McCulloch Family - Adrossan Road, Saltcoats

For those researching family in the three towns area.
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McCulloch Family - Adrossan Road, Saltcoats

Post by Bermudagirl »

Hello. I am posting here on behalf of a friend who is trying to track down his birth parents after he was adopted.
We have found someone who might be his father emigrating to Canada but can't be sure it is him.
He has given the correct name for his father as Joseph McCulloch living at Watson Cottage, Ardrossan Road, Saltcoats. This would have been in 1921 btw.
Now the McCulloch family seemed to have lived at various addresses in Ardrossan Road, but we don't know the actual house number (if there was one) for Watson Cottage, so can't definitely tie it in to the McCulloch family I am looking into.
If anyone knows this part of Saltcoats, does the name Watson Cottage mean anything? Can anyone provide us with any information regarding it?
It would be much appreciated!
hahaya2004
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Re: McCulloch Family - Adrossan Road, Saltcoats

Post by hahaya2004 »

Hi Bermudagirl,
according to the valuation rolls Watson Cottage was/is No. 12, Ardrossan Road.
The name is shown as MACCULLOCH.

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Re: McCulloch Family - Adrossan Road, Saltcoats

Post by Bermudagirl »

Absolutely perfect Irene, as I have the McCulloch family staying at that address in the 1930s when my friend's parents were getting married. That is the usual residence given for his dad in 1934.
So, it looks like one of the McCulloch sons, William, emigrated to Canada in 1921, but must have returned at some point and married in 1934.
The mystery is what happened to them after that. So far, can't find them going abroad straight away.
It's a bit of a mystery!
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Re: McCulloch Family - Adrossan Road, Saltcoats

Post by Meg »

Bermudagirl wrote: Wed Sep 04, 2024 9:33 am Absolutely perfect Irene, as I have the McCulloch family staying at that address in the 1930s when my friend's parents were getting married. That is the usual residence given for his dad in 1934.
So, it looks like one of the McCulloch sons, William, emigrated to Canada in 1921, but must have returned at some point and married in 1934.
The mystery is what happened to them after that. So far, can't find them going abroad straight away.
It's a bit of a mystery!
If it’s a mystery - Irene is the 3ts own Miss Marple :wink:
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Re: McCulloch Family - Adrossan Road, Saltcoats

Post by Penny Tray »

These family intimations may or may not be of interest: -

GLASGOW HERALD
22 SEPTEMBER 1917

MARRIAGE – McCULLOCH and SCOTT

At 16 Robertson Crescent, Saltcoats, on Wednesday, 19th September, Percy, third son of Mr and Mrs Joseph McCulloch, Watson Cottage, Saltcoats, to Jeanie Laughlan, only daughter of Mr and Mrs William Scott, 16 Robertson Crescent, Saltcoats.

GLASGOW HERALD
22 FEBRUARY 1919

BIRTH - McCULLOCH

At 18 Robertson Crescent, Saltcoats, on the 20th instant, to Mr and Mrs Percy W. McCulloch (nee Jeanie Scott); a daughter.
Nothing is ever really lost to us as long as we remember it.
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Re: McCulloch Family - Adrossan Road, Saltcoats

Post by hahaya2004 »

A bit of "cottage history":
In 1885 Watson Cottage was called Holm Cottage, and was where John Watson lived when he married Catherine McCulloch, Harbour Place Ardrossan, in 1886. He was a widower aged 61 and she a spinster, aged 41. By 1889 the cottage had been renamed Watson Cottage, and was given as the address on the death of John Watson. He was a flesher and shopkeeper. His shop was in Chapelwell Street.
According to the valuation rolls, in 1895 Mrs Catherine MacCulloch or Watson, widow, was proprietor and occupier
The same entry is given for 1905 and 1915.
In 1920 Mr Joseph MacCulloch was proprietor and tenant
The same for the years 1925 and 1930
In 1935 and 1940 (the last available valuation roll). The proprietor and tenant was a Mrs Annie E. W. MacCulloch.

I'll let you know if I find out anything else about the family.
Irene
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Re: McCulloch Family - Adrossan Road, Saltcoats

Post by Bermudagirl »

Thank you so much Irene! What a marvellous detective you are. I will pass all this lovely information on to my friend, who knows next to nothing about his McCulloch family. I have seen Percy on the census returns and am pretty sure he was a brother of the William I am investigating!
That was very interesting about Watson Cottage.
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Re: McCulloch Family - Adrossan Road, Saltcoats

Post by hahaya2004 »

Some more information:
Joseph McCulloch married Anne Elizabeth Webber on 09th June 1887 at Devonport, England. They had 10 children born at Ardrossan.

David b.1889
James Irvine b. 1891 d. 1892, before his 1st birthday
Alexander b. 1892
Percy Webber b. 1895
William b. 1897
Christina Hazle b. 1899
Maud Webber b. 1901
Elizabeth Annie b. 1904
Joseph b. 1907 d, 1908, before his 1st birthday
Lucy Webber b. 1909

Their mother died 17th November 1940 at Watson Cottage. William reported her death and gave his address as
28 South Neuk
Garden City
Kilbirnie

This might be of interest to your friend:
https://threetowners.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12803

:puter
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Re: McCulloch Family - Adrossan Road, Saltcoats

Post by Bermudagirl »

Thank you so much. This is very interesting as it's William we are interested in. I have found out that he emigrated to Canada in 1921 but returned in 1928.
In 1934 he married Margaret Kerr , although my friend was born before their marriage.
My friend was adopted in 1935, and has no idea what happened to his birth parents. The family even employed a professional genealogist at one time to research the couple but had no success.
We assumed they might have emigrated at some point, although I have found no evidence of that and the professional genealogist couldn't find death records for either William or Margaret in England.
But, if William reported his mum's dearh, we have to assume he remained in Scotland if his address in 1940 was Kilbirnie.
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Re: McCulloch Family - Adrossan Road, Saltcoats

Post by Bermudagirl »

hahaya2004 wrote: Thu Sep 05, 2024 12:14 pm Some more information:
Joseph McCulloch married Anne Elizabeth Webber on 09th June 1887 at Devonport, England. They had 10 children born at Ardrossan.

David b.1889
James Irvine b. 1891 d. 1892, before his 1st birthday
Alexander b. 1892
Percy Webber b. 1895
William b. 1897
Christina Hazle b. 1899
Maud Webber b. 1901
Elizabeth Annie b. 1904
Joseph b. 1907 d, 1908, before his 1st birthday
Lucy Webber b. 1909

Their mother died 17th November 1940 at Watson Cottage. William reported her death and gave his address as
28 South Neuk
Garden City
Kilbirnie

This might be of interest to your friend:
https://threetowners.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12803

:puter
Oh my goodness. That link might just have answered our question. There is mention of a Bill going out to New Zealand after the death of his wife. It looks like it might be the Bill or William we are looking for. I can't believe how great everyone has been on this forum!
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Re: McCulloch Family - Adrossan Road, Saltcoats

Post by Penny Tray »

Re the New Zealand link - The 6 November 1959 issue of the Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald reported: - "Mr William McCulloch, Sheriff Officer, Saltcoats, is going to New Zealand for a holiday for two-and-a-half months. He leaves the country on December 14 and is travelling by air."
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Re: McCulloch Family - Adrossan Road, Saltcoats

Post by Bermudagirl »

Penny Tray wrote: Thu Sep 05, 2024 1:04 pm Re the New Zealand link - The 6 November 1959 issue of the Ardrossan & Saltcoats Herald reported: - "Mr William McCulloch, Sheriff Officer, Saltcoats, is going to New Zealand for a holiday for two-and-a-half months. He leaves the country on December 14 and is travelling by air."
Thank you Penny!
That is brilliant!
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