He was initially a Tilelayer, then a house furnisher. According to family legend, he found himself unemployed, so worked his passage to America, where he found well-paid work. However, his wife refused to leave Scotland, so he returned and bought an ironmongerrsquo;s shop, which he ran for many years.
He was variously a bookkeeper, a coach maker’s labourer, and a coachpainter. The middle name Lawson has been passed down to at least one of his grandsons, but is unexplained. It seems likely that he was named after a James LAWSON, and the only one I know of in Montrose at the time was another of my ancestors, James Smith LAWSON. However, I have never found any evidence that the families knew one another.
His occupations included Joiner and Mill Overseer.
If you are researching this family, please email me on arnold@sunloch.me.uk
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Created by Arnold Edward. Last updated 27 July 2009