My Family Geneology

The following describes my family's geneology as far as can be researched.

1. George "The elder", born between 1651 and 1695, resident Cariden West Lothian. George married Elizabeth (or "Bessie") Lyall and had the following children :

Marjorie born on 22 Sep 1711; Robert born 4th July 1714; William born on 8th December 1716; Thomas born 15 May 1722, christened on 23 May 1722 died on 19 March ; 1800, buried on 21st March 1800.; George "The younger" born on 1 Oct 1727

2. George "The Younger" born 1st October 1727 Carriden West Lothian, resident Muiravonside by1767, married Mary Dougall, and had the following children :

Helen Christened 5th April 1767; Alexander "The Elder" born 13th November 1768; John born 28th April or 10th May 1772, Christened on 10th or 13th May or 30th June 1772; Christian (female) christened on 2nd October 1774; James christened on 9th June 1776

There is evidence to suggest that the Alexander born 13th November 1768 is one and the same as our earliest proven predecessor, Alexander "The elder" who married Mary Brown and who fathered Alexander "The younger".

3. Alexander "the elder" born 1767-1769 (?) , died 1858 (?) , married Mary Brown, unknown.( who died prior to 1881 (?)) occupation : Portitioner. Alexander "the elder" and his wife had the following children :

John born 22 May 1796; Alexander christened on 11th May 1800 " the younger"; Unknown Female child born 23 May 1802; Charlotte born 27 January 1805; William born 28 June 1807; Jean born 24 June 1810; Thomas born 17 August 1814

Death Record : http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/jdnimmohomepage/d03.jpg

4. Alexander "the younger" , born 11th May 1800 married Mary Robertson in Muiravonside on 4th April 1834., died 18th November 1885, "loan" Muiravonside. Occupation: Dealer.

This Alexander lived until 1885 and as at 1881 was a "retired Dealer" by which time he had out lived his wife who must therefore have died by 1881. He was living on his own at a time when it was common for aged parents to be lodgers or resident with their offspring which might suggest he was financially able to sustain himself. He lived all his life in Muiravonside. They had the following children :

David born 21 June 1835; Mary born 23 April 1837; William born 4th April 1841 ; Margaret born 30th June 1850 ; Robert born 12 April 1852; Andrew born 23 April 1856; George birth date unknown; Janet Nimmo born 10th August 1845 ; John born 17 October 1847.

It is from John that we are descended.

Alexander & Mary's son Robert moved to 20 Whitfield Road, Govan, Glasgow by 1881 where he lived with his wife Agnes and daughters Isobella born c 1876 & Margaret born c 1877. His occupation as at 1881 was "Blacksmith or Engine Keeper". James was a draper and as at 1881 was living with his brother Andrew, a grocer, in Muiravonside with Andrew's wife Elizabeth at 11 Redford, Muiravonside. Although James is shown as the son of Andrew, he is aged 27 whilst Andrew is aged 24. This Andrew is the only Andrew Nimmo of the right age born in Muiravonside on the 1881 census. James's age fits with his known date of birth. By 1891 Andrew had moved with his wife to Old Kilpatrick, where they lived with their son Alexander born 1883 - 1885. Andrew was no longer a grocer but he and his wife were recorded as "Draper" and "employers" rather than "employed". There is no trace of Andrew, his wife or his son by the 1901 census in the whole of Scotland nor is there any trace of James on either the 1891 or 1901 census returns. William cannot be traced on the census returns for 1881, 1891 or 1901 George is believed to have married a Janet Baird on 22nd December 1865 and had at least one child, also named George who was born on 25th January 1874.

Andrew Nimmo Census Return : http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/jdnimmohomepage/c02.jpg

4b. David born 21 June 1835 married Mary Baird ( daughter of John Baird & Janet Stewart ) 5th February 1864 and died 23/11/1890

David is the source of the American branch of Nimmos, it was his son Alexander born on 24 November 1864 who in 1881 emigrated to American at the age of 17 and bought land and cattle in Cheyenne Wyoming. He married Emily Isabelle Boyce, on 19th January 1884.Alexander was joined in December 1890 by his brother David who was a butcher and joined Alexander in business. It was apparently a successful venture and they bought the "A D A" Ranch on which David's son Bruce worked as foreman until Bruce's brother in law Slim Lewis employed him on his recently purchased near by ranch. Slim's ranch passed on his death to Bruce's two sons who renamed the ranch "The Nimmo Ranch" which is still in existence today as is the ADA Ranch. A grandson of David, also named David born 29 June 1903 left Scotland in 1905 ( presumably with his parents James, born 16 July 1879 died 25 December 1932, and Susan Hughes, b 19 June 1885 died 24 February 1965 ) and moved to Florida. He became a trick rider with the famous Barnum & Bailey Circus.

American Tree : http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/jdnimmohomepage/Tree2.jpg

5. John born 17 October 1847 in Muiravonside married Rachel Ramsay 17th January 1868 (GRO 486/0001) Occupation : Carter / labourer

Interestingly the records for their first son shows that Rachel must have been four months pregnant at the time of their marriage. However this child born in 1868 is not listed on the 1881 census and may have died before the age of 13 years. The couple were living at Candiehead, Muiravonside at the birth of one of their sons in 1871. This is a row of miner's cottages next to the mine manager's house. It is incorrectly noted on the 1864 map of the area as "Candieheart" but a current resident has confirmed that the area has always been known as "Candiehead".

In 1871, John gave his occupation as "Labourer" and in 1881 was resident in Muiravonside giving his occupation as Carter in 1881. By 1891 he had moved a short distance to the nearby parish of Slamannan where he fathered a further two children and again gave his occupation as "Carter". His son Robert Ramsay was born in 1871 in Candiehead which was a steading of miners cottages. It is unlikely that his father would be resident in a miner's cottage and not employed in the mine. John gave his occupation as "Carter" in 1881 and 1891 and may therefore have initially been employed at the local mine working with horse and carts ( possibly pit ponies ? ). In 1897 his son, Robert gave his father's occupation as "labourer". In 1891 Robert and his two brothers were all employed as labourers and in 1897 Robert gave his own occupation as "colliery labourer". John lived in "Candiehead" in 1871 which at that time was a row of miner's cottages next to the mine manager's house. The only coal mine within any distance of Candiehead is "Blackston" mine which in 1896 employed 172 men underground and 19 above ground. Blackston was within 20 minutes walk of the cottages on the old Slamannan/Airdrie Railwayline. It is probable that John was a Carter by trade but was already working at the mines by 1871. By 1881 John moved to the neighbouring parish of Slamannan ( a distance of a mile or so ) and lived first at 48 Avonbridge and by 1891 was living at Falkirk Rd. John & Rachel had the following children :

John born 26th June 1868; Janet born 7th May 1869; John born 30th July 1870; Robert Ramsay born 5th August 1871; Alexander McGibbon born 20th June 1874; James born c 1882; Henry born c 1885

Whilst John, born 1868 is shown in the International Genealogical Index, he is not shown on the 1881 or 1891 census returns as living with the family at that time. It is likely that their first child died before the age of 13 years. I have yet to search for a death certificate. There is also a death record for a Rachel Ramsay Nimmo who died in 1879 aged 3 years who may have been another child of the couple although I have yet to trace a birth certificate confirming that this child was a daughter of John & Rachel.

6. Robert Ramsay "The elder" born c 1871, married Isobella Carson 15th July 1897, died 1st September 1935 Occupation : Colliery Labourer / Bakers vanman / Public park caretaker

Robert Ramsay was born at Candiehead, near Avonbridge, Stirlingshire.By the age of 19 Robert Ramsay was employed as a "Clly" (Colliery?) labourer in Slamannan as were his brothers Alex and John. He married Isobella Carson, a domestic servant, ( daughter of coal miner Thomas & Elizabeth Hamilton ) in the United Presbyterian Church in Avonbridge Muiravondale in 1897 at the age of 25 showing his father's occupation as labourer at that time. The marriage was in fact registered twice in both Slamannan and Muiravonside parishes. The church was built in 1803 with the capacity for 308 parishioners and is still in use today. There is however no graveyard associated with this church. The 1901 Census is the only entry in the Census database which shows a Robert Nimmo resident with an Isobella Nimmo who are both shown as born in Stirlingshire expected from the 1881 & 1891 census of Robert's father & mother. In Robert's case it gives his birthplace as "Candiehead" which is half a mile from his wife's home in 1897 and his own residence at that time and in 1891 . It shows half of the known children of this couple presumably as the remaining children were born after the census taken on 31 March 1901. Within four years of his marriage he had moved to 23 Watt Street, Rawyards, Airdrie where he was employed as a "bakers vanman" Interestingly the his neighbours comprised a Railway surfaceman a son of whom was a "bakers vanman" and another a "apprentice baker"; a "baker's vanman" ; a "Stableman at bakery" ; another "bakers vanman" who had a "bakers vanman" lodger ; a wagon builder two of who's sons were "biscuit packers" ; a "journeyman baker" who also had a "bakers vanman" lodger ; and a "railway plate layer" one of who's son was a "journeyman baker". His son Robert Ramsay born 1901 married the daughter of a baker in 1923. It's therefore possible that if this was not accommodation tied to employment in a bakery, that the bakery must have been a significant employer for every house hold to have at least one connection with employment in that area. Although I have not as yet found a bakery close to Watt Street, there was a "grain mill" in Airdrie itself by 1864 which could have been significant as it was located beside the railway and may be connected to the line running to the Gas works.Robert & Isobella had seven children :

Henry born c 1898; John born c 1899; Archibald born c 1900 ; Robert Ramsay born c 1901 ; Isobella born after c 1901; Alexander born after c 1901; Elizabeth born after 1901

Robert was a caretaker of a Public Park by the time of his death on 1st September 1935 from Prostrate & liver Cancer. He died at West Craigs Street, Harthill which is the same street in Harthill as his grandson lived at in the three months of his life before he died in October 1924. He is thought to have been buried in Shotts. Henry is reputed to have kept and raced greyhounds. He moved to Blantyre where he lived with his second wife.

Death Certificate : http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/jdnimmohomepage/d01.jpg

7. Robert Ramsay "The younger" born c 1901, died unknown. Occupation : Coal Miner

Robert Ramsay married Anne Johnston Burnett, the daughter of a baker John Mitchell Burnett & Margaret Elizabeth Ford in Whitburn, West Lothian in 1923 and by 1924 was resident at West Craigs Street in Harthill. His son by this marriage was a Robert Ramsay Nimmo born July 1924 and who died at Calderbank House, Baillieston on 9th October 1924 of Meningitis at which time his mother Ann Johnston Burnett was already dead. Robert and his son were living at this time at no 38 West Craigs Road, Harthill. Anne Johnston Nimmo's death certificate shows that she died of Septicaemia after a 10 day illness on 2nd August 1924. This agrees with the child's age at death in October and shows that the child was born in mid to late July 1924 if, as suspected, she died of complications following the birth of her child. At this time Robert was a coal miner. The only mine in the locality was the Dewshill mine to the west of Harthill which employed 177 men underground and 45 men above as at 1918.

Regretably I have no information on Robert Ramsay the Younger's life after 1924 - If anyone can provide additional accurate information, please contact me.

Robert Ramsay & Isobella Brown had nine children. My own father, Donald Brown was one of them.

Birth Certificate : http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/jdnimmohomepage/bc01.jpg

8. Donald Brown born 23/01/1935 died 13th April 2002. Occupation : Electric arc welder.

9. John Donald Nimmo (me) & siblings

10. Current generation

(C) 2004 J Nimmo. All Rights reserved.