Birth - Alexander Thompson - COMPLETE

[sancti]

Click the map to zoom in

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/284125

[GrandpaT]

MonicaL
I will check out M cert of William Meikle Thomson for details of Alexander, but I don't share yourdoubts about differing occupations.On the contrary springmaking is very much a smithy/forging occupation and now seems to me such a natural transition. What was always niggling away in the back of my mind was how he went from a farming background to engineering which was a big leap of faith.
As to the term Mechanic on his marriage cert, I think of that as no more than a generic term used to describe engineering, maybe even given to impress!
For interest I attach a pic of the Springmaking  shop in GWR Swindon where he worked


Lizci - I really appreciate your offering to visit Damhill, I so want it to be close to Corehouse.
We seem to be nearing our goal
T

[MonicaL]

Great photo...and see 100% what you mean.

Monica

[sancti]

According to the map it is adjacent to Corehouse Farm and looks to be across the road from it

[GrandpaT]

Just checked William Meikle Thomson  mar cert for Alexander occ details and came up trumps!! Alexander occupation shown as Journeyman Engineer.

Euraka seems we are all but there!

T

Many thanks to all that assisted

T

[MonicaL]

Great news!

Monica

[lizci]

Terry - I have managed to take a couple of photos of the Damhill Smithy, or Smiddy (as we say in Scotland!).  I can't promise that it is the same building that was there in 1841, but it is old (unused now), and if a replacement building I would think would have been built on the same spot as the original ... maybe the old building was just "shored up".  I also have some other information which I got from someone living nearby, which I'll send you in a PM.

Monica - thanks for the enumerator's list ... that'll come in very handy for lots of future searching.

Lizci

[LJMcL]

Hi GrandpaT

Just found your post today.  Your Alexander Thomson is my Great Great Grandfather.  He had an illegitimate son, James Gladstone Thomson born 1872, with Jane Gladstone.  She was working as a servant at a farm just down the road from the Damhill Smithy.  I have also been in contact with another of his descendants through his legitimate son Alexander Thomson married to Mary Heggison.  I live in Australia now having moved here from Scotland in 1978.  The other descendant was born in Australia and it is through her mother that the Scottish connection comes from.

Funnily enough we only just recently found out that when he left Scotland he moved to Swindon and that he was working as a spring maker for the railway and had married Rosa and had children - four boys.  We had both been searching for him for ages and couldn't find out where he had disappeared to.

How are you related to Alexander?

I have not really used this site before so I am not sure how to go about finding out what information you already have and what you would like to know about Alexander.  However, it is getting quite late here and I will need to get back to you tomorrow.

[GrandpaT]

Hi

That's quite a development for me given that a couple of weeks ago I was struggling to identify him from all but the sketchiest information. Had a lot of the later detail because it was in living memory.
This Alexander Thomson (and as you probably already know seems there were several) was my Great Grandfather too!.

Best way to catch up is via PM /email - I will PM you

T