Meadowhead, West Calder?

[patannk]

I am helping someone who is researching her Scottish ancestors and she has various documents (going back to 1799) that say the family lived at Meadowhead, West Calder?

We found West Calder on a map, but couldn't find Meadowhead, so wondered if it was the name of a village or perhaps a house or farm?

Her ancestor is John Graham Fairley, who died in 1906, but we are hoping to find some trace of previous generations of the family in West Calder?

 

[rainbowuk]

Hi,

If you go to this site and search for West Calder, then click on "West Calder a Parish in Midlothian",  on the second page of results is a picture of Meadowhead Farm and House.  http://www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/

Susan

[cheekywan]

HI

Meadowhead is part of Addiewll which is a village just outside of West Calder; but it does have close links with West Calder; In fact the address is commonly Addiewell, West Calder.

The name Meadowhead I believe comes from a man who owned the land around that area but I might be wrong.  If you do a google search for Meadowhead, Addiewell you'll find a fair amount of information on it.  The houses I think where originally built to home the shale oil workers employed by Parrafin Young and also Coal Miners; it is very much proud of it's historical links with coal mining.

H

[mosstrooper]

I live near Meadowhead, which as has been said lies beside the A71 near Addiewell, just along the road from West Calder. Meadowhead itself was a Hotel up to the 1980s there is nothing else there, maybe a farm, but that is all.

Someone will be along soon who has access to the records, failing that you can join Scotlandspeople and search yourself.

James.

[patannk]

Many thanks for your help!
It is so great to be able to call on the help of other Rootschatters.

 

I now have a photo of the house and have learned some more about the area around Addiewell.
I also looked at some of the censuses on Ancestry, to see if I could find any Fairleys living there and have, so far,  found some in 1851 and 1861 listed under West Calder.
As you say, the PRs would show the period that the Fairleys were living in the area...

[Cauther Lassie]

Hello,

Meadowhead belonged to the Graham family, the Fairley connected came as the male line had died out, I've got information on the family but would have to dig it out.

The Farmhouse was later turned into a Hotel owned by the Gillespies - I worked there in the 1970's.     

if you check the 1851 census returns for West Calder you'll find John Graham of Meadowhead and details of his family - I also have some burial records for the family.

I have always wondered if John was related to James Graham who was known as the "Laird of Muldron" and had a larger farm in the area.

Hope this helps ...  cheers ... Meg

[patannk]

Many thanks for the info, which I will pass on to the relatives.
Any other info you have on Meadowhead and the Graham & Fairley families would be most welcome!
I did do some checking on Ancestry, in the early censuses, to see who I could find in the West Calder area with the Graham & Fairley surnames. Sadly there are no images to be viewed?

I shall have another look at what I found....I have been chasing other ancestors, more recently.
 

[josey]

You may be able to find it on an old map.

Follow the links in this posting:

http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,351410.0.html

Josey

[patannk]

Many thanks for the map!
How recent/old is it?