Monday, June 7, 2010

Alexander Hughan and Mary Anne Forsyth/e.

Alexander Hughan was born in Kirkmabreck parish in c. 1788, and according to his death certificate his father was Alexander Hughan, farmer. His mother is also named on the certificate, but as luck would have it, there is a big black smudge right over her name-the first name could be 'Mary'.
Alexander and his wife Mary Ann had ten children that I can find born to them between c. 1823 and 1844 in Kirkmabreck:

MARY HUGHAN: born c. 1823. Married mariner William Dixon/Dickson in 1857, Kirkmabreck Parish.

WILLIAM HUGHAN: born c. 1825. In 1851 census he was lodging in Minnigaff, aged 24, and working as a road labourer. William married Jane, maiden name as yet unknown. He died on May 3, 1859, at Ringford, Tongland, Kirkcudbright, aged 32. His death was caused by a combination of factors: Hydrothorax, which is a condition marked by the accumulation of watery fluid in the pleural cavity, in this case caused by 'enlargement of the liver with Bright's Disease of kidney; enlargement of the heart.' William's parents were noted by his widow, Jane Hughan, as being Alexander Hughan, 'wood forester', and Mary Forsyth(deceased). William's occupation was given as 'pauper, formerly an agricultural labourer'.
The 1861 found the widowed Jane Hughan and her two children, Isabella, aged 7, and William aged 3, still living at Tongland. Jane, a native of Tongland, was aged 33, and her occupation as 'Pauper, ag lab'. In 1871, she was stated as being a 46 year old ag lab, and was living alone in Tongland. Her teenage son William was working on a nearby farm as a farm servant to Robert McMorries. I cannot find daughter Isabella Hughan in the 1871 census, although there is mention of a " Isabella Heingham ", born Tongland in 1854, working as a servant in Kelton, Kirkcudbrightshire, which could perhaps be her.

JAMES HUGHAN: born c. 1828. No sign of James as yet beyond his appearance in Creetown with his parents and siblings as a 13 year old in 1841.

ESTHER HUGHAN: born c. 1829, Kirkmabreck parish.In the 1851 she is living with her Hughan family and named as 'Esther McKenna, Ag. Lab's wife', with a six month old son named William McKenna.

JANET/ JESSIE HUGHAN: baptised January 9, 1831, Park House, Kirkmabreck.

JOHN HUGHAN: born c. 1832, Creetown. In 1851, we find him working as a 'stone dresser cutter' in 'Argylle Furnace, Argyll. He married Susan Scott,a Glasgow-born girl, on 23 July, 1854, at Glsagow. Their son, John Hughan, was born in c. 1860, in Glasgow.
The 1861 census return finds them living in 'Furnace, Cumlodden, Argyll: John Hughan/ head/ 29/ stone dresser, born Creetown.
Susanna Hughan/ wife/30/ born Glasgow.
John Hughan/ son/ 1/ born c.860 Glasgow.
By 1871, John Hughan and his family ahd moved down into Northern England, where his wife Susan and son John were living at Long Houghton, Northumberland, and John himself was a visitor at 11 Berwick Rd, Gateshead. His occupation was 'stone merchant', so he must have been travelling in this capacity for his work.

By 1881, widower John Hughan was a lodger at West Side Duke Street, Creetown, in a house with Janet Stewart, 49, shoemaker's wife, as its head. John is a 50 year old pavement cutter, a native of Creetown, and there is no sign of his son John, who would have been about 21 years old. His wife, Susan Scott Hughan, died in 1879, aged 49, in the New Monkland district.
John Hughan died on October 8, 1898, at Kilsyth, Stirling. He was a 67 year old stone dresser, widower of Susan Scott, and the son of Alexander Hughan,Forester(dec) and Mary Ann Forsyth(dec). He died of heart disease, and his death was registered by his nephew Alexander Hughan.

ANN HUGHAN: baptised May 21, 1833, Kirkmabreck Parish. No other record has been found, even in any census returns.

CHARLES HUGHAN: baptised March 31, 1834, Kirkmabreck. Charles worked from his early years as a quarry labourer in the granite quarries of Kirkmabreck parish. When he died at the age of only 24 years in 1859, his father Alexander Hughan gave the following information:
Charles Hughan, Granite Quarry Labourer, Single. Died June 15, 1859,The Elbow, Creetown. 24 years of age. Parents Alexander Hughan, Farm Labourer, and Mary Hughan, maiden name Forsyth, deceased.Cause of death: Scofulous some 18 months. (Scofula was a form of tuberculosis affecting the lymph nodes, especially of the neck, that was most common in children and was usually spread by unpasteurized milk from infected cows). Buried New Churchyard, Kirkmabreck.Informant: Alexander Hughan, father.

GEORGE HUGHAN: baptised March 5, 1837.

DAVID CONCHIE HUGHAN: born September 11, 1843. Baptised September 24, 1843, Kirkmabreck. In 1861, David was 17 years old and working as a ploughman for the Carsons of Barholm Farm,parish of Kirkmabreck.
By 1871, David had married and moved with his family to Alnwick, Northumberland, where he had gained employment as a quarry man. With his wife Margaret David had three children to this point...Alexander Hughan born c. 1864, Scotland; David born c. 1868, Scotland, and Elizabeth born c. 1870, Scotland.
Work took David back up into Scotland, and 1881 found the family living at 11 Shanks Street, New Monkland,Lanarkshire. The family consisted of:
David Hughan/ head/ 37, quarrier/ born Creetown, Kirkmabreck.
Margaret Hughan/ wife/ 38/ born Glasgow
David Hughan/ son/ 13/ quarrier/ born Glasgow
Margaret Hughan/ daughter/ 9/ scholar/ born England
Alexander Hughan/ 8/ son/ scholar/ born England
Charles Hughan/ son/ born England
John Hughan/ 2/ son/ born Dumbartonshire.

It can be seen from this census that eldest son Alexander had died, and another son was named Alexander in his memory. There was also no sign of daughter Elizabeth, born c.1870, in the 1881 census.

By 1891 the Hughans had moved again:
Cumbernauld, Dumbartonshire:
David Hughan/ head/ 47/ stone dresser/ born Creetown
Margaret Hughan/ wife/ born Glasgow
Alexander Hughan/ son/ 17/ stone dresser/ born England
Edith Hughan/ daughter/ 7/ scholar/ born Dumbartonshire
Jane Hughan/ daughter/ 5/ born Dumbartonshire.

Our last trace of the family of David Hughan comes from the 1901 Scottish census:

1901: Cumbernauld, Dumbartonshire
David Hughan/ head/ 58/ born Kirkcudbrightshire/ settmaker
Maggie Hughan/ wife/ 60/ born Glasgow.
Edith Hughan/ daughter/ 17/ dressmaker/ born Cumbernauld
Jane Hughan/ daughter/ 15/ dressmaker/ born Cumbernauld/

David Hughan, son of Alexander Hughan and Mary Ann Forsythe, died in Dumbarton in 1909, aged 65 years.

1 comment:

  1. My name is John Hughan and I am a direct decendant of Alexander Hughan. I live in Melbourne Australia.
    I produced a website with a history of my side of the family http://members.optusnet.com.au/hughan.history
    Have a look.
    John

    ReplyDelete

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