The Bartholomews of Falkirk and Muiravonside
Multiple generations of a successful sawmilling family from Falkirk
such records in Scotland but a challenge to read with certainty
Early Falkirk Old Parish Records show that Bartholomews were established in Stirlingshire since at least 1621 when Alexander Bartilmo married Esobell (Isabel) Donnoven in the parish of Falkirk. They had six children, of which five were boys.
Because there is still some ambiguity in reading baptismal records and identifying the parentage of some of the grandchildren, for now we should start with James Bartholomew b.1666 (probably Alexander's grandson) as the head of this family tree. He married Marion Stewart in 1693.
They had at least three children. Their only son, Andrew Bartholoman was baptized in Falkirk in 1700. He married Elizabeth Johnstone in 1726. Though they had eight children, there was only one boy to carry the name forward: James Bartholomew, b. 1740 in Polmont, Falkirk.
by the Union Canal (colourised photo)
Census returns tell us that James was a wright, a skilled workman especially in constructing things, possibly a wheelwright. James in turn would have four sons, at least two of which continued to work with wood as joiners/wrights. It is with the passing down of these skills that the next generation of sawyers emerged, who found work some 5 miles south of Polmont at the mill on the Muiravonside Estate.
It was from the family of James Bartholomew and Ann Cator Brown of Muiravonside (married 1826) that the family sawmilling tradition was born. Of their nine children, five would migrate at different times between 1857 and 1866 to Australia. James and Thomas settled in Queensland. The former became partner in a major samwilling venture in Marybourgh. His younger brother lived 100 miles further south running several mills in the Woombye area. Sarah went to live in Victoria. Peter moved to Feilding, New Zealand where his brother John would join him as partner in the sawmill there. After further business expansion and diversification beyond Feilding, the family involvement in these operations ceased in 1943.
Of the siblings that stayed in Scotland: Bland, Mary Ann, Agnes and Ann, little is known at this time. Bland died aged only 28, leaving behind a family of four.As research evolves, the stories of the other branches of this family living in Scotland and elsewhere will be told.
Research Acknowledgement: The majority of the information on this branch of the Scottish Bartholomews is based on family records collected and transcribed by Robert Blair Bartholomew (Queensland, Australia), Jennifer Hainsworth (Hamilton, New Zealand) and Gillian Devine (Fife, Scotland). Although there are some minor inconsistencies, most records are validated where possible from family archives and online registration records and digitally archived documents.
