Ref K7
Mary Hunter is believed to have been aged about 19 when she married James Cairns (see Ref. K5) This was on 29.11.1861 at Craigo’er, Newton (Midlothian). He was 25 and a miner. She was a native of Newton but stated to be a resident of Rosslin, Lasswade. James would be living at Whitefaugh, Carrington but had earlier lived at Loanhead, Lasswade.
It would seem that James was “making an honest woman” of Mary, because she had had their first child (at Newton) just 16 days before the wedding! At first the child, John was not given his father’s name but when he was five months old an amendment was made to the register, citing James Cairns as the father but also labelling the entry “illegitimate”.
She was stated to be the daughter of John Hunter, a farm servant and his wife Mary, nee Trotter. Her death certificate said that John had been a ploughman. At the 1911 Census Mary said she was born in Edmondstone, which is in Newton parish.
Hunter Trotter family
Although we have not seen any documentary evidence we know, from censuses, that Mary Hunter was born at Newton, Midlothian, 1842-43. As mentioned above, she was the daughter of John Hunter and Mary Trotter (See Ref. K8). We found her parents’ marriage, which was at Lasswade 12.2.1828, both being of the parish. John was a ploughman, later condensed to Ag. Lab. Their family is described in Appendix 1 hereto. In 1841 they were at Edmondstone Village, Newton, with Robert, John and Ramsay. In 1851 they were at Langside Head, Dalkeith, with John, Ramsay, Mary Thomas and Agnes, the older boys being farm labourers. Ten years later they were at Newton, with Thomas, Agnes and George, while Ramsay was a joiner lodging in Edinburgh. In 1871 there was just the parents, still at Newton and in 1881 we find them at 3 Lapicide Place, North Leith, John being a general labourer and George a carter. (The transcript had errors in the place of birth column but Scotlandspeople provided an image of the original.) John Hunter died at Leith 13.8.1882, aged 76, having had heart disease for several months. The widow Mary appears on the 1891 Census as an 80 year old annuitant at 15 Glover Street, South Leith, in the home of her son George, still a carter, and his wife Marion. In 1901, Mary, aged 90, was with daughter Mary and son-in-law James Cairns at Lasswade. Mary died there 14.11.1902, the causes being given as a broken femur and senile decay. The informant, son-in-law James Cairns said she was 85 but we think she was 92.
Hunter Braidwood Liddle family
From the Censuses, we were led to believe that John Hunter was born circa 1807 at Inveresk, Midlothian. The indexes yielded only one such entry, i.e. born 20.10.1807, baptised 1.11.1807, the son of Thomas Hunter, carter, and his wife Jean Wilson. This seemed entirely credible (and, from published family trees, not just to us!). That is until we saw John Hunter’s death certificate which states that he was the son of John Hunter, deceased, general labourer, and Peggy Braidwood, previously Hunter and born Liddle.
January 2019
Appendix to Ref. K7
John Hunter and Mary Trotter Family
John Hunter and Mary Trotter married in February 1828 at Lasswade. They had children as follows:
George Baptised 11.7.1828 at Lasswade. Died 12.5.1847 at Newton, bilious fever.
Robert Born 1830-31
John Born 1833-34 at Newton, Midlothian
Margaret Baptised 18.3.1837 Edinburgh. Believed died at Lasswade before 1841.
David Baptised 11.11.1838 at Bread Street United Presbyterian Church, Edinburgh.
Ramsay Born 1838-39 at Newton. In 1861 unmarried joiner in St Giles, Edinburgh.
Mary Born 1841-43 at Newton. See main text.
Thomas Born 1845-46 at Newton
Agnes Born 1849-50 at Dalkeith
George Born 1851-52 at Dalkeith
Young Family History 