4th Great Grandmother

8th Generation

Born - Abt 1837 - Airdrie, Scotland
Died - 26th August 1916, Barnhill Poorhouse, Glasgow

Elizabeth was born around 1837 in Airdrie to James Madden (weaver) and Margaret Colvin, at the age of 4 years old she was living in Nelson Street, Gorbals. There was also 2 Irish people living with them, which I believe, gives the family an Irish connection. Elizabeth was the eldest siblings with 2 younger sister Agnes and Margrete and 3 youngers brother, John, James and Robert.

In the 1830’s Airdrie was known for it’s weaving industry. Airdrie Weavers Society had been founded in 1781 and flax was being grown in sixteen farms in and around the burgh. Weaving continued to flourish making up a substantial part of the population of over 2,500 around the turn of the 19th century. Given its large number of weavers, its geographic location and a large number of unemployed soldiers following the end of the Napoleonic Wars, Airdrie became a major centre of support for the Radical War of 1820. The rapid pace of population growth continued and by 1821 there were 4,862 inhabitants. By a private Act of Parliament, Airdrie became a free and independent Burgh of Barony.

The Madden family in the 1851 census is below, the Irish family that lived with them in 1841 were now their neighbours.

The enormous growth in population was not due to high birthrate, but instead due to an influx of residents from the Highlands and predominantly Ireland. This followed the Highland clearances and potato famine, it also reflected the change from cottage industry to heavy industry in the area. Most of the Irish immigrant population were involved with mining and labouring. The family were living in 103 Reid Street, Calton (See census record above) Elizabeth was 14 years old and a Back Flyer In A Cotton Mill. Handloom weavers, like her father, had been on the decline for over a decade but it seems like the family staying in the industry only now in factories.

The Cotton Mills Act of 1819 required that no child under the age of nine could be employed in the mills, nor could anyone under the age of sixteen be required to work more than sixteen hours in a day. These figures, along with the image above shows the amount of children that worked in the cotton mills. The smaller the children the better as they could then get in between the machines.

Elizabeth had lost her brother Robert when he was only 2 years old – cause of death unknown. This was in 1857 therefore Elizabeth would have been around 20. He is buried in the Eastern Necropolis, Glasgow.

In 1860 Elizabeth had married William Beatty and in 1865 her sister Agnes married Thomas Lamond. Thomas Lamond was also a weaver, they were married for 20 years. Agnes died “about 45 years old”. The information below tells us that Elizabeth, her sister, not only couldn’t write her name but she didn’t know when her sister was born! Agnes had phthisis, a wasting disease, for several years which again is scary information as 4 years earlier she was still having children!

It wasn’t until 1874 that her other sister Margrete married. Unfortunately Margaret died in childbirth the year after she was married. Elizabeth lost both her sisters young

By 1901 Elizabeth was widow and living 368 Great Eastern Road with her son Hugh aged only 19 who was working at the Iron Works. 10 years later, in the 1911 census Elizabeth was still living in the same house just this time she was alone.

The likelihood is Elizabeth spent her last days in the Poorhouse as she was too poorly to look after herself, the poorhouse was a place that people when to die when their family could no longer look after them. We know that Elizabeth moved to Whitevale Street before her death and only spend a short time in the poorhouse. Her son Hunter lived nearby, on Duke Street and was there to sign her death certificate – her family didn’t abandon her!

Elizabeth lived until 79 years old and we know that at least 5 of her 8 children outlived her and at least 3 of those emigrated.

Husband – William Beattie

Daughter – Margaret Beattie