Notes

Letter received through the E mail  Sept 20 2003.
       August 25, 1971

 


Dear Mrs. Douglas,

 
    My son, C.W. Kilpatrick, has given me a Photostat of your letter to him dated August 2nd. You say "As far as I know, I have no relatives and would like to feel that I did."�
    I can assure you there are plenty of your relatives in this country. The closest relative to you are three second cousins. They are grandchildren of the sister of your Grandfather, Caroline Easton Macfie who married George Barbour of Bolesworth. Mr. And Mrs. George Barbour had a daughter, Caroline Elizabeth who married George F. Barbour Simpson and they had three children now living.
     The only son, Rudolf Barbour Simpson, must be about 70 years old. He is a retired schoolmaster and is married with two or three children I think. He lives near Malvern in England. The elder daughter, Caroline W. is the widow of Ian Black. She lives in Edinburgh. She is a great friend of my wife and was one of my wife’s bridesmaids at our wedding. This is because of her friendship with my wife and not because of her relationship with myself. Carol (as she is usually known) has no children. Their other daughter is Margaret who married Fred Root. He is now retired but was a Civil Servant before retiring. They live in Haslemere in Surrey, England. They have two daughters, one of whom married last summer.
    I do not know how distant you consider that relatives go. I am a fourth cousin of yours. My grandmother was Janet Marshall Macfie who married Walter Bigger Blaikie. Her grandmother was Janet Marshall, the second wife of William Macfie of Langhouse (1776 - 1854) who was the elder brother of John Macfie (1783 - 1852) who was your great- great- grandfather. I know of at least six other fourth cousins of yours in this country who are still living. All of these have children.

    I have three children and five grand children. I am 66 years old.

    In addition there is still living Catherine Mary Peploe (born July 29, 1897) daughter of Claud Macfie of Gogar Burn who was born in 1822. There is no typing error in those dates. He was 75 years old when she was born! Claud Macfie was a first cousin of your great-grandfather and so Catherine was a second cousin of you grandfather.
Catherine has at least two, and I think three children.
    As well as the Peploe children, I know of at least four Third cousins of your father, still living.
    Since you are evidently in publishing, you may be interested to know that one of your fourth cousins (Marjorie Macintyre) married the author Eric Linklater. They are both alive and have a family. Eric Linklater is well known in this country as an author. I do not know how well known in the United States.
    You say you have the entire family tree. I know of two versions. The first is the Tables at the end of the book "John Macfie of Edinburgh and his family "� which I gather you are trying to obtain. This only goes down to the generation of your grandfather and my grandmother.
    The second version is a single sheet which has a number of names in the next generation. This chart was prepared  by my great-grandfather John Macfie helped by his son-in-law, my grandfather Walter Bigger Blaikie. This contains information up to December 1878. It does not mention your father.
    A relative of ours, Dr G. Marcus Greig is trying to bring the Macfie family tree up to date. He is a fourth cousin to  you and a step-second cousin to me. He is being helped by an American cousin who has done some research into  family matters at the British Museum, London. I don’t know what her name is but I think she comes from one of  your Eastern States. It would be a great help to them if you could give dates of birth, death and marriage, together  with the names of husband or wife for your immediate relations. I have your grandfather Robert Andrew Macfie,  born September 9, 1854, died January 27, 1925, married Pauline Keeting (but with no date). You tell me that your father was Robert Francis Macfie and your uncle was Douglas Arthur Macfie. You are Auriel Macfie (Mrs. Douglass).
      Have you any brothers or sisters.
     You are evidently not in touch with the Macfie relations in this country. I hope you won’t be offended by the  story that my aunt (aged 88) told me only last month about your grandfather.
    She said that he went to South America and when there did a thing that was so terrible that his photograph was taken out of all the family photograph albums and he was never mentioned again.
    What was this terrible thing? It was that he married a Roman Catholic!
    It wouldn't have mattered if he had an affair with a Catholic, and even had several illegitimate children. His  crime was that he married the girl!!
  It is such a good story and throws such a light of the Free Church attitudes of the very strict Victorian Macfies, that I am worried that you will tell me that you knew Pauline Keeting and that she wasn't a Catholic.
      You write that you have the family tree back to the early 1600's. Do you go further back than Robert Macfie, born about 1680, died about 1749 who was married to Mary Lyon. Dr. Marcus Greig told me that his facts went back to the early 1600's, but when he checked his details they only went back to this man.
  The year 1615 is a critical year. Can you get back to that date. For centuries before that the Macfies or Macduffies  as they were sometimes called were seneschals or major-domos to the Lords of the Isles. There are genealogies of  they available. They lived in the Island of Colonsay and the adjacent island of Oransay off the west coast of  Scotland. About the year 1600 the Macdonalds obtained these islands (an Irish branch of the Macdonalds) and in  1615 the Macfies were almost all murdered. We know that we are descended from these Macfies of Colonsay, but  nobody has found the connection between Robert Macfie (born about 1680) and the earlier Macfies. Can you provide  the link?
    Will you please keep in touch with me so that you can get a copy of the results obtained by Dr Marcus Greig, to  whom I am sending a copy of this letter, and his American cousin. I don't  know whether they will produce a book  or merely an up-to-date family tree but no doubt if you are interested in family matters you would like to have a copy of what they find.
     I have a second cousin on the Blaikie side of the family who lives in Whittier, close to Los Angeles. He is very  interested in the Blaikie side of the family. I imagine that the relationship is too remote to be of interest to you since  I am only a fourth cousin of yours. There is precisely the same relationship through a Mrs. Helen Anderson. Two of  my Blaikie relations (my grandfather and my mother's  first cousin) married Macfie relations.

 

                                                                      Yours sincerely,

                                                                       (Peter J.W. Kilpatrick)

Mrs. Auriel Douglas
Price, Stern & Sloan (Publishers) Inc.
410 North La Cienega Boulevard
Los Angeles
California 90048




West Kilbride

Notes  transcribed from  publication
"A topographical description of the southern division of Scotland"
by George Alexander Cooke, circa 1850

The Parish of West Kilbride is situated on the Firsth of Clyde, eighteen miles from g Glasgow;and is six miles in length and three miles in breath; and contains 162 houses, and 795 inhambitants viz 355 males and 440 females; of whom 477 were returned by the late population act, as being employed in agricultures and 258 in tade and manufcature. this parish extending along the Clyde, forms part of the range of hills, which commence at Greenock, and strech through Ayrshire. The raising of flax in the principal object with the farmer. From  a hill in this parish, composed of corse granite, mill stones are made, which are very durable and in so great repute as to be exported to America and the West Indies.


West kilbride Picture to follow ASAP
 

West Kilbride is a village, in the parish of its name and district of Cunningham, 73 miles wsw from Edinburgh, 30 sw from Glasgow, 24 ssw from Paisley, the like distance n from Ayr, 22 s from Greenock, 19 sw from Kilmarnock, 12 n from Irvine, 7½ s from Largs, 7 sw from Dalry, 5 n from Saltcoats, and the like distance s from Fairlie, and 4 nw from Ardrossan; situate in a hollow, surrounded on all sides by rising grounds, which on the west protect it from the keen sea breezes, and on the opposite aspect from easterly winds.  The scenery around is bold and romantic, intersperced with several genteel handsome residences.  The ruins of Law castle and of Portencross are in the immediate vicinity of the village, and are both objects of interest to the curious in architectural relics.  The principal employment of the inhabitants is weaving, in which about one hundred and forty looms are engaged; there is also a manufactory for charcoal, and a mill for grinding the article.  In population and extent the village has materially increased within the recollection of many persons; in the former respect it has augmented more than two-fold in the progress of the last thirty years. The places of worship are the parish church, and a small chapel in connection with the united associate synod.  The parochial school, a most useful institution, affords education upon very moderate terms to those who are enabled to pay, and gratuitously to such as are not blessed with the means of doing so; there is likewise a parochial library.  The parish extends six miles along the shore of the Firth of Clyde, and inland from two to three miles.  The district, independent of the ruins already mentioned, possessed other attractive vestiges of antiquity; and it is worthy of remark that, off the sea line of the parish, one of the largest vessels composing the Spanish Armarda remains sunk to ten fathoms water: an attempt was made about eighty five years since, to examine the internal condition of this ship, and the operation succeeded so far that a piece of ordinance was raised from her bulk. Post Office, William Hunter, Post master - Letters from Saltcoats, Glasgow &c arrive every forenoon at eleven, and are despatched every afternoon at two - Letters from Largs, &c arrive every afternoon at one, and are despatched every afternoon at twenty minutes before two. 

     GENTRY AND CLERGY

Alexander, Major Alexander,  Carlung Alexander, the Misses,  Carlung Boyd, Miss Marion,  Orchard Cranford, John, Esq of Auchenames Cranford, Miss,  Portencross Findlay, Rev Thomas,  Manse Fullarton, Lieut. John of Overtown Hindman, John Blair, Esq  Springside , George McMurdo, Esq,  Seamill cottage Hunter, Robert, Esq,  of Hunterstone Hunter, Robert, Esq,  of Kirkland Love, Mrs Janet, Hall hill Richie, Francis C, Esq Kirktown hall Spiers, John Esq,  Surgeon Wark, David, Esq,  Portencross 

      ACADEMIES AND SCHOOLS

Campbell, Margaret Craig, William Parochial School, William Smith, master 

      INNKEEPERS AND VINTERS

Gray, Hannah and Ann Hughs, Edward King, John  (Cranford's Arms) Muir, Eliz.  (Crosshill Inn),  Crosshill Richie, Alexander,  (Wellington Inn) Russell, John Simpson, Robert Smith, James Tyre, Ann 

      SHOPKEEPERS AND TRADERS

Barbour, Ephrain, linen draper and manufacturer's agent Broadfoot, John, linen draper and manufacturer's agent Brown, John,  blacksmith Craig, John,  tailor Duncan, William,  Blacksmith Gemmil, Hugh,  grocer Gemmil, John,  joiner Gemmil. Wm.  grocer and spirit dealer Graham, Malcolm,  grocer Henry, John,  joiner Hunter, William,  linen draper Jamieson, William,  charcoal manufacturer and grinder King, John,  joiner and timber merchant Logan, Elizabeth,  grocer Logan, William,  joiner McCueg, Duncan,  shoe maker McFie, John,  shoe maker McIntyre, William,  tailor McKinnon, John,  tailor Miller, James,  baker Parochial Library, Wm Hunter, librarian Richmond, Thomas,  miller Scott, William,  stone mason Shaw, John,  agent to manufacturer Smith, William,  blacksmith Stalker, David [this could be Daniel],  tailor Stalker, John,  tailor Stirling, Alexander,  shoe maker Templeton, Geo., grocer, spirit dealer and ironmonger Williamson, Alx., linen draper and stamp office Wilson, Daniel,  joiner Wilson, Gilbert,  stone mason Wilson, John,  miller Wilson, Robert,  joiner 

      CARRIERS

To Glasgow - George Robertson, every Monday

To Saltcoats - Andrew Clark, daily





Overton , Parish of Greenock
Overtonnow
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To view Overton/ Everton in the parish of Greenock go to  OLD MAP site and type in Overton,  then choose Overton Renfewshire and the map system will take you to the correct location






 Maulkin Hill, parish of Greenock  - Today
Maulkin Hill now
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            Back then

Maulking Hill then
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 Overton -Maulkin Hill area of pariah of Greenock - Today
Between
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Map of  home area in Greenock -


Square


Orangfield