Martha Jane (Agnew) Killen (1863 - 1915)

Born 8 Dec 1863 in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland

Wife of Peter Killen — married 1886 in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland

Died 21 Nov 1915 at age 51 in Bowmore, Islay, Angus, Scotland

Biography

Martha Jane Agnew was born in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland, on 08 December 1863, the daughter of William Agnew and Jane Keenan.^[1][2][3][4]

In 1865 the Agnew family was living in Church St, Johnstone.^[5]

The 1871 census shows Martha living in one room in Collier St, Johnstone with widowed Mother from Ireland, and William K (15) and John(9) born in Ireland. As Jane was born in Paisley in 1863, they must have moved between 1861 and 1863.^[6] Her father William probably died in 1869. There are two possible records, one in Johnstone, where his mother's maiden name is given as Scott,^[7] and one in Paisley with a mother's maiden name of Coats.^[8]

The 1881 census shows Martha living with her mother and brother John at 10, Collier Street, Paisley Abbey, Johnstone & Elderslie, Renfrewshire.^[9] Martha is listed as a mill worker, probably at the Barbush linen mill on the other side of the Black Cart Water - about half a mile away.

In 1886, Martha married Peter Killen in the registration district of Johnstone and Elderslie^[10].

In 1891 she was living at William Street, Abbey, Johnstone & Elderslie with husband Peter, her mother Jane Agnew, sons Peter(13), William(4), John Thomas(2) and daughters Jane(11) and Sarah(6)^[11]. In other data daughter Jane shows as Jeanie.

Peter's trade is cooper and there is a distillery in Paisley (a short train ride from Johnstone).

By 1901 the family had moved to Bowmore, Argyll,^[12] where Peter is a 'cooper in Distillery'. There is a Bowmore distillery on School Street, so probably the offer of a job there caused the move from Johnstone.

In 1911 the family was still in Bowmore.^[13]

Martha died in 21 Nov 1915^{[14] [15]}. This grave record also shows: John Killen - 30 Jan 1897 Jane Agnew - 29 Jan 1917 Peter Killen - 4 Aug 1929 Jeannie Killen - 13 Dec 1934

Peter and Martha's children were:

• Peter Killen
• Jean Killen
• Sarah Killen
• William Killen
• John Killen

Research Notes

Paisley, Johnstone and Elderslie were all part of the Abbey parish.

Abbey Parish A parish in Renfrewshire until 1898. It was sometimes known as Paisley - Abbey parish or Abbey - Paisley parish, and included part of the town of Paisley (most of which was within Paisley parish). It was a parish for both civil and religious purposes from the sixteenth century until 1898, when it became a part of the parish of Paisley for civil purposes.

Paisley Parish A parish in Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire until 1975. It was sometimes known as Paisley - Burgh parish, to distinguish it from the neighbouring parish of Abbey or Paisley - Abbey. Then parish of Abbey was annexed by Paisley for civil purposes in 1898.

Johnstone Burgh An inhabited place in the parishes of Paisley, Kilbarchan. The status of burgh was abolished in 1975 and Johnstone became part of the Renfrew district in the Strathclyde region. In 1996 Johnstone became part of the Renfrewshire modern council area.

There are 3 dates for Martha Jane on this profile:

• 08 December 1863 - from the original gedcom entry
• 1863 from Find My Past
• 1864 from Scotlands People

The registration of a December 1863 birth in 1864 is not unlikely

Additional information from Scotlands People: Death of mother 1917 ^[16]

Death of husband 1929^[17]

Birth of son Peter ^[18]

Daughter Jane/Jeanie? ^[19]

Daughter Sarah ^[20]

Son William ^[21]

Son John Thomas ^[22]

Gravesite information for Martha, Peter, John, Jeanie and Jane Agnew from BillionGraves https://billiongraves.com/grave/Martha-Agnew-Killen/10192078

Sources

1. ↑ There are 3 dates for Martha Jane on this profile: 08 December 1863 - from the original gedcom entry 1863 from Find My Past 1864 from Scotlands People
2. ↑ "Birth register" database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: accessed 22 Jun 2020, Martha Jane Agnew, female, born in 1864 ; citing registration district Johnstone (Renfrew), Reference Number: 559/3 11
3. ↑ "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950", database, FamilySearch (12 February 2020), Martha Jane Agnew, 1863. Scotland Births & Baptisms 1564-1950 First name(s) Martha Jane Last name Agnew Gender Female Birth year 1863 Birth place Abbey Paisley,Renfrew,Scotland Baptism year - Baptism date - Baptism place - Father's first name(s) William Father's last name Agnew Mother's first name(s) Jane Mother's last name Keenan Place Abbey Paisley County Renfrewshire Country Scotland Record set Scotland Births & Baptisms 1564-1950 Category Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records Subcategory Parish Baptisms Collections from Scotland, Great Britain
4. ↑ "Scottish General Register Office: 1871 Census Returns database, FreeCEN" (viewed 23 May 2020), Martha AGNEW in household of Jane AGNEW, Collier Street, Johnstone, Abbey (Paisley), Renfrewshire, Scotland; from 1871 "England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images; citing The National Archives RG 10/559, Folio 0, Page 6, Schedule 29, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
5. ↑ 1865 valuation rolls AGNEW, WILLIAM, Tenant Occupier, HOUSE CHURCH STREET, JOHNSTONE, ABBEY, 1865, VR011400011-
6. ↑ "Scottish General Register Office: 1871 Census Returns database, FreeCEN" (viewed 23 May 2020), Martha AGNEW in household of Jane AGNEW, Collier Street, Johnstone, Abbey (Paisley), Renfrewshire, Scotland; from 1871 "England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images; citing The National Archives RG 10/559, Folio 0, Page 6, Schedule 29, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
7. ↑ "Death register" database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: accessed 7 Jun 2020, William Agnew, died in 1869 aged 40, mother's maiden name Scott; citing registration district Johnstone (Renfrew), Reference Number: 559/3 96
8. ↑ "Death register" database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: accessed 7 Jun 2020, William Agnew, died in 1869 aged 40, mother's maiden name Coats; citing registration district Paisley Middle and Low Parishes, Reference Number: 573/2 443
9. ↑ FindMyPast "1881 England, Wales & Scotland Census," database with images, (accessed 20 Jun 2020), Registration district Johnstone & Elderslie ; Collections from Great Britain, Scotland; Martha Agnew, Daughter, Unmarried, female, Age 17, Birth Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Occupation Mill Worker, Address: 10 Collier Street, Johnstone, Parish Paisley Abbey, Renfrewshire, Scotland
10. ↑ "Marriage register" database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: accessed 13 Jun 2020, Martha Agnew married Peter Killen in 1886; citing registration district Johnstone and Elderslie, Reference Number: 559/3 69
11. ↑ First name(s) Martha Last name Killen Relationship Wife Marital status Married Sex Female Age 26 Birth year 1865 Birth town Johnstone Birth county Renfrewshire Birth county as transcribed RENFREWSHIRE Birth place Scotland Birth place other as transcribed SCOTLAND Occupation - Street William Street Town Johnstone Parish Abbey City - County Renfrewshire Country Scotland Registration district Johnstone & Elderslie Archive reference - Piece number - Folio - Page - Record set 1891 England, Wales & Scotland Census Category Census, land & surveys Subcategory Census Collections from Great Britain, Scotland

    First name(s)	Last name	Relationship	Marital status	Sex	Age	Birth year	Occupation	Birth place
    Peter	Killen	Head	Married	Male	30	1861	Cooper	Campbeltown, Argyllshire, Scotland
    Martha	Killen	Wife	Married	Female	26	1865	-	Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland
    Jane	Agnew	Mother-In-Law	Widow	Female	50	1841	-	Ireland
    Peter	Killen	Son	-	Male	3	1888	-	Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland
    Jeanie	Killen	Daughter	-	Female	1	1890	-	Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland

12. ↑ First name(s) Martha Last name Killen Relationship Wife Marital status Married Sex Female Age 37 Birth year 1864 Birth town Johnstone Birth town as transcribed JOHNSTONE Birth place Scotland Birth place other as transcribed SCOTLAND Birth county Renfrewshire Birth county as transcribed RENFREWSHIRE Occupation - House name - House number - Street School Street Town - Parish Killarrow Country Scotland County Argyllshire Municipal ward - Registration district Bowmore Other household member first name(s) Jane, John, Peter, Sarah, William Other household member last name Agnew, Killen Archive reference RG13 Piece number - Folio - Page - Record set 1901 England, Wales & Scotland Census Category Census, land & surveys Subcategory Census Collections from Great Britain, Scotland

    First name(s)	Last name	Relationship	Marital status	Sex	Age	Birth year	Occupation	Birth place
    Peter	Killen	Head	Married	Male	40	1861	Cooper In Distillery	Campbeltown, Argyllshire, Scotland
    Martha	Killen	Wife	Married	Female	37	1864	-	Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland
    Peter	Killen	Son	-	Male	13	1888	Scholar	Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland
    Jane	Killen	Daughter	-	Female	11	1890	Scholar	Johnstone, Renfrewshire, Scotland
    Sarah	Killen	Daughter	-	Female	6	1895	Scholar	Argyllshire, Scotland
    William	Killen	Son	-	Male	4	1897	-	Argyllshire, Scotland
    John Thomas	Killen	Son	-	Male	2	1899	-	Argyllshire, Scotland
    Jane	Agnew	Mother-In-Law	Widow	Female	65	1836	Sempstress	Ireland

    https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=GBC/1901/0035927908
13. ↑ "Census " database 1911, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: accessed 13 Jun 2020, Martha Killen, female, age 47 ; citing registration district Bowmore or Kilarrow,Argyll Reference Number: 536/ 1/ 7
14. ↑ "Death register" database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: accessed 7 Jun 2020, Martha Killen, died in 1915 aged 52; citing registration district Bowmore or Kilarrow, Reference Number: 536/ 33
15. ↑ Grave record for Martha Agnew Killen (Died: 21 Nov 1915), BillionGraves Record 10192078 Bowmore, Argyll and Bute, Scotland, United Kingdom
16. ↑ "Death register" database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: accessed 13 Jun 2020, Jane Agnew, died in 1917 aged 75; citing registration district Bowmore or Kilarrow, Reference Number: 536/ 5
17. ↑ "Death register" database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: accessed 13 Jun 2020, Peter Killen, died in 1929 aged 74; citing registration district Bowmore or Kilarrow, Reference Number: 536/ 13
18. ↑ "Birth register" database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: accessed 13 Jun 2020, Peter Killen, male, born in 1887 ; citing registration district Johnstone and Elderslie, Reference Number: 559/3 206
19. ↑ "Birth register" database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: accessed 13 Jun 2020, Jane Killen, female, born in 1889 ; citing registration district Linwood, Reference Number: 568/2 65
20. ↑ "Birth register" database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: accessed 13 Jun 2020, Sarah Killen, female, born in 1894 ; citing registration district Bowmore or Kilarrow, Reference Number: 536/ 43
21. ↑ "Birth register" database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: accessed 13 Jun 2020, William Killen, male, born in 1896 ; citing registration district Bowmore or Kilarrow, Reference Number: 536/ 46
22. ↑ "Birth register" database, National Records of Scotland, ScotlandsPeople (https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/: accessed 13 Jun 2020, John Thomson Killen, male, born in 1898 ; citing registration district Bowmore or Kilarrow, Reference Number: 536/ 16

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