottish words Len, Your reference: "While on odd words, and sayings, '' the back road '' easily comes to mind, where did it come from? For every major highway in Wigtownshire connecting towns or villages, there is a '' back road, or the old road, in most cases, the original road. If you were to ask the location of a farm and it was off the main highway, you would be directed to go by the back road, rather than go by the B 32 or the A 55. Most of these roads followed the coast and connected with all the coastal villages, and are still widely used today, mostly by tourists and locals travelling to the commercial centres, and in Wigtownshire there is an absolute maze of them, and that is what makes the south of Scotland so unique, I have never heard the phrase used anywhere else, does anyone else know." -------- When I tracked down "far-out" cousins in Auchencairn, Kirkcudbrightshire, they and their neighbours, who were invited in to visit me to see if they knew anything more about my father's forebears, mentioned going "up the back road." As they lived on Main Street, which was the main street of Auchencairn, it was indeed a back road to "somewhere else" or a circuitous route to the main road. We also used the term back road in Glasgow as distinct from a main route to get to one's house. Same applied when some of my relatives lived in Haddington, East Lothian. It would seem, then, that "the back road" is commonly used in various places in Scotland as an aside from the main road. Should we discuss bread? Pan loaf. square/plain loaf, half a loaf,...which it isn't, depending on where you come from? Perhaps not as we are straying a bit, but again, looking at the larger picture of what families ate, the topic of bread is not so far off the scale. The history of Ireland cannot be told if one does not talk about potatoes and the Great Famine. Maisie ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Hi' listers, the incidental use of old Scotish words, sayings and phrases on this list, prompts many subscribers to ask their origins and meanings. Maisie Egger, self confessed Glaswegian, [ or as we in the south of Scotland, often referred to the Glaswegians as '' Glesca Keelie's '' ], is one who keeps us all thinking, when she throws in the an old, but rarely used word or two, whether it be in the Glasgow twang or the Wigtownshire twang, it invariably gets sorted out. To her request today, regarding the demarcation of bairn and wean. To my mind, there is no demarcation, the use of both words were and still are, widely used in the south of Scotland as well as other regions of Scotland. However, I have noticed, in my travels, that people in the counties in the east of Scotland and the border counties used the words bairn/bairns more than wean or weans. While on odd words, and sayings, '' the back road '' easilly comes to mind, where did it come from? For every major highway in Wigtownshire connecting towns or villages, there is a '' back road, or the old road, in most cases, the original road. If you were to ask the location of a farm and it was off the main highway, you would be directed to go by the back road, rather than go by the B 32 or the A 55. Most of these roads followed the coast and connected with all the coastal villages, and are still widely used today, mostly by tourists and locals travelling to the commercial centres, and in Wigtownshire there is an absolute maze of them, and that is what makes the south of Scotland so unique, I have never heard the phrase used anywhere else, does anyone else know. Len.

Hi Barb, Baryerrock is at NX 390508, which is 3 km or 2 miles west and a little south of Kirkinner, on the west side of the B 7052. If you don't have an OS Landranger or Explorer map of the area, you can go to http://maps.nls.uk/os/view/?sid=74400760 and repeatedly double click on the target area to zoom in, you should be able to find it. When the map screen first comes up, Kirkinner parish is the lower of the 2 orange colored areas. Regards, Bruce

Hello Listers, does anyone have THOMSON of Wigtown in their family tree? We are looking for descendants of the following: Parents were Agnes MCTAGGART and John THOMSON of Wigtown. Children's baptisms Janet b. 1783 Alexander & John b. 1786 Jean b. 1788 Agnes b. 1790 Maria b. 1792 Robert b. 1794 Barbara b. 1795 Sarah b. 1798 Would love to find descendants of any of above. Cheers, Patti McVetty

Hi Listers - a belated very happy new year to you all from a wet Melbourne - but not as wet as poor Queensland. I was interested in Wayne's Kirkinner Parish OPRs and found the birth of Marianne Quinn, daughter of Andrew Quinn and Sarah Williams in 1819 at Baryerrock. Can anyone help me with the location of this place. The Quinns/McQuinns were later, and for many years, at Kirkland of Longcastle. Barb Wilson (McQuinn)

A LIST OF THE COLONELS… G.B. War Office Colonel Blakeney’s Regiment of Foot. Lt.Robert Dalrymple. 26 Dec 1739 (son of ................... ?) Ensign John Dalrymple 12 Jan 1740 (d. 1789 at Culhorn, Wigtownshire, 5th Earl of Stair ?) Title in 1929. “The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers” http://books.google.com.au/books?id=p_BfsBzDzWYC&pg=PA38&lpg=PA38&dq=%22Ensign+Robert+Dalrymple%27&source=bl&ots=A-pMtnyhVu&sig=Ndd9xO28p5ZtK3XpDmkCDY-eeMI&hl=en&ei=1iArTYnQGIrQcYLv_KkB&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCAQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Dalrymple&f=false ………………………………………………………………………………………………. CALENDAR OF TREASURY BOOKS. Vol. 4. 1739-41 March 8 1739. 35. Memorial to Sir Robert Walpole from Col. William Blakeney, dated Westminster. Is under orders to proceed to America to raise a regiment of foot of 30 companies. Clothing for same has been already provided, part of which will come with Lord Cathcart, For the subsistence money 7437l. 8s. 6d. may be sufficient for him to carry with him in specie, but other charges for provisions, transport, intelligence, &c., will arise which will be uncertain and cannot be depended on “which, as he has heard, was the case under Major General Hill in the year 1711. That the value of each specie of money ought to be so far ascertained as it may be the same with the specie and value in which the body of the troops under Lord Cathcart is to be paid for preventing all occasions of mutiny on their joyning. That be is credibly informed the men in America have an aversion to listing themselves as soldiers, apprehending that they will be engaged for life, therefore to encourage them to take on it will be necessary that his Majesty's proclamation be issued assuring them that such as desire it shall be discharg'd the service and set down again in their respective provinces after the expedition is over.” 1½ pages. [Treasury Board Papers CCCII. No. 34.] http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=91934 ……………………………………………………………………………………………… “America’s First Marines” “By 21 June 1740 Col. William Blakeney had arrived at New York from England with Lieutenants. http://www.marinecorpsgazette-digital.com/marinecorpsgazette/201011?pg=56#pg56 Regiment in Battle of Culloden Moor. 16 April 1746. Blakeney’s Regiment. IRISH …………………………………………………………………………………………… George Osborne Sayles - 1982 - History - 371 pages Col. William Blakeney. A Lt. Col. in the Army— supported Lord Carlisle — and was recommended for a military pension, but it has not yet been granted. ... books.google.com.au/books?isbn=0907628125...