Robert Muir's Birth Place

Before we begin to explore at the lives of Robert and Henrietta (Brown) Muir's children, we should discuss Robert's place of birth. Two documents known to reference Robert's birth place -- the 1841 and 1861 Scotland census records -- indicated he was not born in Scotland. The 1861 census was more specific; it listed Ireland as his place of birth. Yet Muir is a Scottish surname. How did Robert's parents, whoever they may be, come to live in Ireland?

The English crown began confiscating land in Ireland in the 16th century and colonizing those lands with settlers from England and the Scottish Lowlands. These plantations were established in many locations in Ireland, but primarily in the provinces of Munster and Ulster. The process began under Henry VIII and was accelerated under James I, Charles I and Oliver Cromwell. These colonies were called "plantations."

The final official plantations took place under Cromwell's Protectorate during the 1650s, when thousands of his veteran soldiers were settled in Ireland. There was, however, significant migration into Ireland from Great Britain and continental Europe after the final plantations were established.

Irish counties subject to plantations, or colonization; map courtesy
of Wikipedia

The plantations, not surprisingly, changed the demography of Ireland, creating large communities with a British and Protestant identity. The physical and economic nature changed as well, with new concepts of ownership, trade and credit being introduced. These changes led to the creation of a Protestant ruling class, which secured the authority of the Crown government in Ireland during the 1600s and beyond.

The present day partition of Ireland is largely the result of the plantation settlement patterns, with the large Protestant population around Ulster preferring to remain part of the United Kingdom. For a family historian or genealogist the violence engendered in Ireland, resulted in the loss of many valuable records. One such example was 30 June 1922. The Public Records Office of Ireland at the historic Four Courts in Dublin was severely damaged by fire during the Irish Civil War.

While we do not know exactly when or why Robert Muir's ancestors migrated from Scotland to Ireland, we may surmise they did as part of the Irish plantation effort of the British crown.

Town of East Kilbride

Robert and Henrietta (Brown) Muir's family lived in several locations in Lanarkshire, but according to the documented records, they lived the longest in the parish of East Kilbride at the village of Kirkton. The village is now called Kirkton Place and is a neighborhood in the town of East Kilbride, which is no longer a civil parish. The town is located about 8 miles southeast of Glasgow.

1843 British Ordnance Survey of the town of East Kilbride; map courtesy
of ScotlandsPlaces

The earliest evidence of habitation are ancient graves near a local river and Roman coins and footwear have also been found. The town takes its name from St. Bride, an Irish saint, who founded a monastery for nuns and monks in Kildare, Ireland.

In 1836, about 960 people lived in the town and most of them were considered very poor. Rev. Henry Moncrief, one of the contributors to the Statistical Account of Lanarkshire, which was published in 1841, wrote that:

"A considerable portion of the people are very poor. This is particularly the case in the village of Kilbride where there is a number of weavers, but no regular manufactory to keep the people in employment. In the rural parts, the population are generally comfortable, industrious, contented, and influenced by the religious habits of their forefathers. There are many persons in the villages of excellent character, both intellectually, morally, and religiously. Poaching in game, it is to be feared, used to be prevalent, but is not so now."

The average wage for a general laborer was about 10 to 12 shillings a week. Men who worked in East Kilbride's many limestone quarries may have earned a little more. Sixteen pecks of potatoes cost 16 shillings in 1840.

According to Rev. Moncrief, there was a parish library and a subscription library. There were three district parochial schools in the parish and a "very excellent school in Maxwellton, supported by the liberality of Sir William Maxwell. In all the schools, ordinary branches are taught. Some of the modern improvements have been introduced, with great advantage, into Sir William Maxwell's school."

The parish also had a savings' bank, which was connected with the Glasgow National Security Savings Bank. There were 19 inns and public houses, which Rev. Moncrief thought "prejudicial to the morals of the people."

East Kilbride Old Parish Church; photograph courtesy of the Scottish War Memorials Project

The original parish church had been built on the site of a pre-Christian well. The current church was built in 1774 near the original site. It was the church in which Robert and Henrietta's children were baptized. 

Children of Robert and Henrietta (Brown) Muir

2.1. William Muir (about 1826-unknown)

According to the 1841 census record for Robert Muir's family, William Muir was born about 1826 in Lanarkshire, Scotland. I assume he is a son, but have not yet confirmed it. He was born two years before Robert and Henrietta's marriage; so he was born out of wedlock or had a different mother. However, only one marriage was listed on Robert Muir's death certificate.

2.2. Elizabeth Muir (about 1829-1863)

Elizabeth Muir and her husband, Matthew Cassels', lives will be covered in future posts.

2.3. Martha Muir (1830-1876)

Martha Muir and her husband, John Riddell's, lives will be covered in future posts.

2.4. Jean Muir (1834-before 1837)

Jean Muir was born on 8 April 1834 in Avondale, Lanark. She was Robert and Henrietta (Brown) Muir's fourth child. Her birth was registered with the established Church of Scotland in Avondale, and no baptismal date was mentioned on the registration record. No other record has been located for Jean, but I assume she died before their fifth child, also named Jean, was born in 1837.

2.5. Henrietta Muir (1836-before 1841)

Henrietta Muir was born on 20 January 1836 at East Kilbride, Lanark, and baptized on 14 February 1836 at the same location. Her birth and baptism were registered with the Established Church of Scotland in East Kilbride. She was Robert and Henrietta (Brown) Muir's fifth child. No other record has record has been located for Henrietta, but I assume she died before their eighth child and sixth daughter, also named Henrietta was born in 1841.

2.6. Jean Muir (1837-1856)

Jean Muir was born on 8 October 1837 at East Kilbride, Lanark, and was baptized on 5 November 1837 at the same location. Her birth and baptism were registered with the Established Church of Scotland in East Kilbride. She was Robert and Henrietta (Brown) Muir's sixth child. In 1851 she was living with her siblings in East Kilbride and Jean was a 14-year-old student. She died on 19 August 1856 in East Kilbride at the age of 18. The cause of death listed on her death registration was chronic inflammation of the brain. She was buried in the Burial Ground of East Kilbride.

2.7. Robert Orr Muir (1839-1917)

Robert Orr Muir and his two wives, Jane Paton Loudon and Mary Watson Shaw's, lives will be covered in future posts.

2.8. Henrietta Muir (1841-1929)

Henrietta Muir and her husband, James Williamson's, lives will be covered in future posts.

2.9. Thomas Muir (1842-1901)

Thomas Muir and his wives, Janet Sorbie and Isabella Moore's, lives will be covered in future posts.

2.10. James Muir (1844-before 1847 or 1848)

James Muir was born on 2 August 1884 in East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, Scotland. He was the tenth child of Robert and Henrietta (Brown) Muir. He was baptized on 22 August 1848 in East Kilbride. I assume he died before 1847 or 1848 when another son named James Muir was born.

2.11. John Muir (1846-1923)

John Muir and his wife, Lilias Weir's, lives will be covered in future posts.

2.12. James Muir (1847 or 1848-1926)

James Muir and his wives, Margaret Semple and Margaret (McIntosh) Greenbank, lives will be covered in future posts.

2.13. Nathaniel Muir (about 1850-1923)

Nathaniel Muir and his wives, Janet Shaw and Christina (Ure) Stevenson's, lives will be covered in future posts.

_______________
1841 Scotland Census, 06/06/1841 Moore, Henrietta (Census 1841 643/00 001/00 001)
1851 Scotland Census, 03/03/1851, Muir, Elizabeth (Census 1851 643/00 015/00 016), pages 1-2
1851 Scotland Census, Parish: East Kilbride; ED: 15; Page: 16; Line: 17; Roll: CSSCT1851_152; Year 1851
Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950, Jean Muir, 1834
Scotland, Old Parish Records, 1538-1854, 05/11/1837, Muir, Jean (OPR Births 643/00 0030 0096 East Kilbride)
Scotland, Old Parish Records, 1538-1854, 08/04/1834, Muir, Jean (OPR Births 621/00 0040 0088 Avondale)
Scotland, Old Parish Records, 1538-1854, 14/02/1836, Muir, Henrietta (OPR Births 643/00 0030 0085 East Kilbride)
Scotland, Statutory Registrations, 1854-2013, 1856 Muir, Jane (Statutory Deaths 643/00 0038)

Robert Muir's Birth Registration?

The known information I had about Robert Muir from his death registration, 1861 and 1841 Scotland census records indicated the following about Robert:

• He was 69 years old at the time of his death on 20 April 1869
• His father was listed as James Muir on his death registration
• He was listed as foreign born according to the 1841 Scotland census
• He was born in Ireland according to the 1861 Scotland census

Possible birth registration index record for Robert Muir
which fits all known information; image courtesy of
RootsIreland

Henrietta Brown's Birth Registration?

Is this the old parish registration of Henrietta Brown's birth on 10 February 1812 in Barony, Lanarkshire (or Glasgow)? Are her parents Peter Brown and Henrietta Scott?

Possible birth registration for Henrietta Brown; image courtesy of
ScotlandsPeople

1841 Scotland Census for Robert Muir's Family

After writing the previous articles about Robert and Henrietta (Brown) Muir, I finally found the 1841 Scotland Census record for them and their family:

1841 Scotland Census record for Robert Muir's family; document
courtesy of ScotlandsPeople

Previous posts have been updated to include the information contained in this census document.

Village of Avondale

Current day Avondale is a parish in South Lanarkshire, containing the historic market town of Strathaven. The proper name for the parish and market town according to Rev. William Proudfoot, contributor to the Statistical Account of Lanarkshire, published in 1841, was Avondale even though it was not infrequently called Strathaven. The river Avon cuts the parish into to nearly equal halves, hence the name.

The Duke of Hamilton was the patron of the parish and owned nearly a fourth of the land. The population in 1831 was a little more than 5,700 people. Rev. Proudfoot considered the inhabitants "a well-informed, reading people."

Coal formations, ironstone, and limestone were prevalent in the parish at the time Robert and Henrietta (Brown) Muir were married and lived in Avondale. The duke kept several thousand acres in pastures for sheep grazing and grouse hunting. The duke also raised Clydesdale horses in the area. In 1841 Strathaven had a reputation for producing some of the finest veal in the country which was regularly shipped to Glasgow and Edinburgh and sold as "Strathaven veal."

A Roman road was known to run through the parish for a considerable distance, which led to a Roman fort at Loudon hill in East Ayrshire. There is also a castle with obscure origins but believed to have been built about 1350. It is called Strathaven Castle, Galver's Castle, or Avondale Castle.

Strathaven Castle; photograph courtesy of Wikipedia

There were 13 schools in the parish and enrollment was just under 600 students. Rev. Proudfoot believed almost every child above 6 years old could read. Latin, Greek, English, English grammar, writing, arithmetic, geography, mensuration, and mathematics were taught. A library with approximately 1,200 books was established in the parish in 1809.

There was a radical uprising in 1819. We do not know if Robert Muir and Henrietta Brown lived in Avondale at that time. The first documented existence of the couple is their parish marriage record, dated 1828, nearly a decade after the uprising. Rev. Proudfoot wrote about it:

"I grieve to be under the necessity of noticing a 'rising'...in open rebellion against lawful authority, and intended against both the altar and throne. I refer to the attempt of a few deluded persons, calling themselves 'Radicals' who with, something like weapons in their hands, marched from this place towards Glasgow, under the command of a James Wilson, whose life was soon after forfeited to the outraged laws of his country. It does not appear that Wilson ever contemplated matters so far as to become an open rebel against the laws of his country; but he had infused a spirit into his companions which he was unable to control. This rising was in the utmost degree contemptible, for it comprised no more than thirteen individuals, deluded by a false report that a general rebellion had taken place in Glasgow. It is to be remarked that none of those who joined in this ludicrous crusade afterwards experienced anything like prosperity."

The good reverend also complained about the funeral customs of the parish:

"Much time is lost, and no small expense unnecessarily incurred, by the way in which funerals are conducted in this parish. Great numbers of both men and women usually attend and sit together and receive their 'service' together in a barn or place of meeting. Though warned to attend at twelve o'clock, they seldom make their appearance till much later, and do not leave the place of meeting with the body before two o'clock; and having perhaps to travel several miles, the interment is seldom over till towards four o'clock. In general, three 'services' are given, two glasses of wine, and one glass of whiskey or rum."

1. Henrietta Brown (c1811-bef 1856)

I know very little about my great great great grandmother. Her name is listed in the old pre-1855 parish records ten times -- at the time of her marriage and on the registrations of the births of nine of her 12 children.

I do not know when she was born, who her parents were, or exactly when she died. In 1841 Robert and Henrietta were living with their children in East Kilbride, Lanarkshire. Neither she or Robert Muir were listed with their children when the 1851 census was enumerated.

Snippet from the marriage registration in the parish church register for
Robert Muir and Henrietta Brown; document courtesy of ScotlandsPeople

I know she married Robert Muir on 26 January 1828 in Avondale, Lanarkshire. I know she was alive in December 1850, which is the estimated birth year of her youngest son, Nathaniel. And that she was dead by the 19 August 1856, when her daughter, Jean Muir, died at the age of 18 years old of chronic inflammation of the brain. She was listed on the statutory death registration of Jean's death as deceased.

_______________
1841 Scotland Census, 06/06/1841 Moore, Henrietta (Census 1841 643/00 0001/00 0001)
Scotland, Old Parish Records 1538-1854, Marriages 621/00 0040 0232 Avondale)
Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950, James Muir
Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950, Jean Muir
Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950, Jean Muir
Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950, Martha Muir
Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950, Martha Muir

Robert Muir's Parents! Yes? Maybe?...No

Robert Muir's parents are a brick wall. Recently, I signed up for a subscription to MyHeritage.com. Two people have "my" Robert Muir in their trees with parents listed. One person was unsure where she had gotten the information about Robert's parents but thought perhaps it came from her great aunt , who I believe descended from Robert Orr Muir, a son of Robert's.

Another sent me the following infographic from a book compiled by an Australian branch of the family, which would likely be the descendants of Henrietta (Muir) Williamson, a daughter of Robert's. They believe "my" Robert was born in 1803 in Flemington and was a brother to Andrew Muir, making their parents Robert and Margaret (Melville) Muir. Yet, the scant documentation I have -- the 1841 and 1861 census and death registration -- state he was born in Ireland about 1800 and that his father's name was James.

So frustrating!

1. Robert Muir (c1800-1869)

FamilySearch.org: LJT8-YP2

Robert Muir was born about 1800 in Ireland and came to Scotland sometime before 1828 when he married Henrietta Brown on 28 January in Avondale parish, Lanarkshire. Robert and Henrietta had 12 known children, 10 of which lived to at least young adulthood. Two of their children, Henrietta and James emigrated from Scotland to other countries after marrying. Henrietta, her husband and children went to Australia and were early settlers of Bundaberg, Queensland. James Muir, his wife and family settled in the United States and lived in several coal “patches” in Illinois and Missouri. At this time, not much is known about Robert and Henrietta's first-born child and first son, William Muir.

In 1854 the Registration of Births Deaths and Marriages (Scotland) Act was enacted. The law required compulsory registration of births, deaths and marriages at the local parish registrar beginning on 1 January 1855.  Previously, families recorded these significant events at the established Church of Scotland or at their Roman Catholic parish. Many of these pre-1855 records have been lost over time, as they were not required to be sent to any type central repository. This has made tracing Robert Muir and his family somewhat challenging. 

Lanark county, or Lanarkshire, is the area of Scotland in which Robert Muir settled. It was in the central lowlands and was traditionally the most populous shire in the country. From the mid-18^th century to the early 20^th century Lanarkshire benefited from its rich seams of coal. So it’s no surprise the Muirs were mostly miners. Robert’s occupation is only mentioned in four records: on his daughters’ 1830 and 1834 birth registration entries, he is listed as “coal hewer” and “coal cutter;” "coal cutter" again on the 1841 census, and on the 1861 census, his occupation is “formerly coal miner.”

Coal had been mined in Scotland since 1210 when monks at Prestongrange were granted the right to quarry it. During Reformation the mines passed out of control of the church and were owned by landowners. The Act of 1606 bound all miners to the mines and gave coal masters the right to “apprehend all vagabonds and sturdy beggars to be put to labor.” In 1641 the restrictions were extended to those who worked at the surface of the mine. The Act of 1775 freed miners after a period of 3 to 10 years. Four years later, the Emancipation Act was enacted and declared miners free of servitude.  In 1842 the Mines Act prohibited children under 10 and women from working in the mines.

Children were mostly educated in schools run by the established Church of Scotland. However, by 1847 the Free Church claimed over 44,000 children were being taught in their schools. Education did not become compulsory for children aged 5 to 13, however, until 1872.  Robert and Henrietta’s children could not read or write and signed legal documents by making their mark. Most of their children received at least some education and were literate.

1845 Map of Lanarkshire, Scotland, from the Statistical Account of Lanarkshire 
published in 1841

Robert Muir and his family lived in Avondale, Glassford, East Kilbride and Larkhall parishes -- all in Lanark county. After Henrietta died sometime before 1856, Robert lived in Stonehouse parish where he died in 1869.

On 30 Mar 1851 when the census was enumerated, Robert and Henrietta’s children were living in East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, but their parents were not in the home at the time. It is possible Henrietta was sick, perhaps she never fully recovered from Nathaniel’s birth, and was in a hospital. This is merely supposition on my part.

Children of Robert and Henrietta (Brown) Muir:

• William Muir, born about 1826 (no more is known about this child at this time)
• Elizabeth Muir born about 1829 at Avondale, Lanarkshire; died 27 October 1863 at Dalton, Cambuslang, Lanarkshire. She married Matthew Cassels on 15 December 1851 at East Kilbride, Lanarkshire.
• Martha Muir born 2 September 1830 at Glassford, Lanarkshire; died 6 June 1876 at East Kilbride, Lanarkshire. She married John Riddell on7 August 1852 at East Kilbride, Lanarkshire.
• Jean Muir born 8 April 1834 at Avondale, Lanarkshire. She likely died before 1837.
• Henrietta Muir born 29 January 1836 at East Kilbride, Lanarkshire. She likely died before 1841.
• Jean Muir born 8 October 1837 at East Kilbride, Lanarkshire; died 19 August 1856 at East Kilbride, Lanarkshire.
• Robert Orr Muir born 1 October 1839 at East Kilbride, Lanarkshire; died 8 July 1917 at Bathgate, Linlithgow, Scotland. He married twice: 1) to Jane Loudon on or before 1863 and 2) to Mary Watson Shaw on 23 June 1871 at Lesmahagow, Lanarkshire.
• Henrietta Muir born 21 May 1841 at East Kilbride, Lanarkshire; died 1 September 1929 at Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia. She married James Williamson on 27 September 1861 at Avondale, Lanarkshire. They immigrated to Australia on 6 May 1885 aboard the cargo ship S/S Waroonga.
• Thomas Muir born 25 November 1842 at East Kilbride, Lanarkshire; died 5 May 1901 at Larkhall, Lanarkshire. He married twice: 1) to Janet Sorbie on 6 November 1863 at Stonehouse, Lanarkshire, and 2) to Isabella Moore on 4 October 1870 at Glassford, Lanarkshire.
• James Muir born on 2 August 1844; likely died before 1847 or 1848.
• John Muir born 28 June 1846 at East Kilbride, Lanarkshire; died 2 June 1932 at Larkhall, Lanarkshire. He married Lillas Weir 6 October 1865 at Stonehouse, Lanarkshire.
• James Muir born on 13 June 1847 or 1848; died on 18 March 1926 at Mystic, Appanoose, Iowa, USA. He married twice: 1) to Margaret Semple on 4 July 1873 at Dalserf, Lanarkshire, and 2) to Margaret “Maggie” (McIntosh) Greenbank on 9 January 1913 at Princeton, Mercer, Missouri, USA. He immigrated to the U.S. on 6 June 1887 aboard the steamship Ethiopia.
• Nathaniel Muir likely born sometime in December 1850; died 23 February 1923 at Whitburn, West Lothian (was Linlithgow previous to 1921). He married twice: 1) Janet Shaw 1 May 1870 at Avondale, Lanarkshire, and 2) Christina Ure on 29 May 1899 at Bathgate, Linlithgow..

The children of Robert and Henrietta (Brown) Muir had 78 known children, who lived on three continents.

_______________
1841 Scotland Census, 06/06/1841 Moore, Henrietta (Census 1841 643/00 0001/00 0001)
1861 Scotland Census, 07/04/1861, Muir, Robert (Census 1861 638/01 006/00 034)
1861 Scotland Census,  Parish: Dalserf: ED; 6; Page: 34; Line: 13; Roll CSSCT1861_95
Scotland, Old Parish Records 1538-1854, Marriages 621/00 0040 0232 Avondale)
Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950, James Muir
Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950, Jean Muir
Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950, Jean Muir
Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950, Martha Muir
Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950, Martha Muir
Scotland, Statutory Death Registrations, 1855-2013, 1869, Muir, Robert (Statutory Deaths 656/00 0018)

A Coal Miner's Prayer, by Brenda Grahm

Take a look at these hands, Lord,

They’re worn and rough.

My face scarred with coal marks,

My language is tough.

But you know in the heart, Lord,

Lies the soul of a man

Who toils at a living

That few men can stand

There’s sulfur and coal dust

And sweat on my brow.

To live like a rich man,

I’d never know how.

But if you’ve got a corner

When my work is through,

I’d be mighty proud to live

Neighbors with you.

Each dawn as I rise, Lord,

I know all too well…

I face only one thing:

A pit filled with hell.

To scratch out a living

The best that I can.

But deep in this heart

Lies the soul of a man.

With black covered faces

And hard calloused hands,

We ride the dark tunnels,

Our work to begin.

To labor and toil

As we harvest the coal

We silently pray,

Lord, please harvest our souls

Just a corner in Heaven

When I’ve grown too old

And my back it won’t bend, Lord,

To shovel the coal.

Lift me out of the pit, Lord.

Where the sun never shines,

‘Cause it get might weary

Down there in the mine.

But I’d rather be me, Lord.

Though no riches I show,

Though tired and weary.

I’m just glad to know

When the Great Seal is broken

The pages will tell

That I’ve already spent

My time in hell.

This poem is copyrighted by Brenda Grahm.

Muir and Brown Name Origins

Robert Muir married Henrietta Brown in 1828. People with their surnames most frequently live in these areas in the United Kingdom today:

Muir Surname

Brown Surname

These maps were produced on http://named.publicprofiler.org/.

Introduction

While this book is dedicated to the thousands of descendants of Robert and Henrietta (Brown) Muir, I cannot forget to give my Dad a very special thank you. I got my love of family history from my father. He was the genealogist in our family for years, starting before the Internet made it so much easier than it is today. He wasn't the best typist in the world so he would save up all his data entry tasks for my visits home. We spent hours together in his home office as I entered his latest research into the computer -- all the while Dad would tell stories about our ancestors. He was a natural born teacher and storyteller.

When I got a personal computer in 1994, the first software application I bought was for family trees. Since Dad was working on our family, I started on my husband's. I didn't get very far. His parents were first-generation Americans whose parents came from Lithuania, Austria, and Serbia. My first big discovery was finding my husband's paternal grandfather on a passenger list on the Ellis Island website.

Each time I hit a brick wall, I would put down my research for months and years at a time and then pick it back up again. I'd find some new bits and pieces of information every few years before hitting another brick wall. And so it continued until 2012.

Dad suffered a massive cerebral hemorrhage and could no longer research our family history. After seven months of brutal physical, occupational and speech therapy, he was again able to walk and to understand what we are talking about, but he is not able to speak and is often confused when left by himself. When Dad's therapists felt they had brought him back as far as they could, Mom decided they could't be apart any longer. She moved into an assisted living facility and Dad joined her the next week. They lived there happily together with wonderful care until Mom's death in 2014. What the future holds for Dad, well, we take it one day at a time.

We sold their house not long after they moved into their assisted living facility and I brought all Dad's genealogy files home with me. And so began my obsession. I promised Dad I would write a book about the one line he was unable to learn much about -- that of his grandfather, Robert Muir (1875-1956). The Muir family was his one line that did not come to America before the Revolutionary War. Dad did not have access to Scottish records so only knew as much as his mother could remember.

My father's grandfather, Robert Muir, was named for his paternal grandfather (and my great great great grandfather), Robert Muir, who was born about 1800 in Ireland and died on 20 April 1869 in Stonehouse, Scotland.

I hope you enjoy reading about our family!

Writing a Book about the Descendants of Robert Muir (c1800-1869)

I am writing a book about the descendants of Robert Muir (c1800-1869), my great great great grandfather. He married Henrietta Brown (died bef 1856) in Avondale, Lanarkshire in 1828 and they had 13 known children:

• William Muir (c1826-unknown)
• Elizabeth Muir (c1829-1863) married Matthew Cassels
• Martha Muir (1830-1876) married John Riddell
• Jean Muir (1834-bef 1837)
• Henrietta Muir (1836-bef 1841)
• Jean Muir (1837-1856)
• Robert Orr Muir (1839-1917) married 1) Jane Paton Loudon and 2) Mary Watson Shaw
• Henrietta Muir (1841-1929) married James Williamson and immigrated to Australia
• Thomas Muir (1842-1901) married 1) Janet Sorbie and 2) Isabella Moore
• James Muir (1844-bef 1848) 
• John Muir (1846-1923) married Lilias Weir
• James Muir (1848-1926) married 1) Margaret Semple and immigrated to USA and 2) Margaret (McIntosh) Greenbank
• Nathaniel Muir (c1850-1923) married 1) Janet Shaw and 2) Christina Ure

This Volume, Volume I, is about Robert Muir; his wife, Henrietta Brown, their children who did not live to adulthood or proved impossible to trace; and the descendants of their oldest daughter, Elizabeth Muir, and her husband Matthew Cassels.

If you are a descendant of any of these people and would like to contribute stories, photos, or memories of your ancestors, I would love to include them in the book. The book will be free and will be available for download in PDF format from this website.

Simply comment below or use the comment form to the right, and I will be in contact with more information. Or contact me through my public Facebook genealogy page: Tangled Roots and Trees.

I look forward to hearing from you.