The Cargill Section

This part of our family tree has been researched back 9 generations to 1680. Our most common names in the Arbroath and Auchmithie area were Cargill, Beattie, Spink and Swankie (surprise, surprise), while Anderson and Mearns feature in the Ferryden area. Of course, these were all mainly fishing communities at some time in their past.

This gravestone in St Vigeans churchyard provides a major contribution to the research. Its information about John Cargill and Isobelle Bews and their children is what gets us back to 1680.

Thanks to enneson.com for the picture.

Although some Cargills were invited to start Arbroath's fishing industry in 1705, our Cargill ancestors lived and fished in Auchmithie until the early 1870s.

The 1705 migration was reversed by the courts and they were forced to return to Auchmithie. General migration from Auchmithie to Arbroath seems to have started in 1829 and by 1855 Arbroath overtook Auchmithie in terms of number of boats and fishermen.

It was great grandparents Robert Cargill and Ann Anderson who left Auchmithie for St Andrews, reputedly flitting by fishing boat. They returned after a few years, but to Arbroath, and settled there. There are some interesting things in the family history around this time which might explain the two flittings; of which, more later when I have had time to document it.

Two of their children were born in St Andrews; grandfather David and his sister Anne. It was Anne who brought the name Weir into the family, as she married James Weir.