Biographical notes

James was one of five 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.

James married Agnes Kennedy in 1839. The family is recorded in the 1841 Census living in Content Street, Wallacetown which is also the street where his brother William is living. Agnes is aged about 30. There is a Janet Kennedy aged 50 in the household and a John McGovan (10), described as a Hand Loom Weaver.

One child called Elizabeth (age given is 5). If this age is correct it would seem that she was born in 1836 which was several years before the marriage. This child might have been from an earlier marriage. There is a record in the St Quivox Register of a James Pettigrew marrying Mary Edgar on 26 July 1829. James would have been 28 and Mary 25. A single child, Elizabeth, was born 20 August 1832 and there are no other surviving parish records of children for this marriage. Seven years later, James married Agnes Kennedy. In the 1841 Census they have no children apart from Elizabeth with a recorded age of 5 years. If this child was from the earlier marriage her actual age would have been 9 (in the 1841 Census childrens ages were rounded down to the nearest multiple of 5). In the 1851 Census when she would have been 19, there is no record of Elizabeth in the household which either indicates that she has moved out or else might suggest early death.

In the 1851 Census, the family are still next to that of James's brother, William, in Boghall Row (very close to Content Street). James is 51, Agnes is 40, There are 4 children. Evidence suggests that there were two children with almost identical names. Anne Pettigrew is recorded in the OPR's as being born on 22.7.1842. It is surmised that she died before 1846 when the Census records (1851, 1861), give an Ann Pettigrew born in that year although this cannot be verified in the OPR's.

The family appears in the 1861 Census back in Content Street (number 14), with the addition of one child; John Pettigrew (b about 1853 d 1878). The family consists of James Pettigrew (head), Collier aged 60, Agnes his wife aged 51, born Ayr, Agnes his daughter born St Quivox, aged 13, James (son) a Waggon Driver aged 17, Ann Pettigrew daughter aged 15, Mary daughter aged 10.

James Senior died in 1864. The birth certificate of Ann's illlegitimate son James (b. 1866), shows that Agnes outlived him.