GRAHAM | Jewelian Family

GRAHAM FAMILY

In the 1841 census of Glasgow, Margaret Graham, wife of George Fyfe, is shown as being aged 30, and not born in county.

George Fyfe and Margaret Graham were married in Glasgow on 10 September, 1833, the officiating clergyman being Mr George Harris, who was a Unitarian, and both their children were baptised in the Unitarian church. George Fyfe’s first marriage took place in the Church of Scotland, and the children of the first marriage were baptised there, so it is likely that the Unitarian connection came through Margaret.

As far as I can ascertain, there were only five Unitarian congregations in Scotland at that time, the others being in Edinburgh, Dundee, Greenock and Paisley.

George Fyfe died in Glasgow on 2 November 1853. His will was proved on 11 April 1855, and the three executors of the will are named as John Fyfe, his eldest son, Peter Graham gardener to Thomas Hill of the Sasines Office Glasgow, and James Sweet Letter Carrier Cathcart.

We know that James Sweet was the brother of Catherine Sweet, George Fyfe’s first wife, so it his very likely that Peter Graham was the brother of his second wife. In the 1851 census of Cathcart, Renfrew, Peter Graham is shown as aged 50, and living at Langside Lodge with his sister Elizabeth aged 38. She was born in the parish, but he was born in the parish of Gorbals, Renfrew? Also living nearby were James Graham, hand loom cotton weaver, 29, born Cathcart, and James Sweet hand loom weaver, together with his family. He was a widower. His eldest daughter Catherine was later to marry John Fyfe.

The family of Wallace Graham and Christian Forest is certainly our family. Their children are as follows:

1) William born 6 January 1799 Gorbals, Lanark

2) Peter born 9 December 1800 Gorbals, Lanark

4) Walter baptised 20 January 1805 Cathcart, Renfrew

5) Margaret “ 10 May 1807

7) Elizabeth “ 2 June 1811

8) Elizabeth “ 25 April 1813

9) Christian “ 19 March 1815

10) Christian “ 9 February 1817

11) Wallace “ 4 April 1819

12) James born 6 March 1821

13)

14) Walter “ 21 June 1825

Walter (2) is listed as the 14th child of the couple, so the other three children not shown must have been born in the gaps indicated.

Witnesses to the 14th baptism were Matthew Algie and William Thompson.

Wallace Graham was also a witness at several baptisms - Elizabeth Algie on 26 July 1823, Josiah Auld on 16 July 1828, Agnes Cameron on 27 April 1827 and Ann Ferguson on 3 April 1831.

NOTE. In the 1841 census, ages are rounded down to the nearest 5 years, so Margaret would have been between 30 and 34 at the time of the census. That would put Margaret’s birth between 1806 and 1810.

Wallace Graham married Christian Forrest in Gorbals, Glasgow on 6 November 1797. There are two marriages of interest which are recorded thus.

“Wallace Graham and Christian Forrest both in this parish irregular.

Henry McNicol, labourer and Mary Graham both in this parish proclaimed 2 Sabbaths and married 20 October 1797.

The above partner marriages were confirmed before Session by Mr McLean, Moderator.”

So far we can’t find the birth of Wallace Graham. However there is a marriage entry from an earlier generation of John Grahame to Grizal Wallace on 19 October 1711 at Dunsyre. On 4 January 1713 we find the christening of Margrat Grahme, daughter of John Grahme and Grizel Walace at Walston. The two parishes border one another at the eastern end of the county of Lanark.

Christian Forest, born 23 February 1777, daughter of William Forest and Margaret Wright is probably the right one. Naming patterns help verify this.

In the 1841 census of Cathcart, Wallace and Christina Graham are listed as living at Langside. Both are aged 60 (i.e. 60-64), and Wallace’s occupation is given as Cotton HLW (Hand loom weaver). Also living at the same address are their children William (40), Elizabeth (25) and James (20), as well as Thomas McMaster, aged 35, not born in county. Both William and James are listed as hand loom weavers as well.

Graham Wallace SWEET Birth: 20 MAR 1835 Christening: 19 APR 1835 Cathcart, Renfrew, Scotland

Parents – James Sweet and Mary Graham (Married 26 March 1831 in Cathcart)

Wallace Graham Sweet was minister at the Church of Scotland at Barrowfield from 1873-1883.

Item Number: p. 20/2 Title: Terrible suicide of a Scotch clergyman

Content: Terrible suicide of a Scotch clergyman. Extract from: Evening Times, 23 August 1883. Death of W.G. Sweet who jumped overboard from SS Manitoban in Belle Isle Strait, 6 August 1883. Manuscript note on mount regarding Sweet's drinking habit and resignation. Note – Belle Isle Strait is north of Newfoundland Island in Canada.

It looks reasonably likely that Wallace Sweet and Thomas Fyfe were cousins

James Sweet, letter carrier of Cathcart was a trustee named in George Fyfe’s will. There was a James Sweet drowned in the River Cart (which is the river close to where he lived).

On the http://www.theglasgowstory.com website at this date (29 July, 2006) there is a photo of thatched weaver’s cottages at Langside photographed c 1889. Underneath is the statement “In 1841 most of the twenty-four households in rural Langside consisted of handloom weavers and their families. The last of the former weaver’s cottages were demolished around 1905 as the old village was swept away to be replaced by the new villas, tenements and terraced house…”

John Fyfe pre-deceased his wife, who later remarried. Details are:

1897 second day of August at 52 West Nile Street, Glasgow by declaration in presence of Thomas Kelso bookkeeper and Annie Sweet or Chamford. (Crawford?)

Parties: Robert Paton aged 70 Packing case maker Master widower. Usual residence Westerlea, Paisley
Catherine Fyfe aged 59 Widow usual residence Catherina Villa, Cathcart
Parents: William Paton, Gardener deceased and Elizabeth Paton MI Stewart deceased
Parents: James Sweet, Grocer deceased and Margaret Sweet MI Gardener deceased
Warrant of Sheriff substitute of Lanarkshire dated August 2nd 1897

James Struthers Registrar

In the January 2009 edition of the “Scot’s Magazine” there is an article about the later history of Cathcart.

In the 1841 census of Cathcart, Renfrewshire:

Wallace Graham 60 b 1781 Scotland

Christina Graham 60 1781 Scotland

William Graham 40 1801 Scotland

Elizabeth Graham 15 1816 Renfrewshire

James Graham 20 1821 Renfrewshire

Thomas McNeith 35 1806 Scotland

Alexander Camron 45 1796 Renfrewshire

Jennet Camron 40 1801 Renfrewshire

Isabella Camron 15 1826 “

David Camron 12 1829 “

Agnes Camron 7 1834 “

Jennet Camron 6 1835 “

John Smith 54 !787 Scotland

Jennet Smith 45 1796 Scotland

Jennet Smith 15 1826 Renfrewshire

Flora Smith 7 1834 “