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THE WATSON FAMILY
William Watson an estate dealer married Janet Lindsay. William and Janet’s only child was William Watson, born at Burnfoot, Watson’s Land, Cambusnethan in 1831. The father died when William very young. His mother Janet Linsday remarried when William was 4 years old to John McArthur. William's mother and her new family initially lived in Kirknowe House as in the 1841 census, William aged 9, and his mother, Janet, most likely very pregnant with her first son to John McArthur, were shown living with William's grandparents, the Lindsays, at Kirknowe. By 1851 the McArthur family without William had moved to Shotts.
In the 1851 census William is still with his grandmother Mary Lindsay (nee Sommerville) in Kirknowe House. At that time he was a coal miner. Living in the next home, probably the groom's cottage, was Janet Gibb, recently widowed, with some of her sons. William Watson aged about 21 married Janet Gibb (nee Jack) then aged 36 in about 1852. No record of the marriage has yet been located.
This story focuses on this William Watson’s family. William became a property owner and spirit merchant and died a wealthy man on 22 October 1910 at Kirk-knowe House, Cambusnethan. His estate was valued at 74,663 pounds.
This William (b 1831) married twice and the two families went their separate ways, althought it is quite likely that now some relativies of these two families are living near each other in Sydney, Australia.
The sons from the first family migrated to Australia in the late nineteenth century. The first daughter of the second family, Janet Lindsay (Jenny) Watson married Robert Scott in 1911. Their youngest son William Watson Scott also migrated to Sydney, Australia with his family in 1970.
William’s Youth
William Watson (b 1831) would have barely known his own father who died before 1836 when William’s mother, Janet Lindsay, married John McArthur in New Kilpatrick Dunbarton.
William’s First Family
William became a grocer and then a spirit and wine merchant. He was shown in the 1881 census to have 33 acres of land, most likely inherited from his father. It is not known if this property is what is regularly called Watson’s Land.
William Watson and Janet Jack had two sons: James, born in 1853; and Alexander born in October 1856. Janet Jack died in 1872 at Watson’s Land, Cambusnethan.
In 1876 James, the eldest son, married Davina Isabella Burt in Craigends Kilbarchan Houston Renfrewshire. Their first child, Janet Jack Watson was born at Watson’s Land, Cambusnethan in 1877.
William and Janet’s second son, Alexander (b 1856) left the UK on Thursday 12 June 1879 on the ship "La Hogue" and arrived in Sydney, Australia, on 16 September 1879 on an assisted passage. The records of arrivals into Sydney show Alexander Watson: aged 22; a labourer from Lanark; only his father, William of Lanark - was living; he was a Presbyterian; he could read and write; he had no relative in the Colony; he was in good bodily health; and he had no complaints about his treatment during the voyage.
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