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Esther and Marshall,
No, my grandad Harry McNab was not the same family as Aggie and Maggie – my
grandad was a countryman.
Maggie.
Hi Maggie well that’s leaves me to ask you who was Aggie and Maggie’s parents? I know Aggie’s married name was Davidson she had a son Jimmy but Maggie never married, I have funny feeling these to were my grannies nieces. I remember visiting them when I was a little lass with my granny. Thanks Maggie for all the information you have given over the past few weeks. Esther
Hello Esther,
Aggie and Maggie’s parents were Annie Blyth (your granny’s sister) and Peter McNab son of James McNab and Agnes Williamson.
Aggie and Maggie had three brothers: Lot Williamson McNab; Peter McNab and William McNab.
Maggie.
to ester would like to here full poem sounds cushty
Hi Harrry I might find about it Kirk Yetholm I will send it to you if I do, you never know this could be your new party peice you can sing it when your camping with Willie and the lads !!! Esther
Hi Harry, I have old Jennys sister Mary Ann married to Mathie Kennedy and James married Mary Blyth . Aye you do get a radge crack from Jimmy.
Hi Fiona, Deby arrives tomorrow night will get back to you about Skype.
For Esther, Alice-Ann and Harry,
I have three and a few bit’s of Hutchison families in my computer, I think they all eventually link together, the hard one will be linking James and Mary Campbell to the very early stuff I have. Esther & Alice Ann’s in laws shouldn’t be too bad but can you give me the parent, grandparent info, birth and death dates and places if known, and I’ll see if i can link them and will send a couple of copies over for you. nbblyth@bigpond.com if you don’t want to put it public
Nils
Oh how exciting! How long is she there for? This Thursday or Friday morning (evening for you) will be good for Tony and I for the Skype interview. Let me know what suits you.
Oh, and please tell Deby that perhaps we can talk about the Clinton non-connection then. We need to get someone talking about it on film.
Ta.
Nils I think Mary Campbells father was Mark Campbell, I have 2 James Hutchisons one married to Mary and one married to a Margaret also a n earlier James married to Margaret Stewart. will send you an invite to my tree on Ancestry you might be able to untangle some of it. Marshall
On a completely unrelated subject (but if you can’t blow your own trumpet on your own website, where can you?), I would like to announce that I have won the People’s Play Award! For more info visit http://www.thecraftywriter.com/2010/06/30/peoples-play-award-2/
Hopefully if some of you are in the Newcastle area in November you will come and see it. And talking of discovering your roots, I’ve recently found out that one of the founders of the People’s Theatre , Colin Veitch, was my great grandfather Joseph Veitch’s cousin. So I’m also going back to my roots
Fiona,
If Bill Clinton fits in its well before Charles 1, one of his ancestors is Andrew Jackson Blythe born in South Carolina in about 1806. Andrews parents are possibly Jonathan Blythe and Annie Barnes, Jonathan’s parents are possibly William Blythe, born North Carolina about 1740 died South Carolina 29 May 1837 and Sarah Murphree?(maybe Murphy?) These are possible only.
Nils
To Maggie and Lizzy, yes the answer was flowers. Maggie ; received the family tree from you thank you very much everthing is getting to place, cant read granny Mary’s tho Esther
To Maggie, did you know before my granny and her brother Willie were born , there two children that had died and when granny and Willie were born they were given the same names as the children that had died Willie and Mary isn’t that strange? Aliceann would like to know did you have a sister or cousin called Ann ? she says she thinks she can remember you and was your mam called eesie? by the way are any of your aunties still alive ? thats an awful lot of questions your saying to yourself lol Esther
to Esther,
apologies to maggie for butting in, but yes, she has a sister called Ann, they were sort of friendly, I remember going with Ann to visit your sister many, many years ago. I also stayed at Larkhall with you and your granny, dad and your brother Alex, I would only have been about 9 or 10. I stayed about 2 weeks with you. and I can always remember your granny getting me to scrub the step outside the door, I am sure it was red, also there was a fair that had come about that time as well, nice but vague memories.
Hi Esther and Maggie… I went onto the National Galleries of Scotland site and typed in Samuel J peploe and “the green blouse” so happy me! there is an image of one of the many paintings he did of her. Maggie says one recently sold for £50.0000 oh I wish my g grannie had passed on her great looks gene lol.
Forgot to say, yes we have an auntie still living, her name is Marshall, and Eassie was her sister, who is Maggie’s mother.
two aunties living lizzy your auntie jean?
Hello Lizzy, you must be cousin to Maggie then? I don’t remember you, you’ll have to put me in the picture and remind me. if you were that age what age would I have been then Esther
hi Esther, I am not sure what age you are now, but I think you may be maybe one or two years younger than me, I remember your long black hair in pigtails
I wasn’t too well at the time, and your dad was at my granny’s, and just said he would take me with him there and then, and brought me back to stenhouse about a week to ten days later, just like that, I certainly came back with roses in my cheeks, great convalescing. xx
Hi Linda talk about good looks there weren’t another set of twins anywhere as good looking as your dad and your uncle Peter, my dad used to say no one could tell them apart except for their mam, my dad said once he gave one of the boys a lift and as he got out of the car my dad said ‘ so long then Wullie ‘and the answer was ‘ I am no Wullie I am Peter ‘ and to this day (if he was still alive) he still wouldn’t be sure if which ever twin it was, wasn’t working him and had a little laugh to themselves
Esther
Congratulations to Fiona!
Hi everyone who is interested or related to Jeannie Blyth my g grandmother. Thanks to many people who helped with info I have managed to track down three of the images painted by Samuel J Peploe four if you include the one a family member holds! I think that person should remain annonymous as these paintings of Jeannie sell for thousands. Some have been bought by Galleries in Scotland and others have been sold to private collectors ,Should anyone like to see them please e mail me and I will send. She modelled many times for him from age 15 or 16 into later life and it is great for me ,her great grand daughter to see how she evolved through life as I have no photos of her. I dont know what she would have made of people bidding at Sotherbys and Christys to have her image! I will further research the other drawings and paintings of her and also of her sister Maggie whos image was on the gypsy cream buscuit tin.
Well done to Linda for doing all the hard work finding these images for us all to share.
Not long now Linda to the reunion I am really looking forward to it, I hope you received the photo I sent you as I am not very good at this modern technology.
lol Esther
Esther I got it and was quite emotional its the only photo of Jean that I have ever seen thank you so much.
Update…. im like a dog with a bone and I get it from ma da (smile) Ive managed to contact the Artists Grandson who is a director of Scottish Galleries of Scotland and have asked him to coallate images for us to appreciate… he has the full collection. Ive also dipped my toe in the water and asked him about Maggie and the biscuit tin image.
Wish me luck fellow gypsies x
Hi good people… Ive had a return e mail from Guy Peploe , Author and g grandson of the famous painter of Jeannie… He is the director of the Galleries of scotland and interestingly he mentions Annie Blyth who he says is mentioned in private letters. He has kindly agreed to send me sketches and copies of his g grandfathers works to share with you all. He seems delighted to be asked considering our connection.This is a real big deal because all this stuff is copywrited.
The terrier with the bone will keep on the case of the biscuit tin also.
Linda, if you email the images to me I can (hopefully) arrange for them to be put on the site. I’d like to get a photo gallery page up – separate from the ‘documentary’ one. By the way, don’t worry about the photo of your Uncle Jackie, we’ve managed to download one from the footage and it should be going up in the next day or two. You too Maggie!
Oh, I just re-read your email and I see the images are copyrighted. You may need to ask Guy permission for us to put them on the site Linda. We can put in a link back to Scottish Galleries.
Hi again people…Guy Peploe is sending me copies of stuff some of which has never been in the public domain from his g grandfathers records.(We are truly honoured because money cant buy this info) I need from all of you to send me any photos of Jeannie, Annie, Maggie, Lizzie and any other of the (McMillan) Blyth sisters… I believe there were six? We are going to attempt to tie sketches up with the various sisters. Anyone who can help please do.
lennenclarke@btconnect.com
Sorry Linda I dont have any but there was also Esther and Katie. If anyone has Esther I would love to see her. Does anyone know what their mother maiden name was. I know she was born at Morpeth and was related to the Fifeshire McMillans
Hi Maggie could you please tell me the year my granny died Barbara has it down for 1975 well Aliceann got married then but we can’t remember when she died it must have been a few years before at least . Not long now till we all meet up I am really looking forward to it Esther
Hello Esther,
Your granny Mary definitely died in1975 at the age of 82.
Maggie.
Hi to all,
Deby has been here for a couple of days and has a lot of info to take over, it will probably take her a week to recover from my talking, there are three 5 generation trees for David, Charles & John Blythe, plus a partial one for Williamson and a possible US connection one, they are in tree format, about seven book style information on Blythe, Tait, Douglas, Gordon, Young etc. Also a copy of the book I’ve been working on for the last thirty years for Fiona and some photos. You might need some tables to put them on or some walls to hang them, Pub dining room, maybe the church, I don’t know if there is a public hall in Kirk Yetholm.
Wish I was going to be there.
Nils
Hi again,
Forgot to mention, I’ve been in touch with McVitties for the second time with a wider enquiry. I believe it is possible that the parent company owns the painting of the “Gypsy Cream” lady. This time I’ve also asked if I can get a copy of the likeness from the tin or packet, which I believe they will have. Linda, would love to see the info on Jeanie or the others, I only have a few photos of Jeanie later in life. Deby has copies with her. Harry, your US cousin (in law) found me, I see he has E-m to you through this site. Have to find when and where James died. Got a feeling you guys connect to our lot.
Nils
Hello Marshall,
The Blyth sisters’ mother’s maiden name was McMillan (Margaret).
Maggie.
Sorry made a mistake it was Margaret McMillans mothers maiden name
Hello Maggie I am being asked what time does the reunion begin x
Hi all
Another bit of info that some of you may know. Did any of the Blythe sisters have red hair ?
Have a great photo of Jeannie now and awiting any more you can all dig out of the sisters.
Nils I am e mailing you the stuff you asked for today
Fiona we can use the famous green blouse paining its on the National Gallery Website and allows to share the image. The rest will follow in due course when we get permission.
Thanks Linda, I’ll get onto it.
Re my spelling above! appologies my keyboard has sticky keys due to me spilling coffee laugh!
And I’ve got a ginger biscuit crumb stuck under my ‘n’ which I can’t dig out!
Hi hot of the press! Guy Peploe has sent me three images of Jeannie to share at the reunion including the green blouse… I am saving one for the day as it is one of my fav ones Ive seen so far!
We desperatley need photos of the other Blyth sisters….maybe the Mcmillan side have something? There are some beautiful drawings me thinks apart from Jeannie. Please ask around older members of your family.
and we are still trying to find a sister or who knows a cousin with red hair?
I think the red hair was from the Hendry side. My mother had red hair and two of my daughters.
Hello everyone I Just want to say that I am looking forward to meeting everyone at the Yetholm Reunion and also it makes my heart proud to see you talking about the connections you have with our people the Yetholm/Scottish Gypsies, I hope we can stay in touch after the reunion and it just dosnt end there.
My connection is Fox, Tait, Kennedy, Baillie. I have a group on Facebook called “Our Ancestors the Yetholm Gypsies” I know most of you are already on there but here is the address if you would like to drop in your most welcome.
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=340576175228
Hey Ali, great to see you back. I’ve been meaning to put the Facebook link on the resources page but haven’t got around to it yet. Thanks for the reminder.
Hi Ali what Kennedy’s are you connected with? I was interested in the old photos you had on face book I always thought he was called
charlie Faa not Falls or have I got it wrong? I have tried to find those photos again but with no succsess are you going to the reunion? regards Esther
Hello Esther. My gggg grandfather Robert Kennedy born 1776 wife Mary Baillie there daughter Mary Kennedy married John Tait. I think this is correct Esther coz it gets so confusing lol
Ali,
You say that Robert Kennedy/Mary Baillie are your gggg grandparents,
Do you know if they had a son William who was married to a Margaret Bowie,[sometimes mistranscribed as Boa],as these are my ggg grandparents.
Robert.
Do you know anything about a Wm Kennedy married to Margaret Norris. Same period as William & Margaret Bowie.Could he have been married twice. Marshall
Hi
Just to say tht Adam Mcnaughtan who penned (Yellow on the Broom) as a tribute to
Betsy Whyte…. wishes us all the best on the day and being older in years and now retired ,along with being a non driver he cannot attend the reunion….I have promised to send him everything I have on it though….. Respect for a man who has penned many folk songs (including the Jelly Piece Song)
Hello Everyone,
Just for the record I am descended from Esther Faa (daughter of William Faa 11) and Charles Blyth by their son John Faa Blyth not their daughter Esther Faa Blyth Rutherford.
Maggie.
Maggie,
Your earlier comment is correct, Esther Faa Blythe is your first cousin five times removed and is also your great-great-great aunt. You connect back in two different ways. Family is very complicated.
Nils
Maggie ,
I’ll go back one more, Esther Faa is your great-great- great- grandmother but there are no other connections at that level. The other connections are next generation down.
Nils
You Have lost me Nils.
Marshall,
Esther Faa Blythe is your first cousin five times removed as well, but there is no other relationship. She is my first cousin four times removed and you are my third cousin once removed. We don’t connect to old Esther Faa, she was an inlaw. Simple isn’t it
Nils
Anything but nils. Did you get my invite to Ancestry, if you did please fill in anything you like, Elec Kennedy put in what he had on his mothers side. He’s been the only one who has and I sure do need help with all the names being the same I put Agnes Blyth my 3xggrandmother married to wm baillie in with my granfathers ones as I cant find her I can always change it if I am wrong.
Hi Linda you mention favourite sayings from your dad well heres a few from my dad:
“am Elic Kenndy born without a shirt” & “I could lick any wumon in the hoose” or “is it inside your in or inside your oot?” (very confusing as a child) he would say to me are you 4ft 9 or 9ft 4 I would reply well actually I am 4ft 9 and a half lol. Esther
Hi, related folks out there,
You guys had better start documenting you family history that you know. If you don’t it will be lost for future generations. I have 220 A4 pages of my family some of which involves you guys, and the Faa family and Gordons. When what you know goes when you die, its lost forever. I have lost so much of my Australian history cause I started too late, I’d like my grandson and his descendants to know where they came from..
Nils
Yes you are so right Nils and what a family they are, not your normal people are they. They are very difficult to find as they changed there names and moved around allot.
They were cunning.
Could get money out of nothing.
and very resourceful people that lived by there wits.
Im very proud belong to them.
I have been doing my family tree for 15 years on and off and still learning stuff about them. I was thinking about putting it on our own website so it can be preserved.
if someone can link chuck sheldon back to the page ie, harry hutchinson cousin, would like to share some info and pics with him on facebook, regarding, bows, dochertys, townsleys! new pics and info from auz. mary bennett
hello mary just emailme! its chucksheldon@hotmail.com
looking forward to your emails cousin.
regards
chuck
Hi Ali my grand dad was Alex Kennedy married to Mary Faa Blyth and my dad was Alex Kennedy married to Speedy Grey do you think we have any connection? Esther
Where was Alex from Esther I think Robert was born around Lanarkshire.
Hi Ali my dad Alex was born at Edinbourgh my brother Alex was born at Lanark, do you know any of any decendents from Robert Kennedy? Esther
Hi to anyone who is staying from the Saturday night prior to the reunion on the Sunday. Some of us are hoping to meet up for a crack on the Saturday evening if you would like to be there please e mail me and I will find a pub/hotel to accomodate us.
lennenclarke@btconnect.com
any suggestions on a central venue would be helpful
Hi Linda, oh Im staying on the Sunday Night but I will see if I can change it or even better I could stay an extra Night lol I will let you know x
Hi,
I was really happy to find this website. I’m interested in my gypsy lineage and have been told that Esther Faa Blythe is my gggg grandmother. Can anyone tell me if this lineage makes sense? Esther had a son William, who had a daughter Margaret Jane, who had a son, Bill Frater, who had a daughter Euneus Margaret, who was my paternal grandmother.
Have I missed a generation?
Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Stephanie
Hi again,
It was Esther Faa Blythe Rutherford that I have been told is my gggg grandmother. If Nils knows anything about our family branch — I’d be very grateful.
Thanks again!
Sorry – Blyth not Blythe
Hope I’m not being a pain — but on talking to my father I have more information — Esther Faa Blyth Rutherford’s son, William, married Jane Cockburn Redpath, and they had a daughter Margaret Jane Rutherford, who married John Frater (drowned at age 47). They had five children, one who was my great grandfather, William Rutherford Frater (b. 1897). I’d love to learn more about all the connections — I understand that Esther Faa Blyth Rutherford had several children.
Stephanie,
Esther had 12 children, eight of whom out lived her. Who did William Rutherford Frater marry and where did his father drown? E-m me at: nbblyth@bigpond.com and I’ll send you what I have.
Just had a look at your page about the Documentary that was filmed and was a little disappointed about the information about my father Tom displayed. He has in fact lived in YETHOLM all his life and the Stone that was erected at the bottom of Muggers Raw in Kirk Yetholm was done so by my father and Uncle Victor’s family after his death to remember the great historian he was regarding one of his passions ‘The Yetholm Gypsies’. It also is a reminder of the legacy left to the village by the Gypsy families who lived in this area. Can I also say that my father is a little upset as people are approaching him thinking that he is somehow involved in your
reunion and would like to make it clear that while he is happy that your event is taking place he is in no way involved and indeed hasn’t even seen the website!
Thank you
YMT
Hello Yvonne,
I’m sorry you are disappointed – no offence was intended. The day we interviewed your father he told me he had just driven through from Kelso – so that was obviously where that confusion came in. Your father told me the stone was in commemoration of the gypsies so that’s what I put in. I can easily remove it. Or in fact your father’s image if you like. As he agreed to be interviewed for the documentary I put his image on the documentary page as a tribute to him. I don’t see why that has caused offence but I will accept your word that it has.
Fiona