Hi Dawn,
Can you check out this family in the 1841 and 1851 census for Ettrick please? James Little,born 1804 Hutton,Dumfriesshire,wife Mary Laidlaw,born 1805? Hawick.He was a shepherd on a farm called Chapelhope and I believe he lived in a cottage called Kercleuch in the Yarrow valley for about 40 years from around 1840.It would be helpful to know who was in the house at the time of the censuses.Also his father,Matthew Little for the 1841 census-a bit of a longshot as he was born 1767-he was alive in a house called Glenkerry in Ettrick(about 3 miles south of Ettrick village )in 1827.Also a shepherd and born in Hutton.
Many thanks,
Oyinda