Margaret (Walker) Mitchell (1782 - 1866)

Born 1 Jul 1782 in Wards, LKS, Scotland

Ancestors

Wife of James Mitchell — married 1 Feb 1802 in Parish Church, New Monkland, LKS, Scotland

Died 2 Jun 1866 at age 83 in Kilsyth, STI, Scotland

Biography

JAMES MITCHELL & MARGARET WALKER b. b. 1 July 1782 d. Feb 1831 d. 2 June 1866 MARRIED : 1. 02. 1802 at NEW MONKLAND Parish Church

Name : Date of Birth : Where Born : in the Parish of NEW MONKLAND, Lanarkshire

JANET 20. 11. 1802 RIGG JAMES 15. 12. 1804 RIGG MARGARET 26. 11. 1806 RIGG JOHN 29. 11. 1809 RIGG AGNES 01. 02. 1813 RIGG ROBERT 24. 01. 1816 RIGG WILLIAM 09. 02. 1819 RIGG

in the Parish of KIRKINTILLOCH, Dunbartonshire THOMAS 20. 11. 1822 BARRHILL JOHN 10. 01. 1825 BARRHILL

JAMES MITCHELL & MARGARET WALKER are in the fourth generation of family "D" as MARGARET was the sixth child of JAMES WALKER & MARGARET WILSON.

52 JAMES MITCHELL and MARGARET WALKER were married in New Monkland parish church in February1802 by Rev. James Begg who became minister of the parish in 1801. The exact date of their marriage is unclear in the church records. JAMES MITCHELL's age is unknown but MARGARET was 20 when they married.

MARGARET was the 3rd daughter of JAMES WALKER & MARGARET WILSON. As she grew up, she would have known the MITCHELL family who farmed Rigg Farm about 1 mile south of Heathryfauld.

JAMES MITCHELL & MARGARET WALKER had at least 9 children. The first seven children were born at Rigg farm, Riggend in New Monkland Parish. JANET was baptised on 28.11.1802 ; JAMES born 15.12.1804 ; MARGARET born 26.11.1806 ; JOHN born 29.11.1809 - must have died before 1825 ; AGNES born 01.02.1813 ; ROBERT born 24.01.1816 and WILLIAM born 09.02.1819. Two children were born at Barrhill farm, Kirkintilloch Parish, Dunbartonshire. THOMAS born 20.11.1822 and JOHN born 10.01.1825.

Why JAMES MITCHELL and family decided to moved from Rigg farm in Lanarkshire to Barrhill, Dunbartonshire, we can not be sure. Probably seeking work. High inflation in the country at that time would have forced up rents or perhaps his lease had expired. Barrhill and Rigg were similar in size - small farms or steadings with a small acreage of land attached.

The area surrounding Barrhill was owned by the Carron Iron Company of Falkirk. This area of Dunbartonshire was rich in coal and ironstone, both commodities required in Iron manufacture. The Carron Iron Company was famous for producing "Carronade" guns used by Admiral Nelson on his ship HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar. The company produced a wide rage of products and munitions for the government.

No burial records survive for New Monkland Kirk Yard, but research by Lanarkshire Family History Society has revealed information in the Kirk Session Records for the occasional transfer or sale of lairs and the rental of "mortcloths" (coffin drapes). One entry shows the sale of a grave used by the MITCHELL family. This record shows that a JAMES MITCHELL of Riggend was buried here in February, 1831. I believe this is the grave of our JAMES MITCHELL. When MARGARET died in 1866 her daughter had her buried in Kilsyth Cemetery where she and her husband were later buried.

Barrhill had ceased to be a working farm by 1855 when the Ordnance Survey surveyors were preparing the 1st edition of the OS maps. The detailed 25 inch to the mile map shows the old farm steading surrounded by Ironstone mine workings. Most of MARGARET's surviving children had married by this time.

In the 1851 census Margaret MITCHELL, 69, Farmer's Widow, was living and working with her daughter AGNES at Craigmarloch Canal Bridge cottages near Kilsyth. Agnes MITCHELL, Unm, 30 was Bridge Keeper. John CANT, Unm 40, Quarryman, was a Lodger and they had a 14 yr old boy house servant.

Eight days after the 1851 Census, on 8 April 1851 John CANT and Agnes MITCHELL were married at Cumbernauld.

In the 1861 census, MARGARET 80 was Canal Bridge Keeper at Craigmarloch. Her daughter AGNES 40 and son-in-law JOHN CANT were living with her. JOHN was a quarryman. No doubt AGNES assisted her mother with opening and closing the canal bridge.

53 Jim WALKER of Cumbernauld Village researched JAMES & MARGARET's children as follows : JANET - possibly died in 1807 JAMES - married MARY FREELAND on 26.12.1830 MARGARET - married DAVID REID c.1830 JOHN - possibly died in 1816 AGNES - married JOHN CANT on 08.04.1851 at Cumbernauld. ROBERT - married twice (1) ISABELLA RENNIE (2) HELEN McKINLAY on 26.03.1857 WILLIAM - married ELISABETH ANDERSON on 27.09.1844 THOMAS - married MARGARET FALCONER on 26.04.1844 JOHN - married MARION LANG on 01.06.1851

JAMES MITCHELL & MARGARET WALKER had 53 grandchildren from the above marriages.

Sources