Whatmore Family History

While it is possible that the Robert Waltersmaghe who served as a juror in 1305 at  Selkirk was an early member of our family, as far as we know the Watmoughs, Watmores and Whatmores rarely ventured into Scotland. Families move to seek new employment opportunities and for the northern family of the Watmoughs, these were usually to the south. It is thus a puzzle to imagine what could have attracted a  James Watmore, born about 1795 in Kent, to make the long hike northwards and settle in East Lothian, to the east of the city of Edinburgh.  It is true that there were coalfields in that county, but not at Haddington, an agricultural centre, where James Watmore chose to settle.

James was in East Lothian by 1821 as he married Lilias Darling on 9 June 1821 at Yester. Lilias was a local girl, born about 1802 at Pathfield, Midlothian (the county in which Edinburgh  is situated). James was working as an agricultural labourer in 1841 but by 1851 he and his wife had moved into Edinburgh where he worked first as a port merchant and then as a shop porter. Both James and Lilias appear to have died between 1861 and 1871.

James and Lilias had several known children. These were Andrew born about 1826 at Gifford; Janet born about 1826; Thomas born about 1826; James born 29 June 1828 at Salton, Haddington; Marion born about 1832; Margaret baptised 5 August 1832 at Gladsmuir; Mary born about 1835 at Whitekirk; and  Lilias baptised 27 March 1842 at Gladsmuir.

We know little of what happened to these children apart from Andrew,James and Lilias.

Gifford in East Lothian, showing Yester church where James Watmore and Lilias Darling were married in 1821  Copyright: Kevin Rae Photograph from the Geograph website and reproduced here in accordance with the site licence which can be read at this link:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Lilias (daughter of James and Lilias)  married James Miller on 20 September 1866 in Edinburgh. James, born about 1843, was from Kirkwall, Orkney and in 1861 he was lodging with the Watmore family in Edinburgh and working as an apprentice cabinet maker. What happened to John and Lilias after their marriage is currently unknown.

Andrew Watmore, (son of James and Lilias)  born 1826, worked on the railway and seems to have done well. He moved from being a Railway Porter in Edinburgh, to Railway Agent at Kirknewton, Midlothian and in 1901 was living at Kirknewton and is described as ‘Retired Station Master’. Andrew married a Margaret Pennycock on 10 January 1851 at St Cuthbert’s, Edinburgh. They had six known children; Elizabeth 1851 Edinburgh; James 1852 Edinburgh; Thomas 1856 Edinburgh, Andrew 1858 Edinburgh; Andrew 1862 Edinburgh; William 1865 Edinburgh; and Ralph 1870 Edinburgh.

Train approaching Kirknewton Station   Copyright: Richard Webb  Photograph from the Geograph website and reproduced here in accordance with the site licence which can be viewed at this link:

Margaret Watmore (nee Pennycock) died in 1870 and Andrew remarried on 2 June 1871 in Edinburgh to Catherine Marion Wight. Andrew and Catherine had two known children: Marion Wight 1871 Edinburgh and Lily Darling 1873 Edinburgh.

Two of the children of Andrew and Margaret worked on the railways. Thomas (born 1856) became a Railway Agent at Bothwell in Lanarkshire. He married an Annie and their children were Rachel 1887 Leith and Andrew 1890 Leith. It appears that Thomas died between 1891 and 1901 as in the latter year, Annie was running a stationer’s shop without her husband, at Leith.  William (born 1865) was working as a Railway Checker by 1901 and living at home unmarried. Another son, James, born 1852, married an Annie and worked as a merchant for dried fruit and stewed goods, in Edinburgh. Their children were Annie 1881 Edinburgh; Maggie 1883 Edinburgh; Alice 1884 Edinburgh and Elizabeth 1886 Edinburgh.

James Watmore (son of James and Lilias) born 1828, married Catherine Stenhouse on 12 January 1855 at Haddington. James was working as a coachman in 1861. He died on 13 December 1875 at Gifford, Haddington. They had a large number of children. These were:

 Robert 1858 Haddington, who married first an Annie and then an Elizabeth Pryde in 1884 at St Cuthbert’s Edinburgh. His children by his first wife were Annie 1881 Salton; James 1885 Temple, Midlothian and Catherine Stenhouse 1887 Carrington Midlothian. His children by his second wife were Robert 1889 Ratho, Midlothian and George Pryde 1887 Prestonpans and who died in 1893

Margaret 1859 Haddington; Lilias Darling 1863 Haddington; Andrew 1868 Haddington and who died the same year; Janet 1869 Haddington and who died the same year; Janet Henderson 1872 North Berwick; James 1855 Haddington and who died the same year; James 1861 Haddington; Thomas 1862 Haddington who married Isabella Wilson in 188.; Catherine Stenhouse 1870 Haddington.

Alexander Stenhouse born 1865 Haddington and who died 4 January 1939 in Edinburgh. He married first to Margaret Jones in 1892 in Leith and then to Cecilia Hepburn in 1896 at St Giles, Edinburgh

Unfortunately this post has been very much a chronology with very little other content, but I hope, nevertheless, that it will be of some interest. If anyone knows any more about this branch of the Watmore family please write to me at rhyswhatmore@btinternet.com