People of the Parish
The following entry, from Joanne Carson in
, ------, U.S.A, was placed on my Guest Book
Thought you would like to know that my grandfather, William Carson, was
employed by the Wilsons at their farm in South Glen in 1881. He was 15
and listed as a servant. He emigrated to the United States in ?____.
After leaving South Glen he became a journeyman master in granite and worked at Craignair, I believe.
The Wilson farm, listed in the 1881 census, had 400 acres, 300 arable,
employing three men, two girls and one boy (My grandfather!!). This farm is
listed on our valuation page, so I include this just for your interest.
Thanks again for a truly lovely site.
As I was born and brought up at South Glen, I contacted Joanne and she sent
me two photographs of William Carson, accompanied by some further information.
He was born on January 26, 1866 to Margaret Carson, listed as
illegitimate. However, I was able to obtain the relevant Minute of the
Kirk Session, and the father (although denied) was William McKand (McKeand).
He was born in Dalbeattie, in Port Street.
Margaret Carson then married a William Watson in 1868 and had several more
children. They all lived in the Urr area. Now, my grandfather is
missing from the 1871 census and I don't know what she did with him!!!! He is not with the grandparents. Then, as you know, I found him in the
1881 census working for the Wilsons at South Glen Farm.
However, he evidently did pretty well for himself. Perhaps you have an
answer.
He became a journeyman master in granite. Now, my understanding is that
one had to apprentice, and usually one had to have connections to do this.
He had none, as far as I know. Could talent have entered the picture?
He was indeed quite an artist, so perhaps someone took him under their wing.
When the Quarries "dried up" in Dalbeattie, he emigrated to the
United States. I don't know when, but he first was in Westerly, Rhode
Island (blue granite), then Concord, New Hampshire, and ended up in Barre,
Vermont. He was in Buffalo, New York working on a ?court building
(according to my dad) when he took
sick late in 1917 and died of "Stonecutter's consumption" in
February 1918.
He married Margaret Little from Dalbeattie in Concord, New Hampshire in
?189___.
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So I am sending two pictures, one of him as a young man in Westerly,
Rhode Island (looks about 20), and his marriage picture.
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I thought you'd like to know where he ended up and how he left a loving
family - and I, a granddaughter, and all his grandchildren, never getting to
know him. It is all very vague, but if you can incorporate his existence on
your Buittle page, it would be brilliant.
Joanne can be contacted at [email protected]
and she would love to hear from anyone else who has William Carson in their
family tree.
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