John Wellwood

John Wellwood, born about 1823, is also not present in Scotland for the 1841 census.  He is, however, present in Glasgow for his marriage to Margaret Grant Thomson on June 3, 1845.  John and Margaret proceeded to have a 40-year marriage during which 8 children were born.  In 1851, they were living in Calton, Glasgow along with their oldest 3 children: George, born on Mar. 16, 1846; Jane, born on March 29, 1848; and Agnes Grant Wellwood, born on Sept. 21, 1850, all three having been born in Barony Parish, Glasgow.  John, Jr. was born on Dec. 18, 1852, also in Barony Parish, Glasgow.  Janet Gosland Wellwood followed on Feb. 6, 1855 in Bridgeton.  Elizabeth was the sixth child, born on April 8, 1857 in Bridgeton, and then Margaret, born on May 11, 1859, also in Bridgeton.  John and Margaret’s last child was Samuel Moses Wellwood, born on Dec. 11, 1861 in Bridgeton, Glasgow.  Samuel signed his father’s death record on Sept. 3, 1885 in Dennistoun.

George Wellwood married Helen Smith in Hutchesontown, Glasgow on July 20, 1869.  In the 1871 census, they had one daughter, Lizzie, who was a year old.  Upon checking the birth registers at ScotlandsPeople, I discovered her name to be not Lizzie or Elizabeth, but Margaret Brown Wellwood, who had been born to George and Helen on March 24, 1870 in Glasgow.  In the 1881 census, Helen is widowed and living at her mother’s house in Springburn with 2 daughters: Maggie and Helen.  Checking the birth registers shows that Helen Thomson Wellwood was born on Dec. 13, 1871 in the Hutchesontown district of Glasgow.  I have found no death record for George.  Her sister Maggie married, according to her record of death on Aug. 7, 1950 in Pollock, Glasgow, a man named James McCulloch Robertson.  I can find no record of the marriage, but according to her death record they were divorced.  The sisters were living with their aunt Margaret Smith in 1891 and neither was married, so Maggie’s marriage must have occurred after that time.  (Edit: I have found Maggie and her husband definitively in the 1901 census!  They are visiting her uncle Samuel Moses Wellwood in Paisley, Renfrew – both are 31 years of age and they have no children with them – so her marriage to James must have occurred between 1891 and 1901, likely closer to 1901.  End edit.)  (Just another quick edit: as you can see from the comments below, one of our readers has pointed me to the marriage date and location for this couple.  I will send for the certificate to get the exact date and will then post it here.  It turns out they were married in Lancashire, England in the first quarter of 1901.  End edit) (One further note:  James and Maggie had at least one child – a son named Cyril Wellwood Robertson born in Aberfeldy, Perth, Scotland on Aug. 13, 1901.  On his birth record, the date and place of his parents’ marriage is given as Jan. 8, 1901 in Ormskirk, Lancashire.  James’ occupation is given as Artist.  Cyril died at the age of 17 on Mar. 29, 1919 in Cathcart, Glasgow of an infection from a ruptured appendix).  Helen (Smith) Wellwood died in Dennistoun on Mar. 23, 1886.  Helen Thomson Wellwood died in Dennistoun on Feb. 17, 1897 at the age of 15 of pthisis, or pulmonary tuberculosis.

George’s sister Jane married John W. Forrest on Sept. 21, 1877 in Dennistoun.  Beryl M. Smith signed her grandmother Jane’s death certificate on Jan. 21, 1940 in Pollock, Glasgow.  So, working backwards, I looked for a birth certificate for Beryl.  When that brought me no luck, I searched for a marriage between a female Forrest and a male Smith that might have been Beryl’s parents.  I also struck out there.  So I moved on – but will come back to it again later when I located a brother to Beryl…

(Edit – May 2, 2011:  Just a note here – as you can see from the comments, I now know that William Smith was Beryl M. Smith’s husband, not her brother.  Beryl Mary’s parents were Hugh Smith and Jeannie Wellwood McCallum Forrest, whose parents were the above Jane Wellwood and John W. Forrest.  I located Jeannie’s death certificate which lists her parents names and gives her death as October 3, 1932 in Springburn, Glasgow.  I also located a subsequent marriage for Hugh, just 2 months after his wife’s death, to his late wife’s father’s brother’s (Thomas’) daughter (his wife’s first cousin) Agnes Forrest who was 23 years his junior.  According to Beryl’s daughter, Beryl died in 2006 at the age of 97 (98 on the death record) and William died in 1994, at the age of 85 according to his death record.)

Agnes Grant Wellwood married Robert Ramsay in Glasgow on Jan. 14, 1873.  At some point during the year they travelled to the United States, as their first child, Margaret T., was born in Chicago, Illinois (according to the 1901 census, which gives her birth as Nov. 1873).  They then returned to Scotland, where their next 2 children were born: Jane Shaw Ramsay was born in Gorbals district, Glasgow on Oct. 10, 1875 (although the birth was registered in Hutchesontown) and John Wellwood Ramsay was born in Kinning Park, Glasgow on Sept. 23, 1878.  In the 1881 Scotland census the family is living in the Bothwell district of Glasgow and Margaret’s place of birth is simply given as America.  Robert is listed as a steel worker in the 1881 census, but on his son’s birth record a year and a half earlier he’s listed as a merchant seaman.  In November, 1881 Agnes and the children sailed on the FURNESSIA out of Glasgow to New York, arriving on Nov. 23.  I have not been able to locate Robert’s emigration, but it’s possible he was working the voyage, and so was not on the passenger list.  In the 1900 census, Agnes, Robert, and their son John are living in Everett, Ma.  Robert’s birth is given as Feb. 1851, Agnes’ (correctly) as Sept. 1850, and John W. (also correctly) as Sept. 1878.  Robert is a stevedore foreman in a steamship company.  He also had become a naturalized citizen, although his son John had not.  Also stated in this census is the information that Agnes has given birth to 3 children, all of which are still living.  I then looked on the NEHGS site to locate the marriages of the two girls, and found that Maggie had married Edgar Beach on Christmas day, 1896 in Everett, Mass.  Looking further, I discovered the birth of two children to them: Robert Ramsay Beach, born in Everett on June 21, 1898 and Harold William Beach, born on Nov. 12, 1902 also in Everett.  In the 1900 census the Beach family is living in the same house as Margaret’s parents, and her husband is a stevedore, presumably working for his father-in-law.  Returning to NEHGS, I discovered Jane had married Herbert Cook in Everett on May 26, 1897.  In the 1900 census, they have had no children.  By the 1910 census Robert, Agnes, and their still-unmarried son John have moved to Suffolk county, Mass. And live in the town of Winthrop.  The Beach family is still living at the same address, but in addition to two living children, Maggie has had a third child that died.   NEHGS tells us an unnamed daughter was born on Nov. 8, 1908 in Everett.  The birth records of all three children list Maggie’s place of birth as Chicago.  Finding no reference to a stillbirth, or a death in Everett for this third child, I looked in Winthrop and discovered she had been given the name Eleanor A. Beach and had died on March 13, 1910 just before the census, at a year and four months old, of tubercular meningitis.  Herbert Cook and his family are living in Winchester, Ma., and they have a 10-yr-old daughter Doris A.  I searched the NEHGS site, but could find no birth record for Doris.  By the 1920 census, Agnes and Robert are living alone in Winthrop – John is married and living in Wellesley, Ma. with his wife Ida and children John. W. Jr. and Virginia.  John married Ida Florence (Seaver) Heath on Nov. 28, 1911 in Winchester and the marriage was registered in both Winthrop and Winchester.  (Edit, June 23, 2011: This was Ida’s second marriage.  Ida was born on May 3, 1885 in Berwick Maine to George F. Seaver, Jr. and his wife Ella R. Waterhouse.)  Ida gave birth to an unnamed daughter in Winthrop on March 13, 1915.  This could not have been Virginia, as the age is wrong – Virginia was only 8 months old in the 1920 census, and John was 3 years and 8 months old.  As there was no child in the 1920 census who could have been this daughter, she must have died before 1920.  Jean and Herbert and Doris Cook are still living in Winthrop in 1920, as are Margaret, Edgar, and their sons Robert and Harold.  By the 1930 census, Agnes and Robert are nowhere to be found, and I assume they both died in Winthrop between 1920 and 1930.  Herbert and Jean are living alone on a poultry farm in North Attleborough, Ma. in 1930, and I have not been able to find Doris – I assume she married between 1920 and 1930.  Edgar, Margaret and their two unmarried sons are still living in Winthrop in 1930, and John and his family have moved to Bourne on Cape Cod.  In addition to John, Jr. and Virginia, John and Ida also have a 9 year old son named Robert.  According to the Social Security Death Index, John Jr. died on Dec. 4, 1976 in Ohio and was born on April 20, 1916, and Robert who died in May 1986 was born on Aug. 1, 1920.  I have no marriage or death information for Virginia Ramsay.  Robert and Harold Beach both died in Yarmouth, Ma. although I have no marriage information for them.

I’ll skip over John Wellwood, Jr., as the next post will be devoted to him and his descendants, and continue here with his sister Janet Gosland Wellwood.  Janet married James W. Jack on June 16, 1882 in Blythswood, Glasgow, Scotland.  They had no children.  James died on Dec. 19, 1938 in Pollock, Glasgow and Janet died there also on Oct. 22, 1944.  James’ death record was signed by his great-nephew-in-law William Smith, who I believe was a brother to Beryl Smith, Jane (Wellwood) Forrest’s granddaughter.  Beryl M. Smith signed her great-aunt Janet’s death record.

Elizabeth Wellwood never married.  She became a teacher, lived in London for a time, and then travelled to the United States on board the CAMERONIA out of Glasgow, arriving in New York on May 22, 1916.  She lived in New Jersey until she retired and then returned to Glasgow on the COLUMBUS out of New York, arriving on May 24, 1925.  Elizabeth died in Cathcart, Glasgow on April 11, 1939 as a result of a motor-car accident on March 26 of that year.  Her death record was signed by her great-nephew William Smith.

Margaret Wellwood has presented me with a bit of a puzzle.  There were two possibilities.

First: There is a marriage for Margaret Wellwood age 21, daughter of John and Jane (Madole) Wellwood on July 13, 1877 in Dennistoun, Lanarkshire.  It appears to be witnessed by Samuel Rowley, Fanny (Wellwood) Rowley’s son and hence Margaret’s uncle, but Samuel would have been only 14 at this time and I would have thought was too young to be a witness on an official document.  And Jane Madole (McDowall with a strong Irish accent) was John’s mother’s name, not Margaret’s mother’s.  Still, I believed this could be John’s daughter Margaret, and so initially followed this line.  The man this Margaret married was Henry Sharp, 2 years her junior.  In 1881 they are living in Jarrow, Durham county, England and have three children: James, age 2 who was born in Scotland, William (named for Henry’s father) age 1 who was born in So. Shields, Durham, and Charlotte (named for Henry’s mother) who is just a month old and was also born in So. Shields, Durham.  In the 1891 census, Margaret is living in Parr, Lancashire with children William, Charlotte, Margaret (age 8 and born in Glasgow), Isabella (age 6 and born in Hebron, Northumberland in England), and Elizabeth (age 4 and born in St. Helens, Lancashire).  Margaret is married and not widowed, but Henry is not present at the time of the census and Margaret is listed as head of the household.  In 1901 Margaret is a patient is the Glasgow District Lunatic Asylum in Kirkintilloch, Dunbartonshire.  She died there the following year, on Nov. 17, 1902.  The death record was filled out by an attendant, and her parents are given as Jane Wellwood and William Graham, neither of which agrees completely with her marriage record.  Her spouse is given as Henry Sharp, however, and the mother listed does somewhat agree with that given on her marriage record.  No idea where the William Graham came from, though.  Henry died the following year on June 27, 1903 in the Glasgow City Poorhouse.  Their daughter Jeannie signed his death record.  This may have been their daughter Margaret, or perhaps a niece instead of a daughter as noted, as I can find no record of a daughter Jeannie.  I did locate Margaret’s birth in Camlachie, Glasgow on Oct. 30, 1882, but have not yet verified the birth records of the other children.   In 1901, Henry is boarding at a home for men, Charlotte is in service as a milkmaid, and Elizabeth is boarding out while working.  Isabella is in the Barnhill Poorhouse.  James is in St. Giles, Cripplegate, London, England along with other young men between the ages of 16 and 34.  It appears to be some form of residence for young men working in local warehouses, possibly near the docks of London.  William is in the Royal Navy in the 1901 census, on board the EDINBURGH working as a stoker.  Charlotte married John Kyle McGregor in Calton, Glasgow on Sept. 28, 1906.  They had 5 children: Margaret Sharp McGregor was born in 1902 and at age 21 on Nov. 16, 1923 married John Leopold Smith in Camlachie – it is her marriage record that gives her father’s middle name, and clears up the error on his own marriage to Charlotte that gives his mother’s maiden name as Kerr instead of Kyle as it should be; James was born in Dennistoun on Dec. 24, 1904; Jeannie Sharp McGregor was born in Bridgeton on Apr. 25, 1910; John. Jr. was born about 1918 in Glasgow, and Thomas was born about 1924 in Glasgow.  In 1927, John Kyle McGregor emmigrated to Canada on board the DORIC out of Greenock arriving in Halifax, Nova Scotia on Mar. 28 to join his son James in Toronto.  James had emmigrated to Canada at the age of 20, on board the LETITIA out of Glasgow and arriving in Quebec on May 3, 1925.  Charlotte, Jeannie, John, Jr., and Thomas followed on board the LETITIA out of Glasgow, arriving in Quebec on Nov. 19, 1927.  I have no record of them after they arrived in Canada.  Their daughter Margaret remained in Glasgow with her husband.  Isabella married Alexander Campbell in Blythswood, Glasgow – a widower 7 years her senior and a Private in the military forces – on July 12, 1917 – they had at least one daughter, as Isabella’s death record on Feb. 18, 1959 was signed by her son-in-law Robert Kirkwood.  Isabella’s sister Charlotte McGregor witnessed her marriage by declaration which took place just prior to the third battle of Ypres (Passchendaele).  Margaret married David Munro Napier on Feb. 25, 1899 in Dennistoun, Glasgow and died at the age of 32 on Sept. 23, 1915 in Dennistoun of pyaemia, a form of staph infection.  She and David had at least 2 children: William, born shortly after their marriage on Apr. 2, 1899 and Margaret, born on July 17, 1905, both in Dennistoun, Glasgow.  In the 1901 census Margaret, David, and their son William are living in Bridgeton, Glasgow.  Elizabeth married Thomas Milne on July 19, 1907 in Springburn, Glasgow and she died on Feb. 27, 1955 in Townhead, Glasgow.  Elizabeth and Thomas had a son, William, born Nov. 12, 1909 in Calton.  Thomas served in the Labor Corps during WWI and was discharged in Sept. 1919 due to deafness, 2 months after asking for a reduction in his rank from a corporal to a private – no idea why.  William Sharp remained in the Royal Navy, and according to his service record (which I downloaded from the UK National Archives – see link, above) was released from service on July 26, 1920 due to heart disease.  There is a notation for the year 1949 – perhaps that is the year he died.  William’s service record also gives his date of birth as Aug. 10, 1880.  I could find no further records for James.

Second: There is a marriage for Margaret Wellwood age 26 to Thomas Thew age 25 in Wandsworth, Surrey, England on August 1, 1885 which was brought to my attention by a reader of this blog.  This Margaret died in Wandsworth in 1930.  She and Thomas had 3 children: Alan Wellwood Thew, age 1 in the 1891 census, 11 in 1901, and 21 in 1911; Doris M. Thew, age 7 in 1901 and 17 in the 1911 census; and Leslie Ernest Thew, born Oct 8, 1899 (from baptismal record), baptised Nov. 12, 1899 in Battersea, London, and listed as age 1 in the 1901 census and 11 in 1911.  Alan married Jesse E. Jones in 1924 in Wandsworth.  Doris married Arthur H. Cole in 1919 in Wandsworth.  And Leslie married twice – first to Winifred E. Lowe in 1927 in Wandsworth, and second to Annie Henderson in Battersea, London in 1937.  Thomas Thew, Margaret’s husband, died in Battersea in 1936 and Margaret died on March 22, 1930 in Wandsworth.  I have no further information on descendants in this line.

The reason this Margaret is of interest is because her marriage to Thomas Thew lists her father’s name as John, whose occupation is listed as Commision agent – as our John Wellwood married to Margaret Grant Thompson’s occupation was listed as in the 1881 Scotland census.  One witness to the marriage is Jeannie Forrest – which is most likely her sister Jane who married John Forrest in 1877 and was living in Battersea for the 1891 census. And that same census lists Margaret Thew’s place of birth as Scotland.  I can find no other John Wellwood with a daughter Margaret born in the period from 1855-1860 in Scotland other than the one married to Margaret Grant Thompson, but clearly only one of these two daughter Margarets can belong to John and Margaret Wellwood.  It seems certain that Margaret Thew born in 1859 is the correct daughter.  There is still the matter of Margaret (Wellwood) Sharp born in 1856,however, who is also clearly a Wellwood descendant.  With nothing more to go on than a marriage record in Kirkintilloch that lists John Wellwood as her father (but Jane Madole as her mother) and witnessed by possibly a 14-yr-old Samuel Rowley and a death record in Dennistoun that lists Jane Wellwood as her mother (but William Graham as her father) and the informant was an attendant at the insane assylum where she then resided, I have no real clue as to where she fits in the line or even if she belongs in it at all.  I can also find no fit for her in the Wellwood line that resides in Fife, Scotland.  Perhaps some day a descendant will contact me who knows exactly where Margaret (Wellwood) Sharp fits in the line…

As well as writing about John, Jr’s descendants in the next post, I’m going to put off writing about John and Margaret’s youngest son Samuel Moses Wellwood and his descendants until the post after that.  You’ll understand why in a week or so…  😉

© Deborah Ray and archivecookie.com, 2011.

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I'm a Researcher, Archivist and Genealogist. I started researching my family tree in the mid-1970's before the internet made it so much easier, and more complicated. So much on the internet is NOT well researched, and copying it is a temptation too many succumb to. I hope to blog about what I've found in my own research - maybe you'll find your missing link here! ;-) Follow Me on Mastodon Follow Me on Twitter Follow Me on Post Social Follow Me on CounterSocial
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10 Responses to John Wellwood

  1. Holly Smith's avatar Holly Smith says:

    Hi there

    I just typed in a search for my Grandmothers name – Beryl Smith and cam upon your site, she was from Pollock and her daughter, my mother – Briar Smith; her middle name is Wellwood. Interesting, do you know any more information?

    Holly

  2. Holly – welcome! I know Beryl had a relative William who signed James Jack’s death record in 1838 and Elizabeth Wellwood’s death record in 1939. His address was given as the same as Beryl’s on the record she signed. I had assumed William was Beryl’s brother, but now I think it more likely they may have been husband and wife, given your last name. I’m going to look back into this and see what I can locate – can you confirm if Beryl’s husband was William Smith?

    ~Cookie

  3. I did find a wedding in Blythswood, Glasgow for Beryl Mary Smith to William Smith – this may be your grandparents. I will have to see if I can send for the record to find her parents’ names, then I can look for a record of their marriage to be sure her mother is Jane and John’s daughter. That’s the missing link…

    • Briar W.Smith's avatar Briar W.Smith says:

      Fascinating . Yes middle name is Wellwood. My Mother was Beryl Mary Smith and my Father was Dr. William Smith.correct abount Janet Mccallum Wellwood Forrest being her mother. I know very little about her father for private reasons. Other than his name was Hugh and he lived in Glasgow and remarried and I think had 2 more sons. Sadly Mum died at 97 just four years ago and my father 18 years ago.I have a few books connecting with John Wellwood think connected with Church. Holly my youngest daughter passed on this information . Often thought of going down this line. Do not really know anything too far back but most interesting to learn. regards Briar.Agnes Forrest was a relation of my late Grandmother – I think.I never knew the name of my Mum’s G. Mother but Jane was my Fathers Mum so I have used the name as the middle of my eldest daughter, Carlin. good luckj with your search. I am happy to help if possible.

  4. I found it! Beryl’s mother was Jeannie Wellwood McCallum Forrest, and her father was Hugh Smith. Jeannie died on Oct. 3, 1932 in Springburn, Glasgow, and her father remarried that December to Agnes Forrest, daughter of Thomas. I still can’t locate Jeannie’s birth or marriage record to verify her mother was Jane – other than Beryl’s signature on Jane’s death record as granddaughter, but I’ll keep looking… 🙂

  5. Helen Steller's avatar Helen Steller says:

    James McCulloch ROBERTSON married Margaret Brown WELLWOOD in the first quarter of 1901 at Ormskirk, Lancashire. James was born 28 Apr 1869 at St Davids, Dalgety, Fife, the son of William and Jane ROBERTSON nee AITKEN. James was a landscape artist, and died in South Africa in 1938. He married secondly Adelaide Mary maiden name unknown.
    regards Helen (Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia)

    • Thank you, Helen! I hadn’t even THOUGHT to look in England for the marriage! I will send for the certificate and find the exact date. Are you a descendant of James? I hope you’ll subscribe!

      • Helen Steller's avatar Helen Steller says:

        Hi Holly, I have only just found your reply and the info about Cyril Wellwood Robertson, whom I knew nothing about until now. No, I am not descended from James McCulloch Robertson – my husband is descended from JMR’s sister, Amy LOGAN nee Robertson. JMR was with Amy at Burntisland Fife for the 1891 Census. thank you, Helen

  6. Helen, nice to hear from you again – I’ll pass along your greetings to Holly!
    ~Cookie

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