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This rings a vague bell, I know my great-grandfather William Watt and his father John Watt at one time gained some property in Maxwellton. The circumstances were unclear, but it seemed to involve one William Montgomery giving it to them in return for which they were to look after his wife after his death. My great grandfather was a boy of about 10 at the time, so it seemed that perhaps William Montgomery had married a much younger wife in later life. So I did look into the houses at Maxwellton a bit and I think Thomas Watt came into it somewhere. I'll try and find the notes I have about it.

John and William Watt were farmers but they just rented their farms from possibly the Earls of Eglinton. So it was very odd that they also owned property. A professional genealogist whom I discussed it with also thought it was a very odd situation.

I also have the sister of that John Watt, Janet Watt(1788-1875), marrying Alexander Aitkenhead (1784/5-1856) who is described as a provision merchant in Glasgow, and they had at least one son, named Thomas. Alexander's parents were another Alexander Aitkenhead and Agnes Young.

John Watt also had a brother Thomas Watt(1792-1879) who married Janet Reid(1792/3-1860) who was the sister of John Watt's own wife, Agnes Reid(1790-1876) - yes, it was two brothers marrying two sisters!

As the father of John, Janet and Thomas was called Allan Watt (maried to Mary Naismith), as you might expect, the eldest son of both John and Thomas was called Allan. So I suspect your Thomas Watt in Maxwellton was some kind of cousin.

I'll try and find my notes about Thomas Watt weaver in Maxwellton. The Sasine records in the Scottish Archives were very informative.

Ann

Hi Sally,

I am descended from a Rebecca Cockburn (or Cobrun in her marriage in Hamilton in 1807) who married George Frame. Their daughter Jane or Jean Frame who I think was born in Dalserf/Larkhall in 1816 was my gg-grandmother and married James Golder. I have had difficulty finding Cockburn records and I think this is because they were not Church of Scotland and the records of the Blackswell church or chapel in Hamilton which was some kind of Free Church have not survived. It is told that Jane used to walk from Larkhall to Hamilton to attend church and that she went barefoot until she had crossed the last burn after which she put her shoes on!
I have a theory that the Cockburns were descended from a Writer (ie solicitor) Patrick Cockburn in Hamilton about a hundred years earlier, but because they had deserted the Established Church very few records have survived. I would be interested to hear if you have discovered anything else. Going on what I have been able to piece together from the children's names, I think it possible that Rebecca's parents were William Cockburn and Jane, but it is all guesswork!

Anni

I am trying to trace the ancestors of Henry Conway who was born in 1864 in Flintshire and married Ann Jones (from Ffestiniog) in Toxteth Park, Liverpool in 1886.
Henry was born in Llanasa, the son of Robert Conway and (another) Ann Jones (from Eglwysbach). From Robert and Ann's marriage certificate of 1844, Robert's father was David and Ann's father was William. I have found Henry Conway in the 1871 Census living in "Village", Whitford, civil parish: Gwespyr, Ecclesiastical parish: Llanasa. (I'm a bit confused by this as I thought Whitford was a separate parish. I don't know what the difference is between Civil and Ecclesiastical parishes as I thought they were all ecclesiastical by definition.) Anyway, in 1871, Henry is aged 6 and is living with his parents Robert, aged 51, and Ann Conway, aged 47, and older brothers William and Owen Conway. I found Robert Conway aged 20 in the 1841 Census, living with his 60-year old parents David and Elizabeth Conway, plus a sister Ruth, aged 24, in Clomendy, Gronant, Llanasa. I have found the marriage of David Conway and Elizabeth Griffith on Sept 13, 1802 in Llanasa. David and Elizabeth also appear in the 1851 and 1861 censuses, aged 71 and 73 in 1851, and 85 and 86 in 1861. (They were 88 and 91 when they died!) I found a possible birth for David Conway in Llanasa in 1780, where his parents are given as Robert Conway and Mary Edwards. Robert Conway and Mary Edwards were married in Llanasa on May 3rd 1773.
However I have not been able to find a baptism for this Robert. Nor have I been able to find a baptism for Elizabeth Griffith the wife of David Conway, whose birthplace is given as Whitford.
Is anyone else researching these families?
Thanks,

Ann