John Fleming’s Web Site

Nil Illigitimus Carborundum

The “Adamson” Ancestors
1715 - 1837

Note on Codes: Every person mentioned has a code which describes their relationship to me. This is very useful when names are re-used from generation to generation as happens so much in Scots tradition. The code uses combinations of 6 letters F=father, M=mother; S=sibling; D=descendant; H=husband; W=wife together with numerals to show order. So my father is F. His eldest sibling is S1 (in this case S2 is not used as he was second born). Where two possible codes are available the simpler one is used. In a more complex example, my second wife’s fifth sibling’s second child is W2S5D2.

The earliest ancestor I have found is Andrew Adamson (MFFFFFF)(B~1715) who married Janet Hog (MFFFFFM)(B~1717) in ~1738. Their only known child was also called Andrew Adamson (MFFFFF)(B4 Dec 1740). This latter Andrew was a weaver by trade. He married Elizabeth Mathie (MFFFFM)(B 17 May 1741) on her birthday in 1763. Their only known child was John Adamson (MFFFF) (B 2 Dec 1764, D 6 Jun 1846). He was a Linen Weaver and I was told that he lived in a very old house in School Wynd in Pittenweem (see photo). He married Anne Mackie (MFFFM)(B 1763) on 29 Oct 1791 and they had 8 children, Anne (B22 Dec 1792), Andrew (B 21 Dec 1794), Elizabeth (Betsy)(B 11 Jun 1797), John (B 2 Dec 1799), Christian (B 27 Dec 1801), David (B 12 Apr 1804), James (MFFF)(B 11 Mar 1806) and Agnes (B~1808).
James is the first known ancestor to have a grave in the Pittenweem Churchyard.

weavers place

Weaver’s House—School Wynd Pittenweem—2006

headstone

Gravestone of *****