On 23rd January 1803 my 4xG grandparents John Brown and Janet Sneddon Gibb married in Bo'ness. Their son Walter, my 3xG grandfather was named after Janet's father and the Sneddon part of her name comes from her mother. There was a lot of intermarrying in Bo'ness between my Brown, Gibb and Sneddon families.
John like his son Walter was a blacksmith and two of his sons, Thomas and Alexander, despite commencing their working lives as shoemakers, it seems, from their wills ended up owning businesses, shops and properties all over Bo'ness. Alas on their deaths, all this would bypass my 3xG grandfather Walter and go to his sister Janet Gibb Brown and the children and in-laws of Thomas and Alexander.
My 4xG grandparents John and Janet, their sons, Thomas and Alexander and Alexander's wife, Janet Cuthill, lie buried together in Bo'ness where their monument still exists and which I was lucky enough to visit last summer.
On 23rd January 1852, Janet Pate, the 5th child of my 3xG grandparents John Pate and Isabella Scott married in Linlithgow. On the previous years census, Robert is listed as a Lodger at the house of Janet's mother so it's easy to see how they met. Like my above Browns, Janet's parents have a memorial in Linlithgow and once again I paid my respects last year. On a lovely sunny day I stood and wondered about their lives and also wondered if they were aware their 3xG grandson was visiting.
On 23rd January 1886, Janet, the last of my GG grandparents, Peter Wardlaw and Janet Brown's (daughter of Walter) children was born in South Street Armadale. She was known as Jennie and was 11 years younger than her nearest sibling and 22 years younger than her eldest, my great grandfather, George.
On the 1901 census she is at home aged 15 with her father and is listed as a housekeeper. Her mother is missing and I fear already in Larbert Lunatic Asylum, where she would die two years later. I have yet to find out why she was there.
South Street has played some part in the comings and goings of my family. Jennie was born at number 40, my grandmother was born at number 41, my GG grandfather, John Tweedie died at number 20 and his wife, Rachel Brown (no relation to the aforementioned Browns) died at number 21.
