A Scottish mining family who lived in Ayrshire, Scotland but with an ancestor who fought at Waterloo in 1815 and knew Sgt Charles Ewart who captured the French Eagle from Napoleon's troops; look for John Brobbin and his brother-in-law John Tannock who served in the same regiment. The family had links to a gold prospector in Utah; look for Daniel Murchie. Would you believe that we had a very promiscuous 4 x great-grandmother whose life has taken years to unravel - look out for Jean Peden born 1781. 

The fortunes of the two sides of this family could not have appeared more bleak in the 1800s with generation after generation working in the coal pits and living in terrible housing conditions. Their fortunes changed in the 1900s with the benefit of education which brought opportunity which led to improved living conditions and the descendant families embraced these new beginnings. 

The children descended from John McKillop (1927-1984) and his brother Bill McKillop (1932-1986) are from Alexander McKillop born 1753 and his two wives. The first 'wife' gives the McKillop line and the second wife the spouse's line through their daughter Catherine McKillop born 1789.

This is why there is a small extract from my maternal line as my mother was related to Isabella Bickerstaff Howie (Bill's wife).

If you go into the photo section and click on your name and find that your baby picture has been aged to 35, for example, please ignore it! The program is picking up the date I uploaded photos onto my computer and I'm still working my way through them.

Have fun!