| EARLY YEARS IN SCOTLAND 1700's-1800 |
| The earliest records of my branch of the Morton family that can be verified are of THOMAS MORTON of Avondale Parish, Lanarkshire, Scotland who married JANET HEPBURN. Details at this stage are very sketchy, and the information was found on the birth records of the children. They lived on Laigh Cleughearn Farm in East Kilbride Parish - the farm was on the border between East Kilbride and Avondale Parishes, and could account for the births of the children being in both parishes. They had six children for whom we have traced birth records, they were - THOMAS & JANET (twins) - born 16 December 1786 in Avondale Parish, christened 22 December 1786 JOHN - born abt 1788 in East Kilbride Parish JAMES - born 16 January 1791 ANDREW - born abt 1798 WILLIAM - born abt 1800 |
| THOMAS married MARGARET WILSON of East Kilbride Parish 0n 7 March 1812, the banns having been read in East Kilbride Parish Church, and in Avondale. Thomas had taken over Laigh Cleughearn Farm by that time. They had seven children for whom birth records have been traced. THOMAS born abt 1816 in East Kilbride Parish JAMES born 18 March 1821 in East Kilbride Parish JOHN born 19 November 1822 in East Kilbride Parish ELISABETH born 30 October 1824 in East Kilbride Parish MARGARET born 24 March 1828 in East Kilbride Parish LILIAS WILSON born 7 December 1829 CHRISTINA born 18 November 1835 MARGARET, Thomas' wife, was one of four daughters of JAMES WILSON and JANE WILSON (first cousins) both of East Kilbride Parish Margaret's sister LILIAS was married to her brother in law JAMES, and they farmed Park Farm, which bordered the Laigh Cleughearn Farm both farms being part of the large Cleughearn Estate of the Earl of Eglinton & Winton. |
| Names highlighted in red are direct ancestors |