The Ancestors of Janet Greig Smith

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My Mother was Margaret Stobbs Greig, born at the Glen, Irongray on the 5th May 1923. she married Robert Bell of Dumfries in Glasgow in 1945. They had four children inc myself. Robert Andrew b. 22nd. June 1947 in Dumfries, David b. 16th. December 1949 in Dumfries, myself Janet Greig b. 6th. April 1959 in Kendal and Thomas b. 24th. March 1960 in Doncaster. My mother died in 1999 on the 14th. November. Her older sister is Janet Jess Greig, b. 30th. April 1920 at High Pennyvenie Dalmellington still very much with us and enormously interested in your project. Her older brother was William b. 31st. March 1917 at High Pennyvenie Dalmellington d. 1976 whilst working in Ae Forest. Uncle William and Aunt Janet did not have children, so I am the last one with
the Greig name perched on our branch of the tree! My Aunt remembers talk of two other children, firstly Elisabeth b. 1st. April 1919 who only lived a few weeks and a boy, John b. about 1921 who would have died soon after birth, I am searching for information about this.

My Grandfather was Andrew Greig b. 25th. August 1893 at Drummockloch, his father was William Greig and mother Janet Jess. See family photo taken c. 1911 we think to celebrate my Great Grandparents Silver Wedding anniversary. Left to right there is Mary Greig known as Molly, William Greig, Thomas Greig, Isabella Greig, Sarah Priestly Greig (small child) known as Sally, Andrew Greig (my grandfather), Janet Jess, Agnes Greig and Ivie Greig.

My Grandmother was Mary Gray McMinn. She was born the 20 July 1891 12 Noon at Littlemark Sanquhar. Daughter of John McMinn (Ploughman) & Elizabeth McMinn m/s Stobbs

Unfortunately I never knew my Grandparents, they died many years before I was born. My Grandfather Andrew Greig died on the 19th. September 1939 aged only 46 at the Muil, Corsock Bridge, Parish of Kirkpatrick Durham. My Grandmother Mary Gray died in Dumfries infirmary on the 25th. March 1940 again relatively young, aged 48.

The reason I know of' 'Old uncle John' is that he went to live with my Grandparents from about 1923 until his death in 1928. Amongst the children he had his favourites my mother was one, my aunt was not! Being a bit of a tom boy she seamed to rub him up the wrong way. He was living at the Glen when my Mother was born and that seams to be the reason for his affection towards her. He was also fond of his youngest niece Sarah, known to the family as Sally who is the young lady in the picture I have already sent to you. The portrait along with the watch she is wearing were his gifts for her 21st. birthday. As her father William had died, he kept a parental eye on her. We have always known he went to America on two occasions and along with the photographic evidence I think we have found the illusive Andrew Greig in the shape of ‘Old uncle John’.

My Grandparents seamed to collect relatives who resided with them at the Glen for varying amounts of time. After William Greig death, 31st. August 1920, the remaining family still at Preston Mill moved in with my Grandparents at the Glen. There was Janet Jess, Sarah, (Sally) and Thomas Greig’s baby daughter another Janet Jess, (his wife having died when the baby was a few days old). The baby had the same name as my aunt and was the same age, so, to avoid confusion they called this baby Jenny when the family were together. She stayed at the Glen until her father remarried some years later.

My Aunt tells me ‘old uncle John used to sit by the fire knitting, (socks mainly). On pension day he would take the trap and pony Mary down to Shawhead to collect pension money for himself and Janet Jess and would then collect his two nieces from school along with other school friends who lived in the same direction, taking them home, giving strict instruction to them to behave or they would find themselves walking! Then he would produce a bag of peppermint creams "one each mind" before setting off. All the children seamed to find the old mans lengthy beard blowing everywhere highly comical. Sadly, she remembers the day in 1928, when, before she went to school, sensing something was wrong with the old man, she asked her Mother if Uncle John would be there when they came home from school. Sadly she answered ‘no’.

I hope you understand my ramblings I've worked out my part of the tree back to William Gregg = Agnes Couper and would like to investigate further if possible.

One piece of information that may be useful to you concerns Agnes Sloan's - according to a Barr churchyard inscription her death is recorded - 24th March 1770 - spouse to George Gregg - smith at North Balloch) , so she may well have died in childbirth to William Gregg.

I will ask my Aunt for other memories that might be of interest and e-mail you again. I have included more pictures but will send them a couple at a time. I would love to find more Greig pictures as my collection is very small. My aunt remembers lots of photographs, but where they are? Nobody knows.

Kindest regards.
Janet Greig Smith
March 2007