LAW

The first record of a Law in our family history is the entry in the parish register of Libberton, Lanarkshire, recording the marriage, on 6th December 1782 of Robert Law and Rachel Young.  Robert and Rachel had at least three children,  Janet born\baptised on 7th May 1786 in Libberton parish, Robert, (the next generation in our family history), born\baptised on 2nd February 1791 in Walston parish, and Elizabeth, born\baptised 25th April 1793 in Carnwath parish. 

Robert and Rachel seem to have settled in Carnwath parish, and sometime circa 1820, their son, Robert Law, married Janet Spence, the daughter of Hugh Spence, a tailor, and Marion Selkirk. Hugh Spence and Marion Selkirk were married on 3rd January 1790 in Carstairs, and Janet was baptised on 25th January 1795, also in Carstairs. Both these events were recorded in the Carstairs parish register. (For further details of the know children of Hugh Spence and Marion Selkirk - See Appendix A)

Robert Law and Janet Spence seem to have set up home in Carnwath parish, as it is in the register of that parish that the first record of the baptism of one of their children, a daughter Marion, on 25th August 1821 appears, followed by the baptism of a second daughter, Rachel , on 9th January 1823, and the baptism of their first  son, Robert, on 3rd April 1825.

On 7th February 1827 Rachel Young died, aged 72, at Gowmacmorn, (for further details of Gowmacmorran Farm - See Appendix B.), which may have been the family farm by this time, and was buried in Carnwath Parish Church graveyard.

The following year Robert Law and Janet Spence had the next generation in our family history, Hugh, baptised on 22nd June 1828. The baptisms of a further two sons followed, James on 24th October 1830, and John on 20th February 1834.  All these births\baptisms being recorded in Carnwath Parish.

On 1st March 1836 Robert Law senior died, aged 77.  He too died at Gowmacmorn and was buried in Carnwath Parish Church graveyard.  Neither his burial nor that of his wife Rachel are marked by a headstone as far as can be established, although both burials are recorded in the Carnwath Parish Church records.

Over the next four years the family of  Robert Law and Janet Spence was completed with the births of a final two children, a girl and a boy, William baptised on 22nd June 1837, and Anne baptised on 7th August 1839 both being recorded in Carnwath Parish. (For furhet details of the known children of Robert Law and Janet Spence - See Appendix C.)

At the time of the census of 31st June 1841 the family were living at Gowmacmorn farm, near Wilsontown, in Carnwath parish.

1841 Census (7th. June)  Carnwath (632)  Book 4. Page 15.  

Gowmacmorn Farm, near Wilsontown, Carnwath Parish

Their son John, baptised on 20th February 1834, who would have been aged 7, is not listed in this census, and this may signify his death in infancy. For the census of 31st March 1851, ten years on, Robert Law and Janet Spence, along with four of their children, were still living at Gowmacmorran farm. Unfortunately Hugh Law, the next generation in our family history, is not listed and a search of all the census returns for Carnwath failed to find him. We do however get the information that the farm extended to 50 acres.

1851 Census (31st. March)  Carnwath (667)  Book 9. Page 1.

Gowmacmorran Farm, Carnwath

Six and a half years after this census, on 14th October 1857, Robert Law died, aged 66. He was laid to rest in Carnwath parish church graveyard.  The inventory for his will valued his estate at 262 pounds 15 shillings and 10 pence. (For further details of Robert Laws "Inventory" - See Appendix G.)

Nine months later, on 9th July 1858, his son Hugh Law, now aged 29, married Susanna Robb at Upper Haywood farm, Carnwath. Hugh's address on the marriage certificate is given as Guildhouse, the farm adjoining Gowmacmorran, his family home. Upper Haywood, where the marriage took place, was the home of his bride, Susanna, and was a farm of 133 acres, worked by her parents, James Robb and Mary Donald. Susanna was baptised on 15th January 1836, along with her twin sister, Mary. (SEE ROBB FAMILY HISTORY).

Hugh Law and Susanna Robb's first child, Robert was born at Guildhouses, on 7th July 1859, and it is there that we find them for the census of 1861

1861 Census (8th April)  Carnwath (632)  Book 6. Page 2.

Guildhouses Farm, Carnwath

There must have been an air of expectancy in its truest sense in the Law household when this census was taken as Susanna was in the advanced stages of pregnancy.  Four days later on 12th April their second child, James was born.  This birth was recorded as happening at Upper Guildhouses, and their were two separate farms, Upper Guildhouses, and Guildhouses 

Janet Law, nee Spence, Hugh's mother was still living Gowmackmorn farm, at the time of this 1861 census with Robert her eldest son, since the death of her husband Robert four years previously.

1861 Census (8th April)  Carnwath (632)  Book 6. Page 4.

Gowmacmorran Farm, Carnwath

Hugh Law and Susanna Robb seem to have left Guildhouses about 1862 as by the birth of their third son, Hugh, on 28th June 1863, they had moved to Hartfield farm, Cambusnethan.  A fourth son, John, was also born there, on 9th March 1866.

By the birth of their fifth successive son, William, on 23rd May 1868, Hugh and Susanna had moved again, this time to Netherhouses farm, near Armadale, Bathgate, (for further details of Netherhouses farm - See Appendix D.), and this was to remain their home for the rest of their days. It was there, on 25th September 1870, that they had a daughter at last, Mary Donald, named after Susanna's mother.

The census of 3rd April 1871, six and a half months later, records  Hugh, Susanna, their five sons, baby daughter, and three farm workers living at Netherhouses, a farm of some 105 acres, most of which are arable.

1871 Census (3rd April)  Bathgate (662-2)  Book 3. Page 27.

Netherhouses Farm, Armadale, Bathgate.

Back in Carnwath for this 1871 census Janet Law, nee Spence, Hugh's mother had moved from Gowmackmorn farm to Guildhouses farm, which was being farmed by her third son James.   (Gowmackmorn was being farmed by Isabella Law, the wife of her eldest son, Robert.   Where Robert was for this census I know not.)

1871 Census (3rd April)  Carnwath (632)  Book 6. Page 4.

Guildhouses Farm, Carnwath

The Marion MacCallum, niece recorded in this census was the daughter of Marion Law, and James MacCallum.  Marion Law was the eldest daughter of Robert Law and Janet Spence.

Over the next ten years Hugh and Susanna's family increased with a further three children, Janet Spence, born on 8th April 1873, Andrew, born on 14th September 1875, and Thomas, the next generation in our family history, born on 16th September 1878. All were born at Netherhouses.

Shortly before the birth of Thomas, Janet Spence, his maternal grandmother, died, aged 83. She died on 21st May 1878, at Medwin Bank, Corstorphine, Edinburgh, the house of her second eldest daughter Rachel who had married a Thomas Dick on 24th November 1854 in Carnwath.  Janet was laid to rest next to her husband Robert Law, in the family grave in Carnwath parish church graveyard.  A headstone marks the grave.

A year and a half later, on 22nd December 1879, Robert Law, Hugh Law's brother, who had taken over Gowmacmorran  farm, on the death of his father, died, aged 45. He too was laid to rest in the family grave in Carnwath parish church graveyard.

For the census of 4th April 1881 Hugh, Susanna and their growing family are again listed at Netherhouses. The acreage of the farm has increased to 150, with 100 acres still remaining arable. The man and boy employed by Hugh Law would seem to be his two sons, Robert and John.

1881 Census (4th April)  Bathgate (662-2)  Book 4. Page 11.

Netherhouses Farm, Armadale, Bathgate

Two sons are missing from this census, James who would have been aged 19, and Hugh who would have been aged 17. James became a surveyor with the Customs and Excise, and was presumably already away from home, learning his trade.  Hugh, was working for his late Uncle Andrew Robb's widow, Elizabeth on Glenend farm, Muiravonside, Stirling.

Hugh Law and Susanna Robb's family was completed with the birth, on 7th February 1883, of Alexander, making ten children in all, eight boys and two girls!! Sadly their youngest daughter, Janet Spence, died shortly before her sixteenth birthday, on 29th May 1889. (For further details of the known children of Hugh Law and Susanna Robb - See Appendix E.)

Sometime between 1881 and 1891 both Hugh Law's in-laws, James Robb and Mary Donald, now well into their eighties, came to live at Netherhouses farm. It is there that we find them, along with Hugh, Susanna, and four of their grandchildren for the census of April 1891.

1891 Census ( April) Armadale (662-2) Book 4. Page 22.

Netherhouses Farm, Armadale, near Bathgate.

Also listed in the 1891 census for the Armadale district is Robert Law, Hugh Law's eldest son, who was farming at neighbouring Snypps (Snipes?) farm, along with his wife Jean Nisbett.

1891 Census (      April)  Armadale (662-2)  Book 4.  Page 22.

Netherhouses Farm, Armadale, near Bathgate.

Six weeks after this census, on 22nd May 1891, Mary Donald died, aged 89, followed six months later by her husband, James Robb, who died on 18th November 1891, aged 92. Both deaths occurred at Netherhouses farm, but the couple were buried in Carnwath parish church graveyard. Also in 1891, on 17th September, Hugh and Susanna's fourth son, John, died, aged 25. John had married an Anne Marshall and was a butcher in Craigneuk at the time of his death.

Four years later, on 26th March 1895, Hugh Law died, aged 65, and was laid to rest in Bathgate cemetery, alongside his two children, Janet and John, who had predeceased him.

For the census of 1901 Susanna was still living at and at running Netherhouses.  Thomas Law with little future at home, (the farm going to his eldest brother Robert on the death of his mother, was employed in the timber trade, in which he would remain for the remainder of his working life.

1901 Census (7th April)  Armadale(662/2)  Book 4 Page 16.

Netherhouses Farm, Armadale, near Bathgate.

By 1908 at latest Thomas had flown the nest as on 10th April of that year, whilst living at Little Park, 9 Chapel Lane, Falkirk, he married. His bride was Isabella Robb, born 1875/76, the daughter of James Robb, a farmer, and Margaret Wilson, who was living at the time of the marriage at Woodend, Carnwath. Susanna Robb, Thomas's mother, and James Robb, Isabella's father were brother and sister, and Isabella therefore was Thomas's cousin. Sadly Isabella died on 24th June 1908, nine days after the birth of a son, John Robb Law, on 15th June 1908, at Chapel Lane, Falkirk.

On 16th April 1912 Thomas Law re-married. His bride, Mary Marshall  Allison, was the daughter of Andrew Allison, a farmer at Craighead, Salsburgh, near Shotts, and Mary Marshall. Mary Marshall Allison was aged 25 at the time of her marriage, having been born on 4th October 1886, at Whitehill farm, near Shotts, the fourth of ten children. (SEE ALLISON & MARSHALL FAMILY HISTORIES).

Thomas and Mary's first child, a daughter, Mary, was born on 10th November 1912, at Bankrigg, parish of Yester, but their second child, also a daughter, Susanna Margaret, born two years later, on 12th September 1914, was born at St. Ives, Laurieston, Falkirk. Sometime after this and before the birth of their next child, a son, Andrew Allison, on 23rd November 1916, the family had moved to 9 St. Ronan's Terrace, Morningside, Edinburgh, as it was there that the birth of Andrew was recorded. This was to remain the family home for over sixty years.

On 20th April 1918, Susanna, Thomas's mother, having outlived her husband, Hugh, by twenty-three years, died at Netherhouses, aged 81. She was laid to rest, alongside her husband, her daughter Janet Spence, and her son John, in the family grave in Bathgate cemetery.

Back in Edinburgh, at 9 St. Ronan's Terrace, Thomas Law and Mary Marshall Allison's family was completed with the births of a further two children, Thomas on  11th April 1921, and Janet Allison Spence on 9th August 1927.