Biographical notes

William was one of the children of Elizabeth Downie and John Pettigrew who married and, in the Census of 1841, the resulting families are all living in Content Street, Wallacetown.

There are several sources for information about William and Elizabeth Pettigrew. The Family Search (FS) database on the web site of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints contain records as regards birth dates of the children and the marriage date of the parents, note how the name is spelt Petticrew instead of Pettigrew. This information is derived from the parish records of St. Quivox, Ayr. Looking up the records directly reveals some interesting information. There are no records in the parish registers (echoed on the FS web site) for the children born after 1840. This missing information is given in the 1851 and 1861 Census records.

The first reliable record is to found in the 1841 Census where the family is living in Content Street, Wallacetown, a suburb of Ayr, in the parish of St. Quivox.

The 1841 census entry recorded the father, William Pettigrew, as aged 35 (his actual age was 38) and employed as a Shoemaker. His wife Elizabeth is given an approximate age of 30 (her actual age was 35), but the two later Census returns give more accurate ages . We also know from the FS database and parish records that Elizabeth's maiden name was Kennedy (it seems likely that her granddaughter, Elizabeth Kennedy Pettigrew, was named after her).

Of the children the eldest, William was aged 14 and, like his father, had the occupation of Shoemaker. Likewise his brother John (12) and Robert (10). Andrew was aged 7. The youngest child was Archibald, 4. The ages given for the children are correct.

Interestingly the FS database and Parish Records list two additional children; Jane Pettigrew (b. 1839, who would have been 2), and Daniel Pettigrew (b. 1840, who would have about 1), who are absent from the 1841 and later Census records. It seems most likely that both these children died in infancy.

The 1851 Census provides the next snapshot of the family and the name is recorded as Petticrew. The address is now Boghall Row in Wallacetown (This name appears on the 1855 Ordnance Survey street plan, and is very close to Content Street). William is aged 47 and Elizabeth 45. Of the children, the two eldest, John and Robert are absent - presumably because they have left home. Archibald (14) is now a Shoe Closer. There are four additional children. Magdline (5), scholar, Alexander (7) scholar, Catherine (transcribed as Kethrine, 3) and Jane (6 months).

Significantly the occupation of Andrew (17) is given as Gardener, and we know from a later obituary that he was working as a gardener at a mansion in Ayr called Rozelle House.

The final snapshot of the family is given in the 1861 Census where the age of William is given as 58 and that of Elizabeth 56. They are living at Petterson Land, Boghall Row - presumably the same address as in the 1851 Census. Andrew is absent (another 1861 Census record reveals that he is lodging in Tooting, Surrey), as is Archibald (who would be 24 and left the family home). Also missing is Magdline (15, another child mortality?). Alexander (18), is recorded as a Carpet Weaver, Catherine (13, spelt Kithrine and Kethrine on the previous Census returns), is a Scholar. John (32) Shoemaker makes a re-appearance (recorded in the 1841 Census but absent in the 1851 Census). Also listed is a grandson called William Pettigrew (there is a good photograph of William with his grandmother Elizabeth dated 1866 (Ref. 2007.073). There is no record of the family in the 1871 Census after the death of William in 1864.