The furthest back we can trace our Grieve family history is to a Michael Grieve, a wool spinner, and Rachel Scott.  No record of their marriage or the actual births of most of their children have been found but it would seem that they were married circa 1810, and had at least eight children - John born 1811 in Hawick, Jannet born 1814 in Hawick, Walter born 1816 in Hawick, Rachel born 1822 in Hawick, Mary born 1824 in Hawick, Alexander born 19 Sep 1826 in Jedburgh (next generation in our Grieve family history), Margaret born 26 Mar 1829 in Jedburgh, and Christian born 1830 in Hawick. (For further details of the known children of Michael Grieve and Rachel Scott - Click here.)

The first certain record we have of Michael and Rachel  is the census of 7th June 1841, when they are recorded as living at 3 Fore Row, Hawick, along with their seven children. The entire family, with the exception of the mother and the youngest child, are involved in the woollen industry.

Ten years later, at the time of the census of 31st March 1851, the picture remains much the same. The two eldest boys, John and Walter, have flown the nest, the youngest daughter, Christian, has joined the rest of the family in the woollen industry, and the family have moved to 36 Howgate, Hawick. The only child recorded as born outside Hawick in this census is Alexander, born on 26th September 1826, in Jedburgh. This birth is recorded in the parish register of Jedburgh, as is the birth of another child to Michael Grieve and Rachel Scott, a daughter, Margaret, on 26th March 1829. As this daughter does not appear in either the 1841 or 1851 censuses, it may well be that she died in infancy.

Seven months after the census of 1851, on 24th November 1851, Rachel Scott died, aged 64, followed three years later, on 29th October 1854, by her husband, Michael Grieve, aged 74. They were buried in the churchyard of St. Mary's Church, Hawick, close by their house in the Howgate. Their headstone, with the addition of their daughter Mary, who died on 18th June 1856, aged 31, can be seen close by the path which runs through the churchyard. (For possible ancestry of Michael Grieve and Rachel Scott - Click here)

Alexnder Grieve, Michael and Rachel's sixth child and the next generation in our Grieve family history had married Elizabeth Young Rutherford just over a year prior to his father's death on 28th November 1853 in Hawick. No birth certificate has been found for Elizabeth and although her later death certificate identifies her mother as Barbara Potts, it does not record her fathers name.  (For further details on Elizabeth's ancestry and her mother Barbara Potts - Click here)

Alexander and Elizabeth  seem to have remained in Hawick for the first six or seven years of their marriage, as it was there that their first three children were born, Barbara on 3rd December 1853, Rachel (the next generation in our Grieve family history) on 11th September 1855 at Weensland, Hawick, and Michael on 14th April 1858, at 29 High Street, Hawick.

Sometime after the birth of Michael in 1858, and before 8th. April 1861, the family moved to Allars, near Jedburgh, as it is there that they are recorded for the census of that year. They are recorded as living in the "gatehouse", which may have been the gatehouse of the large woollen mill at Allars, in which case the house may have come with Alexander Grieve's job of "foreman in a woollen manufacturer's" as listed in the census.

A fourth child, Elizabeth, was born at Allars Mill, Jedburgh, four months after this census, on 18th August 1861. 

Sadly, on 29th June 1868, Alexander Grieve died, aged only 42, of a heart ailment. At the time he was employed as a "machine manager", and his place of residence was given as Wildenhaugh, Ladhope.

At the time of her husband's death Elizabeth Young Rutherford was already seven months pregnant with her fifth child, and by the time the baby, a son Alexander, was born, on 27th August 1868, she had moved back to Hawick and was living at 2 O'Connel Street. (For further details of the known children of Alexander Grieve and Elizabeth Young sometimes Elizabeth Young Rutherford - Click here)

By the time of the census of 3rd April 1871, she had moved again, this time to 6 Bridge Street, Hawick.

By the time of the census of 4th April 1881, the family had moved again and were living at 2 Langlandsbank, Hawick.

On 6th December 1883 Rachel Grieve married James Mathieson, a railway guard. At the time she was still living with her mother, Elizabeth Young Rutherford, and her brothers and sisters, at 2 Langlandsbank, Hawick. (SEE MATHIESON FAMILY HISTORY)

Elizabeth Grieve continued to live on in Hawick and for the census of 1891 she was living at 3 Albion Place, with her eldest child, her daughter Barbara, and her youngest child, her son Alexander, now a bank clerk. Elizabeth's youngest daughter Elizabeth, her husband James and their family are recorded in the household prior, and Mina Martin, her half sister by her mother Barbara and her husband William Martin (born 29 September 1850, Hawick), is recorded in the household following . For this census yet another place of birth is given, Ancrum, midway between Crailing and Lilliesleaf.

Although Elizabeth Grive and family seem to have moved for the 1901 census very little has changed with Barbara, and Alexander still single and living at home. For this census Ancrum is again given as Elizabeth's place of birth. 

On 12th March 1914 Elizabeth Young Rutherford died at 13 Oliver Crescent, Hawick, aged 77. The informant on the death certificate was her son Alexander.