Roots


High Street, Paisley, 1900


Mainstreet, Coatbridge, Lanarkshire, 1904

I have been researching my family on my mother's side and have discovered the following:

A great, great grandmother on my mother's side was named Grace Brogan. She was born in Ireland in about 1839. Her family migrated at some point to Scotland. By 1871 Grace was married to Bernard Rice who was also originally from Ireland. They lived in Old Monkland, Lanarkshire, Scotland. Census records seem to indicate that Bernard worked in a "lab". Not sure what that would mean in a place that made thread and textiles, and had iron foundries and coal mines. In 1872, My great grandmother, Bridget, was born. By 1881, Bernard no longer appears in the Census. Perhaps he died or ran away...Grace now lives with her brother John Brogan at 46, Close, Paisley, Scotland. Her children include my great grandmother Bridget and her siblings Bernard, Catherine, Ellen, James, Mary and Susan.

By 1891, Bridget is living with her sister Mary and Mary's Husband James Mclear at 176 Inkermans Rows in Paisley. She is a millworker. Also living in the house is Bridget's sister Ellen, and her nieces and nephews Mary, Patrick and Kate.

By 1901, Bridget was married to my great grandfather William Hamil. William was born in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire in 1871. They lived at 77 George Street in Paisley. William Hamil's occupation was brickfield Labourer. Family lore has him as a foreman in a textile factory who fell into a vat of dye and drowned. Hmmm..certainly more romantic than brickfield laborer. Bridget has three children at this point, my grandfather Michael who is four years old, William, aged 6, and Sarah, aged 8.

That is pretty much all the verified stuff I have. I do know that my grandfather Michael married my grandmother Frances Howe in Glamorgan, Wales. Family history has my grandmother living in a rooming house for miners run by her mother, where my grandfather was renting a room (or more probably a bed). After Frances and Michael married, my grandfather moved to Scranton, PA to work the coal mines there, followed a year later by my grandmother with my uncles Bill and Mike. My mother, Violet Sarah, was born in Scranton. Grandma Hamil's mother's name was Frances O'Leary before she married Albert Howe. Grandma Hamil was born in Bedminster, Bristol.

SO, seems we are Irish Irish Irish, although we have been brought up believing we are Scottish and Welsh as much as English and Irish. Rice, Brogan, and O'Leary, Irish families all! I look at my Kate and her face has "the map of Ireland" on it. BFI's mother is Irish, so of course that may have contributed...but I see my Brogan, Rice and O'Leary ancestors in that beautiful little face now!

I think this may be a somewhat boring read for non-family, but I'm hoping other "family" members doing geneology searches, might come across this post and connect. Off to look for photos to post!

363. Gloomy Winter’s Now Awa’

GLOOMY winter’s now awa’,
Saft the westlan’ breezes blaw,
’Mang the birks o’ Stanley-shaw
The mavis sings fu’ cheerie, O!
Sweet the crawflower’s early bell 5
Decks Gleniffer’s dewy dell,
Blooming like thy bonnie sel’,
My young, my artless dearie, O!

Come, my lassie, let us stray
O’er Glenkilloch’s sunny brae, 10
Blithely spend the gowden day
’Midst joys that never weary, O!
Towering o’er the Newton wuds,
Laverocks 1 fan the snaw-white cluds,
Siller saughs, 2 wi’ downy buds, 15
Adorn the banks sae briery, O!

Round the sylvan fairy nooks
Feath’ry breckans 3 fringe the rocks,
’Neath the brae the burnie jouks, 4
And ilka 5 thing is cheerie, O! 20
Trees may bud, and birds may sing,
Flowers may bloom, and verdure spring,
Joy to me they canna bring,
Unless wi’ thee, my dearie, O!

Note 1. Larks. [back]
Note 2. Silver willows. [back]
Note 3. Brakes. [back]
Note 4. Dodges. [back]
Note 5. Each. [back]

Robert Tannahill (1774–1810)