4 x Great Grandfather

8th Generation

Born - 1838 - Carriden, Linlithgow
Died - 12th November 1887 - Carriden, Linlithgow

I can’t find a record of Wiliam’s birth although all the census records show he was born in linlithgowshire. By the 1841 census he is 3 years old and living with his mother and 3 other women and their children. His mother and the other women were all coal bearers. A coal bearer, is usually a woman or girl, who carried the coal either on their back or in baskets from the workings to the shaft, and in many cases up the shaft on ladders to the surface of the coal mine.

They were living at Cowdenhill, Carriden William’s mother was 40 years old.

Although William is person number 30 of this story, he is the first person not to have any siblings and maybe the first person that’s parents weren’t together! This also makes it harder to find him in any records, I have no record that his parents were ever married.

In the 1851 census William is living with auntie and uncle (David and Margaret Nicolson) and their 5 children. They are living in Grangepans which is also part of Carriden. John Nicolson, a Chelsea pensioner was also living at the address. He more than likely, due to his age, took part in the Napoleonic wars.

In the 1861 census William is 22 and living as a boarder at Kinglassie cottage in Boness. He is living with Thomas Ferguson and Christine Ferguson. Ferguson was his future wives mother’s maiden name therefore I believe he would have been living with a family member until the wedding.

William married Janet Hamilton at Carriden Manse when he was 22 years old, only 6 months after the census record. The witnesses were Richard Hamilton (who become his brother in law and Marion Lumsden) . Sadly he had already lost his mother. William was illiterate however his wife was not.

In 1871 William and Janet had been married almost 10 years, they had 5 children. They also had Thomas Hamilton, nephew, living with them. 10 years later there were 8 children in the family. William had definitely made up from being an only child! All of his children led long and happy lives, 3 of the 8 children emigrated to Ohio and Canada.

William’s death certificate has him at 54 years old – he was in fact only 49 years. He left behind many children, his youngest being only 7 at the time. My 3 x Great grandmother Janet Ferguson Birnet being only 16 – she was the one that moved from Carriden to Buckhaven, to the very street I grew up in!!

Endocarditis is a rare and potentially fatal infection of the inner lining of the heart (the endocardium). It’s most commonly caused by bacteria entering the blood and travelling to the heart.

Daughter – Janet Ferguson Birnet

Wife – Janet Hamilton