18^TH JANUARY - MARY HAMILTON AND JOHN NIVEN

Today we say Happy Birthday to my second Great Aunt, Mary HAMILTON - the eldest sibling of my maternal G-G-Grandfather, William Cunningham Bontine HAMILTON.

Mary is one of those ancestors that I refer to as “well padded” because she is easily found in all the main record types. She was born, married, lived and died in a very small geographical area and is easily identified in the census returns.

Born on this day in Kilmalcolm in 1821, Mary made her appearance only 2 months after the marriage of her parents, Alexander HAMILTON  & Ann WILSON.  Her baptism is recorded in the parish records alongside those of her siblings; a very convenient snapshot of a family as it grows 

On 18^th December 1821 Mary marries tailor Daniel McDonald 

By the 1851 census we see that her family has grown to 4 children.

Sadly, on the 5^th September 1859 Mary died of “child bed fever” after the birth of her 7^th child Mary Hamilton MCDONALD.

Another birthday to celebrate today is that of my paternal second Great-Great Uncle John NIVEN. One of 9 children, John was the older brother to my Great-Great Grandmother Margaret NIVEN and was born on this day in 1801 in Forteviot, Scotland.  Sadly, I know nothing else about John, but wish him a Happy Birthday never the less!