Hi Everyone
My branch of the family cone from the town of Paisley in Renfrewshire. The town has a long history of weaving - I’m sure you have all heard of Paisley pattern , the height of fashion in Victorian times and still popular today. Also Coats threads that we all grew up with.
My family has been traced back to William Sproul c1730 who married Ann Spier. Their son William 1780 married Margaret Hamilton and they had a son Janes in 1801. James married Janet Chapman and amongst their family was my GGG Grandmother, Margaret Sproul 1829. Margaret married John McLean and had a daughter, Janet. Janet married John Andrew and had my Grandmother, Margaret Sproul Andrew b1876.
The Sproul males were all involved in weaving. My Grandparents lived in Pollokshaws on Glasgow’s southside and I live in East Renfrewshire - about 7 miles east of Paisley- so we have not traveled far!
I would be really interested if anyone else shares some of these ancestors and I already know that our Australian cousins do!
Best wishes to Sprouts worldwide!
Marbe
Hello Marbe,
Welcome!!! Thank you so much for joining the site, and sharing a piece of Paisley history and background on your family! We have quite a few of our members in the DNA project that also trace their lineage back to Paisley, many to the c1730 time period. Are you actively researching your family lineage?
Kind regards,
Joe
Hello Marbe,
My direct ancestor is Matthew Sproull born "in the Greenfields of Caldwell" 1737 and died Paisley 1821. He owned and operated NetherCraigs Bleach Works. Do you know who William's parents were? I know Matthew's father was John, but wife is unknown to me. I believe them to be part of the Cowden Sproulls.
Hi
I think we must have a connection, but I'm not sure how direct it is! I do have a Matthew Sproul in my tree, but he was born in 1771 and was William's older brother. The parents were James Sproul c1730 and Ann Spier 1739.
I am not actively researching at the moment and in fact took all the Sproul line from my 2nd cousin, David Andrew, as it had been rigorously researched by David and by his father before him.
I hope theses of some interest.
Best wishes,
Marbe
Hi Marbe
Back again after a 2 year lull (let's call it a covid break), but I wonder if your William's father ( c.1730), could be a brother to John c 1702? Do you know who his (William's) father was? I know my x4 great grandfather Matthew's (Born 09 Dec 1737) father's name was John, and Matthew had a brother William. born 14 April 1785....all registered at Abbey.
Hi James
I think we’ve all been ‘on hold’ for 2 years!
I doubt if there is a connection. The earliest William that I have was born 1780. His parents were James 1730 and Ann Scott. William 1780 does have sons William 1804 and John 1814. That is the only mention of a John - possibly an uncle?
I hope this helps!
Marbe
Hi Marbe,
Thank you for the quick response. I'm assuming your William is a Renfrewshire Sproull, and if so there could be a remote connection, as the Sproulls were not very many at that time. Like Joe, I feel the family split in the late 1600's and part went to Ireland. It's strange, but I remember my grandfather taking about the Bleach works his grandfather had in Paisley at NethCraigs, and mentioned that part of the family went to Ireland to grow the flax. Just a story from the past, but I often wonder if it could have been partly true. Definitely the Bleach works part of the story was true.
Incidentally, the blog is from Mary, not James. I am a Sproull married to Jim Pomeroy, but I don't know how to change the entry.
Yes - the records show them to be from Paisley, Renfrewshire so I expect they would work in the manufacture of cloth, whether it be in the bleach fields or in weaving.
I‘m sure there will be a connection between our families further back.
Marbe