James Smith 1787-1867
James was born on 2 November 1787 the son of Robert Smith, a miner, and Christian Brown. He was baptised on 20 November 1787 in Newton, Midlothian.
The Gladsmuir parish register records the marriage of James Smith to Euphemia Adams on 21 January 1809 at Edinburgh. Euphemia was the daughter of John Adam and Christine McKinley. She is usually recorded as Elspeth in the Gladsmuir baptismal register but Elizabeth in Inveresk and Euphemia in her and her husband's death registrations. James is referred to as junior in the Gladsmuir baptismal register 1809-1814 and the witnesses to the baptisms during this time were James and Robert Smith.
All his life James was a coal miner. For most of it he lived in the parish of Gladsmuir except for the seven years between 1816 and 1823 when he was in Inveresk, Midlothian.
Both Euphemia and James died from old age at Penston, Gladsmuir. The informant was their son Alexander. Euphemia, aged 81, died on 19 May 1866 and James died on 8 Jun 1867 aged 80, a very long life for a coal miner.
They had the following children:-
- John Smith a twin born 4 December 1809, Gladsmuir
John was a miner. On 28 December 1832 at Inveresk he married Christian Moffat, cautioners were Robert Smith and David Moffat. Christian was baptised on 6 April 1806 at Inveresk, the daughter of Alexander Moffat, collier, and Katherine Kay.
In 1851 they were living in New Mains, East Lothian, in 1861 Newbattle, Midlothian and by 1871 they were in the far west of Midlothian at West Calder, where John died on 30 May 1875 and Christina in 1885
They had the following known children:-
- Alexander Smith baptised 31 August 1834 Inveresk
- James Smith baptised 21 February 1836 Inveresk
- John Smith baptised 8 April 1838 Gladsmuir
Presumably died as another son given the same name
- Elspeth Smith baptised 4 May 1840 Gladsmuir
- David Smith baptised 22 May 1842 Gladsmuir
- Catherine Smith born 1844 Gladsmuir
- John Smith born 1847 Gladsmuir
- Robert Smith born 1850 Pencaitland, East Lothian
- Robert Smith a twin born 4 December 1809, Gladsmuir
On 27 June 1835 at Inveresk he married Margaret Archibald, the daughter of John Archibald, born in 1814 at Dysart, Fife
Robert was a coal miner and the family were living in Tranent in 1841, Prestonpans in 1851 and Penston, Gladsmuir in 1861.
Robert died 9 August 1865 at Penston, his parents' names were confirmed when his death was registered by his son John. Margaret died in 1879 at Gladsmuir
Children:-
- Mary Smith baptised 23 October 1836 at Gladsmuir
- James Smith baptised 30 June 1838 at Gladsmuir
- John Smith baptised 18 Oct 1840 Tranent
John was a coal miner living in Gladsmuir. In 1866 he married Catherine Chalmers and they had four children. Catherine died in 1874. The following year John married Ann Herkes an outfield worker the daughter of James Herkes and Mary Walker. They had two daughters. Ann died in 1915 at Gladsmuir aged 78.
- Richard Smith baptised 30 October 1842 at Gladsmuir
- Euphemia Smith born 1845 at Tranent
- Margaret Smith born 1847 at Newbattle, Midlothian
- Janet Smith born 1849 at Prestonpans
- Christian/Christina Smith born 1853 at Prestonpans
- Robert Smith born 1856 at Gladsmuir
- Janet Smith born 4 October 1811, Gladsmuir
- Christina Smith or Christian born 3 January 1814, Gladsmuir
On 14 June 1834 at Inveresk she married Alexander Archibald, a collier. Christian was of Gladsmuir and her cautioner was Robert Smith. Alexander's cautioner was William Gray. Christian died, a pauper, on 23 May 1881 at Westbank, Gladsmuir. Her son-in-law Peter Trotter was the informant.
- Ann Smith born 14 February 1816, Inveresk, Midlothian
On 12 March 1840 at Gladsmuir Ann married John Fairgrieve, a collier. John died in 1878 at Gladsmuir and Ann, a pauper died on 25 July 1892 also at Gladsmuir. Her son James was the informant and he made a mark.
- James Smith born 27 June 1818, Inveresk, Midlothian
He has his own page
- Richard Smith born 13 April 1821, Inveresk
There is no proof that what follows refers to Richard the son of James and Euphemia as there is no Scottish death registration for him but his children's names suggest that this is the correct Richard. In 1845 Helen Hogg took Richard Smith junior, collier, to the Sheriff Court in Haddington for aliment to help provide for a child born in 1842. The following year at Gladsmuir on 25 April 1846 Richard married Helen Hogg. The 1851 and 1861 census records them as living in Gladsmuir.
The whole family emigrated to the USA. The two eldest children with their spouses went first in 1864 to New York and in 1865 Richard, his wife and their remaining children arrived in Quebec. By 1870 Richard was a farm labourer living in Utah and by 1900 he had moved to Idaho. The Latter Day Saints website records his death on 29 October 1904
Children all born Gladsmuir first two before marriage:-
- James Smith born 1842 born 1842
On 18 January 1864 at The Old Iron Works, Gladsmuir James married Marian McNeil according to the forms of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Later day Saints. They emigrated to Utah, USA in 1864
- Isabell Smith born 1845
In 1863 at Gladsmuir Isabella married William McNeill. They emigrated to Utah, USA in 1864 where she died in 1914
- George Smith born 1847
He married Agnes Park in 1875 in Iowa. By 1910 he was farming in Idaho where he died in 1924
- Robert Smith born 185
He was a farmer in Idaho.In 1876. He married Mary. Robert died in 1934
- John Smith born 1852
He remained in Utah, married Margaret in 1873 and died in 1921
- Euphemia Smith born 1854
She married Nephi Andrews in 1872 and remained in Utah where she died in 1936
- Female Smith born 10 April 1856 died 1856
- Catherine Smith born 1857
She married George McCulloch. By 1900 Catherine was a widow living in Idaho with her children
- Janet Smith born 25 January 1860
She married Charles McCulloch. In 1880 they were in Utah but by 1900 they had moved to Idaho where they were still living in 1920
- Richard Smith born 14 January 1863
In 1890 in Utah he married Agnes McCulloch. Richard was a widower when he died in 1939 in Idaho
- William Smith born 4 March 1865
William arrived in Quebec in 1866 with his parents but he was not with them in 1870 so presumably he had died by then
- James Smith born 1842 born 1842
- Jean Smith born 9 October 1823, Inveresk
Married Francis William Chalmers in 1844. Francis was a miner. They had several children and emigrated to the USA in 1865
- Alexander Smith born 10 January 1826
Baptised on 12 February 1826 at Pencaitland, East Lothian. On 6 July 1849 at Pentcaitland he married Joan (Jean) Brooks. She was born in Gladsmuir in 1836. Alexander was a coal miner until the final years of his life when he was a brewery worker. He died a pauper on 24 March 1889 in Gladsmuir. The informant was his son Peter who gave his mother's name as Mary not Joan, possibly because she died when Peter was only four, on 2 June 1861, and the younger children were probably raised by their eldest sister Mary.
Children:-
- Mary Smith born 1848 Pencaitland
- James Smith born 1850 Gladsmuir
- Euphemia Smith baptised 12 November 1851 at Prestonpans
On 13 June 1872 at Penston, Gladsmuir Euphemia, a domestic servant married her cousin James Fairgrieve
- Janet Smith born 1854 at Prestonpans
- Christina Smith born 15 October 1855 at Gladsmuir
- Peter Smith born 14 September 1857 Gladsmuir.
On 19 Dec 1879 at Gladsmuir Peter, a coal miner, married Mary Hogg. They had many children. In 1881 they were living in the joiners shop at Gladsmuir. Between 1894 and 1896 the family moved to Muiravonside, Stirlingshire. Mary died in 1904 and Peter died on 3 September 1931
- Robert Smith baptised 14 September 1857
Died in 1859 registered at Gladsmuir
- Helen Smith born 8 September 1859 Gladsmuir
She was a domestic servant in 1887 when she registered the birth of her son, James Smith, making a mark. Helen had a second son, John Smith, born in 1892.
- Joan Smith born 25 May 1861 Gladsmuir
- Adam Smith born 8 June 1829, Gladsmuir
Baptised 2 July. He was a coal miner. He did not marry and died on 26 April 1897 at Macmerry, Gladsmuir