Thomas Chalmers & Margaret Smith

[moo]

Just had a thought with regards to

"I wonder what impelled Sutherlands from Caithness to move to Bathgate?"

Could it have had anything to do with the clearances ?

Regards
Moo

[Forfarian]

Yes, it could, though in the case of my cousin's family it was a bit later than the clearances, and their parents stayed put in Caithness all their lives, so I had more or less discounted that as far as they were concerned.

My puzzlement is not so much why they left Caithness, as why they chose Bathgate to settle in.

[Forfarian]

What do we reckon.....

Good find. There is a baptism of Jane on 25 September 1841, who is a close match for Jean aged 10, and Margaret could be the second Margaret listed under the first family.

[moo]

http://www.scottish-places.info/towns/townfirst259.html

The above states that in the 1870's Bathgate was Booming Economically.

Regards
Moo


Becky - we would have to sort things out via personal email, give me a pm with yours and I will send over what I have.

[Forfarian]

http://www.scottish-places.info/towns/townfirst259.html
The above states that in the 1870's Bathgate was Booming Economically.

Yes, that was the time of the West Lothian shale oil industry, just a few years after my cousin's grandfather and great-uncle, and your Robert, moved there.

[moo]

1841 Census

Robert Sutherland Age:   5
Address:   W Helmsdale

Household Members:   
Name   Age
James Sutherland   40
Donald Sutherland   1
Mary Sutherland   30
Margret Sutherland   7

Regards Moo