Thank you Gadget and thank you Wul,
I have traced the family in all the census records and all the birth, marriage and death records and the OPRs. Wul, I believe that the Janet Clark in the 1851 census who is listed as "servant" must be my great -great grandmother. I have thought about it for years and she is the only one it could possibly be. Gadget, you asked about the other census records. In the 1861 census Janet Clark is listed with her husband Thomas McBride and their children John (5), Grace (3) and Arthur (1) in Maxwelltown.
In 1871 they were living in New Abbey and they have 3 more sons William, Thomas and Robert. And in the 1881 census they are on Burnfoot road in the Parish of New Abbey and they now have a daughter Bridget. In this census Janet is listed as having been born in Locharbriggs. And in the 1891 census an additional Janet McBride (my grandmother) is listed. This Janet is the daughter of Grace McBride (my great grandmother) who is still living with her parents in Carsethorn. Janet, the granddaughter, was baptised at Sweetheart Abbey. In the 1901 census the elder Janet Clark McBride is listed with her daughter Bridget and son William and granddaughter Janet McBride. Thomas McBride, the husband, died in 1893 and Grace McBride died in 1896. In 1902 Janet, Bridget and 12 year old Janet were passengers on the Saxonia to Boston and they went to live in Chicago where the elder Janet's sons Thomas, Arthur and Robert were living. John, the eldest son, had died in Chicago in 1893.
I have the baptism or birth records for the children of Thomas McBride and Janet Clark and Locharbriggs is mentioned as the birthplace of Janet Clark on some of them. I do NOT have the marriage of Thomas McBride and Janet Clark and I have looked for it. I suspect part of the problem is that he was Catholic and she was not. On her children's birth records she gives different dates for the marriage but they all indicate that it took place in Dumfries.
Thomas McBride (Janet's husband) immigrated from Co Tyrone to Dumfries some time before 1851.
Gadget, you mentioned the baptism of Isabella Clark. In my notes I show I had noted that Isabella was the illegitimate daughter of Isabella Clark who had died before the baptism of her daughter and her brother John Clark stood sponsor at the baptism. Born 24 Mar 1836.
Now to get back to Locharbriggs... I saw in the 1841 census another family of Clarks (James, Mary and family) living there and I wondered if Thomas, Jean, Janet and Isabella could have been their children. It was the only other Clark family that I found in the area. One marriage I found that may pertain to John, the son of James and Mary, who were living in Locharbriggs in 1841:
12 Jul 1855
John Clark (26) b. Currestaves, Troqueer Accountant f= Jas Clark farmer m=Mary Bell
b.23 Mar 1829 Locharbriggs
Sarah Ann Gibson sp Duncow, Kirkmahoe f=John Erksine Gibson (deceased) m=Sarah Kirkpatrick
m. at W Duncow p of Kirkmahoe
David Hogg, minister
Incidentally the names Bridget, Arthur and Thomas come from the McBride side of the family. I have no idea where the names Grace, William, Robert and John come from.
Lastly I wanted to comment on the Thomas Clark in the 1851 Edinburgh census. Yes, I think he may have been from the Locharbrigg Clark family.
I think I have run out of room. Thank you Gadget and Wul for your input. I appreciate your suggestions.
Martha Parker
