Archibald (1842-1934), a farm steward, married Margaret (1853-1929), a domestic servant, in Tweedenhead, Roxburghshire on 30th May 1873. Their eldest child, William was born in November that year and my great grandmother Helen was next born in October 1874 at Saughtree Farm in Roxburghshire.
As a brief aside, it is worth mentioning that Margaret Ketchen's father, Walter Ketchen had married a Helen Glendinning in 1852 and moved that same year to take up a shepherding job in North Knapdale, near Lochgilphead in Argyle. Margaret was born there in 1853 but in December 1855, Walter drowned when he fell though the ice at Lochgilphead. His wife, Helen, was pregnant with their son, Walter, at the time and three months previously, in September 1855, Walter and Helen's second daughter had died. A traumatic start for the family!
I will expand about the life and times of my great grandmother later, but will now try and lay out the little information I have on her siblings, chronologically, from William in 1873 to the last born, Alexander, in 1896.
William, born Saughtree in November 1873 and married Janet Tate McCrae at The Prince of Wales Hall, Glasgow in 1905. I found one child of theirs, Archibald William, born in 1911. Both William and Janet died in Glasgow in 1955.
After my great grandmother, came Walter, born in November 1875 at Saughtree.
John was born in January 1877 at Saughtree and married Jane Hudson in Langholm in 1903. They had 3 children, Mary, Margaret and Archibald, born 1904-1912. Jane died in Hawick in 1916 and John died in Newcastleton in 1945.
Elliot Stavert was born in April 1879 at Saughtree, but unfortunately died 4 months later from "hooping cough and gradual exhaustion after 1 month". (The origins of the middle name STAVERT was a bit of a mystery, but after finding out that father Archibald Scott Hardie was employed as a shepherd at Saughtree by Archibald Stavert, I can only assume that Elliot was named after him).
Elizabeth was born in July 1880 at Saughtree. She died unmarried aged 27 in Melrose, from "intestinal obstruction".
Elliot Stavert was born at Saughtree in October 1881. (it was very common back then for the next born to be named after a child who either died in infancy or very young.) In the 1911 Census, Elliot is aged 29 and living with his parents at Saughtree, but there is no mention of his occupation, only that he is "feeble-minded". He died in July 1959 at Dingleton Hospital, Melrose (the local asylum or as we would now say the "mental health facility") from "chronic nephritis" or chronic kidney disease.
Margaret was born in October 1882 at Saughtree and married Arthur Wylie Ross in Hawick in October 1930. No children from this marriage have yet been found and Margaret died in June 1964 in Hawick, a widow. Cause of death is stated as "dysphagia metastatic" (difficulty swallowing particularly relating to esophageal cancer (although no mention of cancer on the death certificate)) and "bronchitis" and "heart disease".
Archibald was born in February 1884 at Saughtree and married Margaret Thomson in Canonbie, Dumfriesshire in March 1908. They had 8 children that I know of, but information is limited. Archibald died in December 1929 and Margaret in July 1970.
The tenth born was James, in August 1885 at Saughtree. He appears to never have married and died in Carlisle in March 1974.
Agnes was born at Saughtree in January 1887, but unfortunately died 5 weeks later in February 1887 from "bronchitis" and "derangement of digestive system".
Thomas was born in April 1889 at Saughtree and married Catherine Thomson in Castleton Parish in May 1924. They had one child I am aware of, Margaret Ann, born August 1925.
Agnes Mary was born Saughtree in August 1890 and married Henry Spreng in January 1923 in Hawick. They had two known children, Henry and Margaret. Agnes Mary died in September 1974. Henry was born in Germany and had been a German citizen, but became a naturalised British subject in May 1913.
Janet was born in August 1891 at Saughtree. She appears not to have married and died in October 1971.
Jane was born at Saughtree in August 1893. Again, there is no apparent record of a marriage and she died in Newcastleton in February 1955.
Last, but by no means least, Alexander was born in September 1896 at Saughtree and married Janet McVittie Robson by 1922 in Castleton. They had at least 4 children born between 1922 and 1935. Alexander died in Newcastleton in May 1966.
My great grandmother, Helen Hardie, was born at Saughtree in October 1874. In the 1891 Census she was living with her parents and nine siblings at 4 Saughtree Cottages, Castleton Parish, Roxburghshire. By 1901 she was living just over the border in Northumberland, working as a domestic housekeeper for John, Frank and Thomas Anderson (Frank is my great grandfather and John and Thomas his brothers). They all worked at a farm in Upper Longhouse, Wellhaugh, Falstone Parish in Northumberland. This information is all from the 1901 Census, where Helen's sister, Elizabeth, is also mentioned, being a visitor to the dwelling (with her occupation stated as a domestic housemaid).
Helen and Francis ("Frank") Turnbull Anderson married in October 1903 in Yarrow, Selkirkshire and my great uncle James was born in February 1904 at Muttonhall in Yarrow, a shepherd's cottage which Frank had taken over from his twin brothers, William and Cameron. My grandfather, Archibald Hardie Anderson, was born the next year at Muttonhall, on 25th December 1905.
Above, Jim Anderson, Frank Anderson and Helen Hardie (Anderson)
Above, Archie, Frank and Jim Anderson, with Helen Hardie in front.
By 1911, the family had relocated to a Shepherd's Cottage, at Southdean, Roxburghshire, but in May 1912, Francis Turnbull Anderson was born in Newcastleton, Roxburghshire, but died in February 1913 at Burngrains, Ewes parish, Dumfriesshire, from what was stated in the Death Certificate as "(probably) paralysis from 2 days of teething".
In 1915, Helen and family were living at Hillhead House, Hawick and in 1920 were living at Whitehillshiel House, Burnmouth, Castleton parish.
Above, Helen Hardie (second from right) with three of her sisters
1936 sees Helen and Frank living at Redmoss Flatt, again in Castleton, but in 1946, Frank died at Riggfoot, in Ewes parish, Dumfriesshire.
Helen, aged 84, died in 1959 in Langholm, Dumfriesshire. I do however have a photograph of her and me, circa 1954.
Helen Hardie (Anderson) and Neil Byers
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