1851 and 1861 Census extractions
I took these extractions from the Penninghame
Parish section of the Wigtownshire site and am using them with the permission of Jim
McLay (who transcribed the censi) and Leigh-Ann Elliot (webmaster of the Wig pages)
Ages should never be considered to be accurate on a census
- the listed age is only a guideline - often people would lie about their age for various
reasons - other times they simply didn't know and guessed. The same goes for a
birthplace listed on census. The older censuses don't have birthplace. The
newer the census the more information.
In 1841 the Knowe family of
McNairn was listed
McNairn William, 60; Mary 50; Agness,25; Jess, 22; William,
20; Mary, 18; Alexander, 13; Samuel, 10; John, 7; Jean, 50.
Jean listed here in 1841 is likely William's sister - interesting in that 10 years later
another sister of his was living with him but I have no further info on either of these
woman.
The 1851 census was taken as of March 30, 1851
Following are the McNairns/McNarins listed also those living at the same address.
| Place | Name | Sex | Age | Birth Year | Occupation |
| New Town | Elizabeth McNarin | F | 65 | 1786 | Pauper |
| New Town | Mary McNarin | F | 31 | 1820 | Sewer |
| New Town | Elizabeth McNarin | F | 24 | 1827 | Sewer |
| I am not sure who these three women are and how they fit with the McNairn clan but they appeared to be living together - and I would guess that Elizabeth who is 65 (and probably a widow) is mother of Mary and the younger Elizabeth | |||||
| Penninghame 5 | William Kirk | M | 51 | 1800 | Gamekeeper |
| Penninghame 5 | Williamina Kirk | F | 55 | 1795 | |
| Penninghame 5 | William Kirk | M | 14 | 1837 | |
| Penninghame 5 | John Kirk | M | 13 | 1838 | |
| Penninghame 5 | Boyle Kirk | M | 11 | 1840 | |
| Penninghame 5 | John McNairn | M | 45 | 1806 | Ag Lab. |
| Penninghame 5 | Thomas Dunlop | M | 17 | 1834 | Assistant gamekeeper |
| In the above family - who is also in the 1861 at Barnkirk - John McNairn is listed - but I also know that Williamina (Wilhelmina in 1861) was a McNairn before she married William Kirk - I don't yet how that family fits in or who John's parents are. It is possible he is a younger brother of Wilhelmina. | |||||
| Knowe Farm | William McNairn | M | 71 | 1780 | Farmer (800 Ac) |
| Knowe Farm | Mary McNairn | F | 60 | 1789 | |
| Knowe Farm | Samuel McNairn | M | 20 | 1831 | Ag Lab. |
| Knowe Farm | Jane McNairn | F | 14 | 1837 | |
| Knowe Farm | Agnes McNairn | F | 56 | 1795 | |
| Knowe Farm | Jane Brown | F | 6 | 1845 | |
| Knowe Farm | James Thomson | M | 45 | 1806 | Ag. Lab. |
| Knowe Farm | Malcolm Murdoch | M | 18 | 1834 | Ag. Lab |
| Knowe Farm | Jess Griffin | F | 18 | 1834 | House Servant |
| Meikle Elrig | William McNairn | M | 31 | 1820 | Farmer |
| Meikle Elrig | John Griffin | M | 35 | 1816 | Farmer |
| Meikle Elrig | Mary Griffin | F | 14 | 1837 | House Servant |
| Meikle Elrig | John Griffin | M | 11 | 1840 | Shepherd |
| The above two Families at the Knowe and Meikle Elrig as it is here or in 1861 - Mickle Elderick are connected - William at Meikle Elrig is son of William and Mary (Thomson) McNairn. William at Elrig was the oldest son and by 1861 was living at the Knowe with his wife Margaret Russell. Samuel at the Knowe was the second son - and by 1881 was at Meikle Eldrig with a family. But in 1852 or so he must have had a thing for the house servant because there is record of a birth of a daughter, Agnes McNairn to Samuel McNairn and Jessie Griffin in 1853. Agnes listed here at the Knowe, age 56, is most likely William senior's sister. | |||||
In 1861 the census was taken
as of 8th of April 1861
The following McNairns are listed also with those living at
the same address
| Place | Name | Sex | Age | Birth Year | Occupation |
| Mickle Elderick | Daniel McNairn | M | 30 | 1831 | Farmer |
| Mickle Elderick | Janet McNairn | F | 27 | 1834 | |
| Mickle Elderick | Grace Shaw | F | 21 | 1840 | |
| Mickle Elderick | Walter Beattie | M | 17 | 1844 | Ploughman |
| Mickle Elderick | James Thomson | M | 60 | 1801 | Farm Servant |
| North Barnkirk | William Kirk | M | 63 | 1798 | Gamekeeper |
| North Barnkirk | Wilhilmina Kirk | F | 65 | 1795 | |
| North Barnkirk | John McNairn | M | 54 | 1806 | Labourer |
| North Barnkirk | John Minis | M | 46 | 1815 | Sawmiller |
| North Barnkirk | Margaret Minnis | F | 44 | 1817 | |
| North Barnkirk | Jean Minnis | F | 13 | 1848 | |
| North Barnkirk | John Minnis | F | 9 | 1852 | |
| Knowe | William McNairn | M | 81 | 1780 | Farmer |
| Knowe | Mary McNairn | F | 70 | 1791 | |
| Knowe | William McNairn | M | 42 | 1819 | |
| Knowe | Margaret McNairn | F | 31 | 1830 | |
| Knowe | William McNairn | M | 4 | 1857 | |
| Knowe | Sarah McNairn | F | 18 m | 1859 | |
| Knowe | Jane McNairn | F | 24 | 1837 | |
| Knowe | John Griffin | M | 21 | 1840 | Ploughman |
| Knowe | James Wallace | M | 17 | 1844 | Ag. Servant |
| Knowe | Elizabeth Blain | F | 14 | 1847 | Ag. Servant |
| Knowe | James Gordon | M | 10 | 1851 | Herd Boy |
| As you can see in the above census - There are still McNairn families that are basically together. William junior moved from the Eldrig farm back to the Knowe - presumably because his parents were getting elderly and needed assistance. John who was with the Kirk family in 1851 is still with them. Samuel who was at the Knowe in 1851 is not listed in either - however he got married to Janet M'Kie of Colmonell, Ayr in June of 1860 and his eldest child of that marriage was born in Wigtown the day after the census was taken - so perhaps he was simply away from the farms for that reason. Certainly in 1881 he is listed with wife Janet and 11 children at Meikle Eldrig - listed as Nairn in that census not McNairn - but there are no Nairns listed in the 1861 census for Penninghame. I do not know as yet how this Daniel that is at Mickle Ederick fits in to the picture - one of the puzzles yet to be solved. | |||||