4th Great Grandfather
8th Generation
Born - 8 February 1822 - Wallyford, Musselburgh, Scotland
Died - 19 September 1893 - Carriden, Linlithgow, Scotland
Archibald was born in a town called Wallyford, near Musselburgh only 7 miles east of Edinburgh. The village was initially populated by coal miners and a tribute to the miners can be found marked on a stone through the main road (Salters Road) of the village.
Victorian writer Margaret Oliphant was also born in Wallyford, 6 years later, in 1828. Her best-known works were Katie Stewart, The Carlingford Chronicles and Tale of the Seen and Unseen. In total Oliphant wrote more than 120 works, including novels, books of travel and description, histories, and volumes of literary criticism.
By the 1841 census Archibald, along with his parents, and siblings where living in a town called Torphichen. Torphichen is described as a small, picturesque, historical village situated in the gently rolling Torphichen Hills. It is a town from ancient times and there are historical references that refer to it as a village of the Celts. The founding of the town is set in 400 AD The Torphichen Preceptory was the Scottish headquarters of the Knights of St John and was founded in the 12th century but not completed until the 13th century. Sir William Wallace held his last convention of barons here in 1298.
Archibald was one of at least 13 children and at the time of the 1841 census he was the eldest child living at home. Both his younger brother Thomas and himself were coal miners like their father.
Archibald married Janet in 1844. Once again the spelling of Neil has changed. It is is now Macneil, their surname has been spelt differently on every record.
They were married in Carriden and lived, and brought their family up, in that area. Most of Arcihbald’s siblings stayed in the central belt and stayed as miners however I have found emigration records of 2 siblings – Thomas and Beatrice.
Thomas McNeil emigrated in 1863 and settled in Texas
Beatrice married Henry Bonnar and also emigrated. She died in 1899 in Mount Pleasant , Pennsylvania
His brother Robert became a Circus Carter, however something happened to him in his 40’s and he was unable to work and went from Poorhouse to Poorhouse in his later years. Circus’s back then are not like they are now. There are images of elephants walking through Edinburgh in the early 1900s.
By 1861 Archibald and Janet had 6 living children and were living in Cowdenhill, Carriden, West Lothian and by 1871 Archibald was no longer a coal miner but an Iron Stone Miner and my Di’s great grandfather, William Murray McNeill, had been born – he was the first of 3 generations born in Carriden. Archibald and Ann had been married 25 years and were still having children!
In 1881 their address was Borrowstounness, Carriden – double house, big house 3! They must have had a big house to house all the children and all the extended family living nearby.
Archibald was retired in 1891, aged 68 in the 1891 census. He lived to 71 years old and was outlived by his wife. They were married almost 50 years. Everything about their story tells me they were happy. They had a life full of love and family – Archibald even got to enjoy retirement which didn’t happen often back then.
The spelling once again changed on his death certificate although parents name, mother’s maiden names, wives name all show it is the correct person. The spelling is because he was illiterate. Even though Archibald was born 200 years ago I can see he had a happy life.
Son – William Murray McNeill
Wife – Janet Bell
Marie's Genealogy 