I’m a little late with my well-wishes this year, but I hope you all don’t mind.
I spent 2025 trying to confirm Serjeant Major James Watson’s birth, and I do believe I have. Based on his enlistment paperwork in the Fife Volunteer Militia, he was born in 1777 in Cupar. His parents would then be James Watson (Wright) and Margaret Malcom. Although I couldn’t find a marriage record, they had two other children, John and William, before Margaret died in 1785.
His father appears to have then remarried (I am still confirming this, hopefully, with some DNA matches) to a Helen Matthew (again, no marriage record exists), and had two more children, Katherine and George.
I put all of this together using records from Scotland’s People and trying James Watson – Wright. He was a member of the Trades Guild, and I found mention of him working in conjunction with a John Watson. Possibly his brother, cousin, or even grandfather. More research is needed to confirm this.
I am currently compiling trees for all Watsons born in Cupar, Fife, to see if I can take our tree back another generation.
I have found a reference to a Family Bible that recorded all the births in the family, even those not reported to the government.
I would dearly love to find this bible. If anyone has heard of it or has an idea where I could look, I’d be eternally grateful.
I hope you all have a Happy New Year!
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