See here for an alphabetical list of all surnames in the Keith pages with links to the relevant text.
INTRODUCTION TO THE K SERIES
Keith Family
Mike Young and Sheena nee Keith started researching their family histories in the mid-1970s. So much material resulted, they decided to divide it into four groups, one for each of their parents’ surnames. The K series covers Sheena’s paternal line of descent.
Keith Family Lineage Chart
Keith Family Places of Birth
For a map showing all known places of birth for all our direct Keith ancestors click below and select the Keith layer.
Keith Surname in 1881
See map of the distribution of the surname Keith in 1881
Ref. K1
THE KEITH FAMILY
Sheena’s father was James Keith, who married Kathleen Smart (see separate series Ref. S1.) at Wooler Parish Church 15.7.1928. Born 26.7.1896, at Bonnyrigg, Midlothian, he was apprenticed locally as a butcher but volunteered for war service and experienced the privations of Salonika, so much so that he was invalided out by 1916. We know that in 1922 he was seeking to move from his job with St Cuthberts Co-operative Association and he eventually he moved to Wooler where he worked for Youngs the butchers. James and Kathleen had two daughters.
Jim Keith was a prominent member of Cheviot Street Presbyterian Church, becoming an elder and Secretary to the Board of Managers. In 1950, he gave up butchering due to heart trouble – his duties had included arduous forays into the surrounding hills, winter and summer, with a van – and the family moved to Haltwhistle to take over a newsagents and fancy goods shop. However Jim’s heart problems got worse and in November 1956 he and Kathleen retired to Ryecroft Crescent, Wooler.
Alas, this was not to be for long because 8.4.1958 (just two weeks after his younger daughter’s wedding) Jim died, at home. The widow Kathleen lived on alone in the Wooler house for many years but in her eighties she moved to Seahouses, to a flat above her daughter’s shop, and, for the last year or so, to an old people’s home in Wooler. It was there, on Christmas Eve 1990, at the age of 91, she passed peacefully away, her mental capacity undimmed to the last.
Keith Cairns Family
James Keith was the fourth child and second son of John Keith (“JK III”) and Agnes Paterson, nee Cairns (See Ref. K5), details of whose family are given as Appendix 1. They married 28.6.1889 at Lasswade, Midlothian when he was 28 and a “papermaker”, and she a 23 year old widow, resident at Lasswade.
Agnes had married John Paterson14.8.1885 at Loanhead, Lasswade when she was a 19 year old domestic servant. He was the son of William Paterson, general labourer and his wife Lillias, nee Tweedle. His age was given as 20, although he may only have been 18. Their only child, Mary Cairns Paterson, arrived two months after the wedding. Within 18 months, i.e. 7.2.1887, John Paterson had died of double pneumonia, at the age of 20. No doubt Agnes handed the toddler to her mother (who still had very young children of her own) and went back to work.
At the 1891 Census JK III is described as a labourer when they were near his father at 31 High Street, Bonnyrigg. By 1896, JK III was a packer at a carpet factory. In 1901 (where the Census has them indexed under Heith!), they were at 9 Factory Terrace, High Street, Bonnyrigg, with six children having now appeared and JK III down as a general labourer and Mary (15) a rug tier in a factory. Mary married in 1907 from 29 Camp View, Cockpen, where, in 1911, we find the rest of the family. JK III was down as a carpet weaver, as were Charlotte (20) and John (18), while Catherine (17) was a packer in a paper mill. James (15) was a butcher’s assistant, with just David and Jane still scholars. This census required particulars of children that wives had had and Agnes stated six, with all being still alive, i.e. just the product of her second marriage.
JK III died at Bonnyrigg 6.6.1926, aged 65 followed by Agnes 28.12.1926, aged 60.
Keith Auchterlonie family
Initially we had a slight problem in finding the birth of JK III, in that his birth was registered as at Edinburgh Royal Maternity Hospital 23.2.1861, i.e. one month before his parents’ wedding*. This was 26.3.1861 at Skilltimuir Presbyterian Church, Cockpen, between John Keith (“JK II”) (38) and Mary Aughterlony (30), a domestic servant. (See Ref. K3). John and Mary were both living at Skilltimuir. JK II’s profession was given as sawmiller and his father was stated to be the late John Keith of Coalhill, bookkeeper. [Coalhill, Edinburgh, revealed nothing in the 1851 or 1861 Censuses.] His mother Janet (nee Baillie) had also died by then.
*The 1861 Census, taken 12 days after the marriage, revealed that there was already a one month old son, John. He was noted “illegitimate” and was registered under Auchterlonie without a Christian name and without the father being stated.
As well as John, JK II and Mary had a boy William born 10.1.1863 who died of Scarlatina 21.11.1869 and also David, born 26.3.1865, both at Skiltimuir, Cockpen, JK II being a sawyer at the earlier dates and a labourer in 1869 . In 1871 they were still at Skiltimuir, JK II being recorded as a labourer. Mary died 10.4.1880 at Eldindean, Lasswade of gastritis, aged 50. [We do not know where she is buried.] The next year the Census shows the widowed JK II as a gardener with JK III still at home, aged 21, a coal miner. The profession of the younger boy David (aged 16) is blank, but it seems unlikely that he would still be at school. In fact the latter died at Hillhead, Cockpen, 5.2.1885, aged just 19, of lung cancer, when he was working in a glue factory.
By 1891, with his only surviving son having got married two years earlier, JK II was living alone as a “Gardener (Domestic Servant)” at 37 High Street, Bonnyrigg. He finally died 22.2.1900 at the home of JK III, 9 Factory Terrace, Bonnyrigg. Although the entry says aged 71 he was in fact 78. Also his mother is incorrectly recorded as Margaret Baillie, rather than Janet. JK II shares a grave in Cockpen Churchyard with JK III and the latter’s wife Agnes.
Keith Baillie family
As already hinted at above, JK II was the son of John Keith (“JK I”) and Janet Baillie (See Ref. K2). Even before we had seen an official record of his birth and baptism, we knew, from a list in an old family testament which was passed on to us by Dave and Ella Keith of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that JK II was born on Thursday 28.6.1821 and that he had three brothers and two sisters, as listed in Appendix 2. The old book’s dates all tallied with official records except for JK II’s eldest sibling, Jessie. The book said 27.7.1812 but her marriage lines suggest that she thought she was born in 1814 and two Census declarations implied 1813. In any event, we could find no suitable Janet Baillie marriage index entry in the first part of that decade. Very curiously, the only John Keith marriage listed for that period was one 2.1.1811 at Canongate, Edinburgh, to a Jean Baillie, the daughter of William Baillie, mason, of Borthwick. Although the forename is wrong, both the date and the Borthwick connection hits the mark because that is where our Janet’s first child was born the very next year (taking the prayer book as gospel!). Further research, described in Ref. K2, established that William Baillie had, inter alia, daughters Janet born 3.9.1788 and Jean born 6.11.1792. We are happy to adopt this Janet, if only because she would, indeed have been 50+ in 1841 as our Janet said she was.
We have not seen anything relevant to any of this in anyone else’s published research.
At the 1841 Census, at Dalhousie Chesters, Cockpen, Janet Baillie (not Keith!) just had Francis and JK II, both ag. labs, with her and there was no sign of JK I. There were numerous death entries for John Keiths 1822 to 1841 but none for Cockpen, so we have no idea when Janet was widowed or what JK I’s vital dates were. Also we do not know when Janet died, although, as Francis was living on his own in 1851, we assume it was in the decade before that. Certainly when Jessie Keith married 18.1.1856 she said both her parents were deceased.
Speculation
Casting around for a possible birth date for JK I, we noticed a baptism in Edinburgh 19.10.1785 of a John Keith, son of John Keith (inevitably!) and Rosemarie Thompson, implying age 25 when the above Canongate marriage took place, which is quite reasonable. Perhaps we have a JK 0 to fit in!
September 2021
Appendix 1 to Ref. K1
The Children of John Keith III and Agnes Cairns
John Keith III and Agnes Paterson, nee Cairns married 28.6.1889 at Lasswade, Midlothian.
Mary Cairns Paterson (1885- ?? )
Born 10.10.1885, during Agnes Cairns first marriage (to John Paterson – see main text), Mary (21) married John Baxter (23), a coal miner, at the United Free Church Manse, Bonnyrigg 31.12.1907. She was said to be a carpet setter and resident at 29 Camp View, Bonnyrigg. Curiously, John’s mother’s maiden name was Paterson. They emigrated to Vancouver Island after 1918. Believed to have had five children.
JK III and Agnes had children as folllows:
Charlotte Keith (1890-1961)
Born 18.6.1890 at Bonnyrigg. Married 27.4.1918 John Swinton Ferguson, who was born 7.5.1885. She died 13.5.1961, aged 70, and he died 8.2.1975, aged 89. They had two sons, the first of whom had three sons and the second twin girls. We have some details of grandchildren also.
John Keith IV (1892-1959 )
Born 29.6.1892 Bonnyrigg. Weaver and trade union official. Married [when?] Bessie McKenzie who was born 24.12.1907. He died in June 1959, aged 67. She died 31.5.1985, aged 77. They had a son and a daughter, neither of whom had issue:
William (Billy) Keith, born ? September 1931. He became a panel beater. Remained at home, unmarried. He died in September 1990 just before his 59th birthday.
Isabella Agnes (Ella) Keith, born Lasswade 1939. Married Cockpen 1967 John Bogue, a farmer, but they divorced.
Catherine (Kate) Keith (1895-1978)
Born 15.3.1895 Bonnyrigg. Married 17.7.1920 Sydney Hogan, a post office clerk from London. He died 14.8.1954, aged 56 and Kate died 4.7.1978, aged 83. They had three daughters in London area and there were six grandchildren.
James (Jim) Keith (1896-1958)
Born 26.7.1896 Bonnyrigg. See main text.
David Keith (1899-1987)
Born 4.6.1899 Bonnyrigg. Purchasing executive with Ford Motor Co in Detroit. Retired to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Married 1927 Ella Virtue (born 1903). He died 3.6.1897, on the eve of his 88th birthday. Ella survived him. [Date of death not known.] We got the Keith prayer book from Dave when he and Ella visited us on one occasion. They had no children.
Jean Cairns Keith (1902-1969)
Born 19.4.1902 at Factory Terrace, Bonnyrigg. Married 28.2.1925 Robert Scrimgeour who was born 13.3.1900 and who had a market garden on the Antonine Wall. He died 23.9.1965, aged 65, and Jean died 12.1.1969, aged 66. They had one son:
Robert Scrimgeour born 1927, married [When?] Margaret ?? (details not known). He died 20.6.1962, aged ?35 leaving two sons, of whom we do not have details except for their names.
Appendix 2 to Ref. K1
The Children of John Keith I and Janet Baillie
We do not know when or where JK II and Janet Baillie married.
They had children as follows, the dates of birth being taken from an old prayer book of the family:
Jessie Keith (1813/4-1880 )
Born 27.7.1812. The date is open to question because, when she married 18.1.1856 at Cockpen James Bee, a widower, labourer, she said she was a 51 year old housekeeper born in Borthwick*, both her (above) parents being deceased. William was witness. They were at Lugton, East Dalkeith in both 1861 and 1871. *Her siblings said at Censuses that they were born at Temple. In 1871 she said Borthwick. Jessie died at Bridge End, Dalkieth 21.3.1880, aged 66, of pneumonia which she had had for four days. Widower James made his mark.
Thomas Keith (1815- ??)
Born 17.11.1815 and baptised shortly after at Temple
William Keith (1817- ?? )
Born 13.8.1817 and baptised shortly after at Temple. Did not marry. In 1851 at Bonnyrigg, Cockpen, as a baker. 1861 at Duncanlaw, East Lothian, as “ag.lab, former journeyman baker” and 1871 at a lodging house in Edinburgh as a gardner. Died in St Cuthbert’s Poor House 23.3.1876 of longstanding bronchitis and disease of the stomach, aged 58.
Francis Keith (1820- ?? )
Born 4.1.1820. Baptised 10.2.1820 at Temple. In 1841 at home at Cockpen as agricultural labourer. In 1851 on his own at Skiltimuir, still an ag. lab.
John Keith (1821- ?? )
Born 28.6.1821 at Gorebridge and baptised 20.7.1821 at Temple. See main text.
Jane Keith (1823- ?? )
Born 20.8.1823, baptised 18.9.1823 at Temple
Young Family History 