2.3. Martha Muir (1830-1876)

Martha Muir was Robert and Henrietta (Brown) Muir's third child. She was born on 2 September 1830 in Glassford Parish, Lanarkshire. In 1841, when the census was enumerated the family had moved to East Kilbride Parish. Ten years later, Robert and Henrietta's children were enumerated in the 1851 census and lived in the village of Kirkton, East Kilbride. Martha's older sister, Elizabeth, was listed as head of the household. The three oldest daughters -- Elizabeth, Martha, and Jean -- worked as farm servants.

Martha married John Riddell the next year on 7 August in East Kilbride.

East Kilbride Street Scene. You can see the parish church in the background;
photograph courtesy of  Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical
Monuments of Scotland

When the 1861 census was taken, the family was living on Main Street in East Kilbride; John worked as a cement miner; and they had three children -- John, Henrietta, and Oswald. Ten years later the family was still living on Main Street. Two of their children, Henrietta and Oswald, had left home, but four more children had been born: Robert, Elizabeth (born nine days before Aunt Elizabeth, died), Francis, and Thomas.

Their youngest child, Margaret Riddell was born in 1871 after the census was taken.

Martha Muir died five years later on 6 June 1876 in the village of Kirkton of phthisis pulmonalis, or tuberculosis. She was 45 years old. Her husband never remarried and died 12 years later.

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1841 Scotland Census, 06/06/1841 Moore, Henrietta (Census 1841 643/00 001/00 001)
1851 Scotland Census, 30/03/1851 Muir, Elisabeth (Census 1851 643/00 015/00 016)
1851 Scotland Census, Parish: East Kilbride; ED: 15; Page: 16; Line: 16; Roll: CSSCT1851_152
1861 Scotland Census, 07/04/1861 Riddell, John (Census 1861 643/00 001/00 017)
1861 Scotland Census, Parish: East Kilbride; ED: 1; Page: 17; Line: 25; Roll: CSSCT1861_95
1871 Scotland Census, 02/04/1871 Riddell, John (Census 1871 643/00 001/00 016)
1871 Scotland Census, Parish: East Kilbride; ED: 1; Page 15; Line 2; Roll: CSSCT1871_122
Scotland, Old Parish Registers, 1538-1854, 02/091830 Muir, Martha (OPR Births 645/00 0020 0017 Glassford)
Scotland, Old Parish Registers, 1538-1854, 07/08/1852 Muir, Martha (OPR Marriages 643/00 0030 0221 East Kilbride)
Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950, Elizabeth Riddell
Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950, Francis Riddell
Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950, John Riddell
Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950, Martha Muir
Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950, Robert Riddell
Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950, Robert Riddell
Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950, Thomas Riddell
Scotland, Statutory Registrations 1855-2013, 1876 Riddle, Martha (Statutory Deaths 643/00 0044)