Moses Wyllie

Moses Wyllie was born on April 4, 1834, in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland, to Thomas Wyllie and Janet Dreghorn. He is my husband’s 1st cousin 4x removed, sharing Moses Wyllie and Janet (his grandparents and my husband’s 4th great-grandparents) as their nearest common relatives. His birth is recorded as “Moses Wyllie, sixth child and third son of Thomas Wyllie, laborer, and Janet Dreghorn, his wife.”

Birth register for Moses Wyllie (1834)

Moses was one of at least five children documented as being born to Thomas and Janet: Maggie, John, Janet, Andrew, and Moses himself. In 1841, the Wyllie family resided at Robertson Place in Kilmarnock, where census records list Thomas’ occupation as “Th. L. W.,” likely an abbreviation for “Thread Lace Weaver.” The household included four children: Moses (age 5), John (age 3), Janet (age 2), and Andrew (9 months).

Census entry for the Wyllie family (1841)

By 1851, the Wyllie family remained in Kilmarnock at the Robertson Place home. Thomas had transitioned to agricultural labor, while Moses, at age 12, worked as a printer. Living next door were brothers Robert and James Wallace, calico printers—an occupation Moses would later adopt. A calico printer was a skilled artisan who crafted intricate designs on cotton fabric. Moses’ brothers, John and Andrew, worked as “tearers at print work,” likely entry-level roles in a textile mill. Janet, age 8, contributed to the household as a hand sewer. Every family member played a role in supporting their home.

Census entry for the Wyllie family and their next-door neighbors (1851)

When the 1861 Scotland census was taken on April 7, the household consisted of just Moses and his mother, Janet, living on Fitchfield Street. His father, Thomas, appears to have passed away, though Janet was still listed as married, not widowed. At the time of his death, Thomas was working as a carpet weaver. Moses, now 27, worked as a hammerman, a skilled metalworker, while Janet was employed as a tambouser, likely creating intricate tambour lace.

Census entry for the Moses and his mother, Janet (1861)

On December 31, 1861, Moses married Hannah McKay at 30 Robertson Place in Kilmarnock, likely her family home. Hannah, also 27, was employed as a boot (or book) binder, while Moses, residing on Fitchfield Street, worked as a laborer. Both Daniel and Margaret (Thomson) McKay, Hannah’s parents, had passed away by this time.

Marriage register for Moses and Hannah (1861)

Together, Moses and Hannah had seven children, all born in Kilmarnock: Thomas Wyllie, Agnes Wyllie, Margaret McKay Wyllie, Jeanie Buchanan Wyllie, Janet Dreghorn Wyllie, Duncan McKay Wyllie, and Hannah McKay Wyllie.

Moses’ younger brother, Thomas, was born at the family home, 30 Robertson Place, on October 22, 1862. While no middle name was recorded on the birth register, it noted their mother’s maiden name as “McKie” instead of the more commonly recorded “McKay.” At the time, Moses was working as a calico printer.

Birth register for Thomas Wyllie (1862)

Janet, Moses’ mother, passed away at Grougar Row, near Kilmarnock, on September 27, 1864, after a two-week battle with diarrhea. Her death was officially recorded by Moses, who served as the informant on the register. The location of her burial remains unknown.

Death register for Janet Dreghorn Wyllie (1864)

Around 1865, Moses’ sister Agnes was born. Unfortunately, the only records I have been able to locate for her are the Scotland census entries. The 1871 census lists her birthplace as Lanarkshire, Glasgow, which stands out as unusual given that all the other Wyllie children were born in Kilmarnock. The 1881 census records her birthplace as Kilmarnock. Without a birth register to verify, the exact location remains unclear. However, considering the Wyllie family’s strong ties to Kilmarnock, it seems likely that this was her true birthplace.

Another sister, Margaret McKay Wyllie, was born on October 2, 1867, at the family home at 36 Robertson Place. At that time, Moses was employed as a laborer.

Birth register for Margaret McKay Wyllie (1864)

Twin sisters, Janet Dreghorn Wyllie and Jeannie Buchanan Wyllie, were born at the family home on Robertson Place on October 22, 1869. Janet, the elder of the two, arrived at 12:30 PM, followed by Jeanie five minutes later, at 12:35 PM. At the time of their birth, Moses was recorded as working as a hammerman.

Birth register for twins Janet Dreghorn Wyllie and Jeanie Buchanan Wyllie (1869)

Whooping cough devastated the Wyllie household between late 1869 and early 1870, claiming the lives of three young children. The outbreak began in mid-November 1869, when Jeanie, one of the six-week-old twins, fell ill. After two weeks of suffering, she passed away at the family home on December 2, 1869.

Death register for twin Jeanie (1869)

Heartbreak struck once more when two-year-old Margaret, called Maggie, fell ill in late November. After battling the disease for just two weeks, she passed away at home on December 10, 1869.

Death register for sister Margaret (1869)

Shortly after Christmas, Janet, the surviving twin, contracted whooping cough. She endured the illness for 10 days before sadly passing away at the family home on January 4, 1870. At the time of her death, Janet was just over two months old.

Death register for twin Janet (1870)

The three children were laid to rest together in Kilmarnock Cemetery.

Duncan, the sixth child and second son of Moses, was born on February 5, 1871, at the family home on Robertson Place in Kilmarnock. He was given his mother Hannah’s maiden name as his middle name. However, as with his brother Thomas, the birth register mistakenly recorded it as “McKie” instead of “McKay.”

Birth register for Duncan McKie Wyllie (1871)

On April 2, 1871, when the census was taken, Moses, Hannah, and their three surviving children—Thomas, Agnes, and Duncan—were still residing at their home on Robertson Place. Moses remained employed as a hammerman. Among the children, only eight-year-old Thomas was attending school at the time. The census also noted that their home had only one room with a window.

Census entry for the Wyllie family (1871)

Moses’ youngest child, a daughter named Hannah McKay Wyllie, was born on July 11, 1873, at the family home on Robertson Place. As with some of her older siblings, she was given her mother’s maiden name, McKay, as her middle name.

Birth register for Hannah McKay Wyllie (1873)

Tragically, Hannah fell ill with diphtheria and passed away at the family home just three days later, on May 24, 1876. She was only 2 years and 10 months old when her life was cut short. Hannah was laid to rest at Kilmarnock Cemetery alongside her siblings.

Death register for Hannah McKay Wyllie (1876)

The Wyllie family remained in their home at 36 Robertson Place in Kilmarnock in 1881, with Moses continuing his work as a hammerman. The census that year split the family’s record across two pages: Moses appeared on one page, while Hannah, Thomas, Duncan, and Agnes were listed on the next. Notably, this census marked the first instance of Hannah being recorded with an occupation, described as a “hammerman’s wife.” At the time, Thomas, aged 18, was employed as a baker, while Agnes, aged 16, worked as a weaver. 

Census entry for the Wyllie family (1881)

By 1891, Moses, Hannah, and their son Duncan had taken up residence at 30 Robertson Place, a home with sentimental value as it was where Moses and Hannah had been married three decades earlier, in 1861. The property is believed to have originally belonged to the McKay family. The house was modest, with only two rooms featuring windows. At 55 years old, Moses continued to work as a hammerman. Hannah, however, was not employed, likely managing household duties. Their son Duncan had embarked on a career as a tailor. Once again, the census year split the family’s record across two pages: Moses and Hannah appeared on one page, while Duncan was listed on the next. 

Census entry for the Moses, Hannah, and Duncan (1891)

Moses passed away at the family home at 30 Robertson Place on April 4, 1894, following a month-long illness caused by sub-acute Bright’s disease, a kidney condition now recognized as nephritis. He was 59 years old at the time of his death. His son, Duncan, served as the informant on the death register.

Death register for Moses Wyllie (1894)

Hannah, Moses’ wife, survived him by just over a year. She passed away at their home on September 28, 1895, after enduring a yearlong struggle with emphysema. In the month leading up to her death, she also suffered from lung congestion. As with Moses, their son Duncan served as the informant on her death register.

Death register for Hannah Wyllie (1895)

Both Moses and Hannah were interred alongside their children, as well as a granddaughter, at Kilmarnock Cemetery.

Moses passed away without leaving a will. As his next of kin, his son Thomas was appointed executor of the estate by the Ayr courts on December 18, 1896. The estate was valued at £28, 15 shillings, and 9 pence—equivalent to approximately $4,375 in today’s U.S. dollars.

Moses erected a large memorial stone at Kilmarnock Cemetery to honor and commemorate his family. The stone reads:

ERECTED BY MOSES WYLLIE

IN MEMORY OF HIS CHILDREN

MAGGIE. WHO DIED 22D DECR 1869. AGED 2 YEARS.

JEANIE. WHO DIED 11TH DEC. 1869 AGED 6 WEEKS.

JANET. WHO DIED 24TH MAY 1876 AGED 2 YEARS & 10 MONTHS.

THE ABOVE MOSES WYLLIE DIED 7TH APRIL 1894, AGED 59 YEARS.

HIS WIFE, HANNAH MCKAY DIED 29TH SEP. 1895, AGED 62 YEARS.

ALSO HIS GRAND CHILD HANNAH MCKAY WYLLIE, DIED 9TH SEP. 1913,
AGED 4 YEARS & 8 MONTHS

There are a few inconsistencies between the dates of death recorded on the memorial and those documented in the official death register. Maggie’s death is noted as December 22 on the memorial, whereas the death register records it as December 10. Similarly, Jeanie’s tombstone lists her date of death as December 11, but the death register states it as December 2. Additionally, his grandchild Hannah, who was the daughter of his son Duncan, is also referenced. You can view the memorial on Moses’ Find A Grave memorial.

References

• Calico; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calico.
• Duncan McKie Wyllie, Statutory Registers Births 597/155, National Records of Scotland, 1871.
• Hammerman, The Trades House of Glasgow; https://www.tradeshouse.org.uk/crafts-hammermen/. 
• Hannah McKay Wyllie, Statutory Registers Births 597/592, National Records of Scotland, 1873.
• Hannah McKay Wyllie, Statutory Registers Deaths 597/268, National Records of Scotland, 1876.
• Hannah McKay Wyllie, Statutory Registers Deaths 597/279, National Records of Scotland, 1913.
• Hannah Wyllie, Census 597/15/15, National Records of Scotland, 1881.
• Hannah Wyllie, Statutory Registers Deaths 597/454, National Records of Scotland, 1895.
• Janet Dreghorn Wyllie, Statutory Registers Births 597/750, National Records of Scotland, 1869.
• Janet Dreghorn Wyllie, Statutory Registers Deaths 597/6, National Records of Scotland, 1870.
• Janet Willie, Census 597/26/15, National Records of Scotland, 1841.
• Janet Wyllie, Statutory Registers Deaths 597/450, National Records of Scotland, 1864.
• Jeanie Buchanan Wyllie, Statutory Registers Deaths 597/554, National Records of Scotland, 1869.
• Margaret McKay Wyllie, Statutory Registers Births 597/759, National Records of Scotland, 1867.
• Margaret McKay Wyllie, Statutory Registers Deaths 597/577, National Records of Scotland, 1869.
• Merton Priory, History: Calico Printing; https://www.mertonpriory.org/history/calico-printing/. 
• Moses Wyllie, Calendar of confirmations and inventories granted and given up in the several commissariots of Scotland : Scotland. Probate Records 1896, image 268, FamilySearch.
• Moses Wyllie, Census 597/15/12, National Records of Scotland, 1891.
• Moses Wyllie, Census 597/15/14, National Records of Scotland, 1881.
• Moses Wyllie, Census 597/18/16, National Records of Scotland, 1871.
• Moses Wyllie, Census 597/18/30, National Records of Scotland, 1851.
• Moses Wyllie, Census 597/20/33, National Records of Scotland, 1861.
• Moses Wyllie, Old Parish Registers Births 597/Kilmarnock, National Records of Scotland, 1834.
• Moses Wyllie, Statutory Registers Deaths 597/168, National Records of Scotland, 1894.
• Moses Wyllie, Statutory Registers Marriages 597/193, National Records of Scotland, 1861.
• So Your Ancestor Worked in the Iron Industry?, North Lanarkshire Council; https://www.culturenlmuseums.co.uk/story/so-your-ancestor-worked-in-iron-industry/. 
• Thomas Wyllie, General Register of Poor Belonging to the Parish of Kilmarnock, Poor Law Records 1908–1922, image 65, FamilySearch.
• Thomas Wyllie, Statutory Registers Births 597/866, National Records of Scotland, 1862.