ADAM

I reckon the furthest back that the Adam branch can be traced with a modicum of confidence is to the birth on 25 April 1781 of a William Adam to James Adam in Bargany in the Parish of Dailly. The event is recorded in the OPR of Dailly - "William, son lawful to James Adam, smith at Bargeny was born April 25, baptized the 27th." Unfortunately no mother's name is given. There are the births\baptisms of a further 9 children recorded to James Adam in the OPR of Dailly, but again in all cases no mothers name is recorded. (For further details of this William's parent(s) and siblings - See Appendix A)

The assumption that the aforementioned William Adam is "our" William Adam is based on the following - 

• if our William follwed the naming convention of the first son after paternal grandfather and the second son after maternal grandfather, going by the names of his later children "our" William's father was a James. (and his wife Elisabeth's father was a John).

• what is certainly "our" William Adam married an Elizabeth Nesbit in Dailly and they were recorded as "both of this parish". Also Dailly is where their first two children were born\baptized. 

• the Dailly OPR seems to record the births\baptisms of only one Adam family in the last thirty or so years of the 18th century ie the offspring off the aforementioned James Adam, smith at Bargeny.

•  "our William" had a later son Matthew. A relatively unusual name this would have been after his brother Matthew.

On 7 May 1801 William Adam married Elizabeth Nesbit and this was recorded in the Dailly OPR - "William Adam & Elisabeth Nisbot, both in this parish were booked in order to marriage May 2nd were three proclaimed and married the 7th". Elisabeth Nesbit was probably the same Elisabeth Nisbet whose birth was recorded in the Dailly OPR on 19 March 1776 - "Elisabeth Daughter lawful to John Nisbit Servant at Killochan was born March 14th & baptized the 19th" (For further details of this Elizabeth's parent(s) and siblings - See Appendix B). The births of William and Elisabeth's first two children, Jane born\baptised 24\25 February 1802, and Margaret born\baptised 19 January 1804 are also recorded in the OPR of Dailly. Jane's OPR entry confirms William as a "shoemaker".

Sometime shortly after the birth of Margaret the family seem to have moved to Newton on Ayr, as the birth of all William and Elizabeths subsequent 5 children were recorded in the OPR of Newton on Ayr, (latterly St. Quivox and Newton). The children were - James born\baptised on 3\5 January 1806, (next step in our family history), John born\baptised on 6 March 1808, Elizabeth born\baptised on 7 April 1811, Matthew born\baptised on 8 August 1813 and Mary born\baptised on 26 July 1818. The baptisms of James, John, Elizabeth and Matthew were recorded in the OPR of Newton on Ayr, and the baptism of Mary in the OPR of St. Quivox and Newton. (For further details of the children of William Adam and Elisabeth Nesbit - See Appendix C.)

The fact that James Adam born\baptised on 3\5 January 1806 to William and Elizabeth is actually the next generation in our family tree is not immediately obvious as the records of "our" James's second marriage in 1868 and his later death certificate list his parents as "William Adam, a master shoemaker, and Margaret Kemp". That this is an error seems to be proved by the appearance of "our" James as the informant on the death certificate of a Mary Adam (married John Cuthbert) who died on 14 March 1866 in 45 King St., Glasgow. In this certificate Mary is identified as the daughter of William Adam, shoemaker, and Elisabeth Nisbet ie. the aforementioned Mary baptised 26 July 1818, recorded in the OPR of Newton on Ayr. James Adam, the informant, gives an address of 108 Hospital Street, Hutchesontown, which confirms him as "our" James as "our" James had been living at this address at least from the census of 1861 and was to get married four months later on 17 July 1866 whilst still resident at this address. Most importantly however the informant as signed the register as "James Adam - brother". This signature also matches as far as I can see the signature of "our" Janes Adam where he appears as informant on his sons later death certificates. Q.E.D!! (For thoughts as to this anomaly - See Appendix D.)

There is a record of William Adam, a shoemaker, living in George Street, Content, St Quivox parish in the 1821 census, but in common with the majority of these 1821 census records there was no family detail recorded. However I would assume that this is "our" William Adam.

On 28 June 1834 in Ayr, this James Adam, a shoemaker like his father, married Jane Burns, the daughter of Andrew Burns, a clothier, and Margaret Blackwood. Her parents marriage was recorded in the Ayr parish register on 7 November 1797, as was the fact of Jane's baptism on 6 August 1809, although the actual birth and baptism took place in Blechingdon, Oxford where her father, a soldier with the Ayrshire Militia, was stationed at the time. (For further details of Jane Burns ancestry - See Appendix E AND For further details of the other children of Andrew Burns and Margaret Blackwood - See Appendix F)

For the 1841 census James and Jane were living in Largs with three children, Janet baptised 20 September 1835 in Newton on Ayr, William, the next step in our family tree, born 1837/38, and Andrew, baptised 19 Apr 1840 in Largs. 

1841 Census (7th June) Largs (602) Folio 4 Book 5 Page 19.

Nelson Street, Largs.