Margaret Wight1,2

(circa 1804 - 1889)
FatherGeorge Wight2 (cir. 1774 - Feb 1843)
MotherMargaret Lauder2 (cir. 1777 - Oct 1860)

BMDB data

     Margaret Wight was born cir. 1804 Legerwood, BEW, SCT.1
     Margaret Wight married James Shiells, son of Andrew Shiel and Elizabeth Cleugh, on 5 Dec 1825 Westruther, BEW, SCT, entry dated "27 Nov & 4 Decr": reads: "James Shiels Tenant Hindsidehill & Margt Wight dr of George Wight Newbigging Walls Par. of Lauder."3,1,4
     Margaret Wight died in 1889 reg. Stow, MLN, SCT; aged 86 (Dist 699 #0024.)5,1,6

Census/Where lived/Occupations

     Margaret Shiells and James Shiells appeared on the census of 1841 Hyndesidehill, Par. of Westruther, BEW, SCT, and are assumed to be husband and wife. They were enumerated as SHIELS: James 35 farmer; Margaret 35; Margaret 12; Elizabeth 10; George 8; Mary 6; Beatrix 2 all b BEW; Also Elizabeth WALKER; William VALLANCE & Christian MELROSE.7
     Margaret Shiells appeared on the census of 1851 Colmsliehill, Par. of Melrose, ROX, SCT, with James Shiells, enumerated as SHIELS: James 49 farmer of 700 ac emp 10 labs; wife Margaret 47 both b Westruther, BEW; Children: Elisabeth 19 (no occ), George 17 (no occ), Mary 15 (no occ), Beatrice 11 scholar, all b Westruther, BEW; James 7 scholar, Jane 2 (both FreeCen and Ancestry have age 2, but by 1861 there's a 17 yr old Janet, and the IGI has 1842 for Janet as an extracted record, so I don't know how many Janes and Janets there are in the family, or what their real ages were) both b Melrose, ROX; Also servants Jean GIBSON, 28 farm serv b Kelso; LEVEN; NELSON; Elizabeth WALKER (b Ladhope), George WILSON 16 ag lab b Westruther.8
     The census of 1861 showed Margaret with her husband James, their dtrs Beatrice and Janet at Colmsliehill, Melrose, household enumerated as SHIELS: James 59 farmer b Westruther, BEW; Margaret 58 b Lauder, BEW; Children: George 27, Beatrice 20 b Westruther, BEW; Janet 17 b Melrose, ROX; Also servants CHARLES, HAIR *2, Helen HALL 21 dom serv b Melrose, ROX; RODGER.9
     Margaret Shiells appeared on the census of 1871 at Colmsliehill, Melrose, with James Shiells, enumerated as SHIELS: James 48 farmer emp 5 m b Westruther, BEW; wife Margaret 66 b Lauder, BEW; Children: Eliza 31 b Westruther; James 27, Jane 21 both b Melrose; Servants: JOHNSTON, HUNTER, BRUCE.10
     James and Margaret Shiells appeared on the census of 1881 at Colmsliehill, Melrose, as SHIELLS: James, head, Farmer Of 700 Acres 600 Arable Employing 5 Men 1 Boy 4 Women, b Westruther, BEW; wife Margaret 77 b Legerwood, BEW; Children (both unm, b Melrose, ROX): James 35; Jane 25; Visitor: Margaret Runciman farmer's dtr 25 b Lauder, BEW (their niece); Servants: Joan Ramsay, gen serv domestic, 21 b Liberton, Edin; Catharine Scott, farm serv 23 b Coldingham, BEW; David Pollock, ploughman 23 b Eccles, BEW; Robert Thomson, 20 b Smailholm, ROX.1

All the other info

     Margaret outlived her husband James Shiells who died on 26 Jan 1883.6

Family

James Shiells (cir. 1802 - Jan 1883)
Children
  • Margret Shiels11 (Apr 1829 - aft. 1847)
  • Elizabeth Shiels11 (Jun 1831 - aft. 1871)
  • George Shiels7 (cir. 1833 - aft. 1851)
  • Mary Shiells11 (May 1835 - aft. 1861)
  • Beatrice Shiells11 (Apr 1839 - aft. 1851)
  • Janet Shiells11 (Jan 1842 - )
  • James Shiells1 (cir. 1846 - aft. 1883)
  • Jane Shiells1 (cir. 1856 - aft. 1881)
Last Edited28 Mar 2014

Citations

  1. 1881 Census transcripts, UK, via Family Search/LDS CDs, SCT Lowlands: FHL Film 0224042 GRO Ref Volume 799 EnumDist 7 Page 4, extracted Sep 2005.
  2. Will: RUNCIMAN, James 1858, 1867, 1872 (Will written Jun 1858 codicil Dec 1867 Inventory 23 Feb 1872 proved 8 Mar 1872) SC60/41/24 (27 pp) & SC60/44/6 (2pp): Copy d/loaded Sep 2005, (SC60/41/24 dated 23rd Feb 1872 detailed inventory, and Trust Dispostion & Settlement of 8th Jun 1858 and codicil 27 Dec 1867 - 27pp in all).
  3. Online search: assorted surnames, International Genealogical Index (IGI), Mar. 1825 Margaret WIGHT and James SHIELS, batch M117564, extracted Sep 2005.
  4. Scottish BMDB entries (to 1854), http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.php, ?Banns/Booking? 27 Nov Marr. 4 Dec 1825 James (Tenant Hendsidehill) SHIELS & Margt d/o George (Newbigging Walls, Par. of Lauder) WIGHT, Westruther, BEW, 756/00 0020 0060, copy d/loaded (for BIRD * 2) Feb 2014.
  5. Births deaths marriages index: Scotland 1855+, Dth 1889 Margaret SHIELLS nee WIGHT, index searched Oct 2005 , http://scotlandspeople.gov.uk
  6. Scottish BMDB entries (from 1855), http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.php, Dth 1883 James SHIELLS, copy d/loaded Sep 2005.
  7. 1841 Census transcripts, Scotland, via Ancestry.com, Hyndesidehill, Westruther, BEW Par. 756 ED 4 hsehold of James & Margaret SHIELS, (indexed as THIDS, at Wyndesidehill on ancestry), extracted Jul 2008.
  8. 1851 Census transcripts, Scotland, via Ancestry.com, Colmslie Hill, Melrose, ROX Par. 799 ED 6 Pg 12 Sched 39, hsehold of James & Margaret SHIELS, extracted Jul 2008.
  9. 1861 Census transcripts, Scotland, via Ancestry.com, Colmsliehill, Melrose, ROX Reg. 799/1 ED 7 Pg 11 Sched 11, hsehold of James & Margaret SHIELS, extracted Jul 2008.
  10. 1871 Census transcripts, Scotland, via Ancestry.com, Colmslie Hill, Melrose, ROX Reg. 799/1 ED 7 Sched 6, hsehold of James & Margaret SHIELS, extracted Jul 2008.
  11. Online search: assorted surnames, International Genealogical Index (IGI), Births/baptisms to Margaret WIGHT and James SHIELS, batch C117564, extracted Sep 2005.

E. & O. E. Some/most parish records are rather hard to read and names, places hard to interpret, particularly if you are unfamiliar with an area.