Adam Airth & Elisabeth Gardner


The Old Parochial Registers of the Church of Scotland
show that
Adam AIRTH was christened Sep 7 1755 in Canongate Edinburgh Midlothian.
He was the son of Henry AIRTH and Isobell ALEXANDER,
who had been married Nov 24 1750 in Canongate,
which is near Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh.

Henry & Isobell had several children, all christened in Canongate:
? (Agnes chr Sep 22 1751) ?
Jean chr May 27 1753
* Adam chr Sep 7 1755
Marion chr Jun 11 1758
Christian chr Dec 10 1760
Henry chr Mar 6 1763
John chr Dec 30 1764
Janet chr Jul 26 1767

Not much is known of the family's life at this point.

According to the research of an Airth cousin,
Adam was a weaver of tartan stockings in Anderston, north of Rutherglen.
These were the days when people produced one particular type of article at home,
for sale later in the larger market,
rather than working in a central place like a factory.



WEAVING was one of the largest of the cottage industries
and a loom sat in the common room of many a Scottish home.

We also know that Adam & Elisabeth were the parents of 9 children:

1) Henry b Mar 21 1786,
married Jan 29 1813 to Marion PARK (14 children)
at Greyfriars and Alexandra Street Parade Church Glasgow Lanark Scotland

Henry was a weaver prior to his enlistment at the age of 16.
He was discharged at the age of 29 from the Royal Horse Artillery.
Sgt Henry died May 10 1870 in Horton Township Renfrew Ontario.

2) Adam b Oct 1 1787

3) Isobel chr Jun 5 1791 / died before 1803

4) Jean chr Jan 4 1793

5) Elisabeth b Apr 14 1794,
married Aug 29 1815 to James HALLIDAY, also a weaver (8 children)
Elisabeth died Feb 22 1885 in Horton Township Renfrew Ontario.

6) Janet b May 3 1796

7) William chr Jul 11 1798

8) James b Apr 12 1801
married Feb 17 1825 to Jean McNAUGHT (9 children)
James was blind and a gifted violin player.
James died in 1853 in Bytown (Ottawa) Ontario

9) Isobel b May 24 1803

In 1827, Adam & Elisabeth's son Henry and his family emigrated to Canada.

In 1849, Adam & Elisabeth's son James and his children, Helen and Henry, emigrated to Canada.
(James' daughters Catherine and Jean followed a few years later)

At the urging of Sgt Henry, Adam & Elisbabeth's daughter Elisabeth
and her husband James HALLIDAY,
were pursuaded to emigrate to Canada as well.
Their children David, Esther and Marion came first in 1848,
followed by the rest of the family in 1849.


It is not known at this point, when either Adam or Elisabeth died
but it seems likely that it was sometime shortly before or after
their son Sgt Henry left for Canada in 1827.
This would have made them both in their 70s and in that part of the 19th Century,
that would have been a ripe old age!!

~Adam AIRTH & Elisabeth GARDNER were my GR GR GR GR grandparents ~

[ According to a descendant of SGT Henry,
" 2 of Adam & Elisabeth AIRTH's children went to Australia, 1 to Africa and 3 to Canada."
The goal is to attempt tracing all of his children!! ]
I have discovered an early AIRTH family in Australia, but haven't yet made a connection!!




airth@canada.com

Return to AIRTH Direct Ancestor Line

Henry Airth, Esquire ~ Eldest Son of Adam & Elisabeth
James Airth ~ Blind Musician - Son of Adam & Elisabeth
Elisabeth Airth Halliday - Daughter of Adam & Elisabeth
David Airth ~ Poetic Pioneer - Grandson of Adam & Elisabeth
David Halliday - Grandson of Adam & Elisabeth

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