George (Sintone) Sinton (1737 - 1806)

Born 6 Mar 1737 in Ashkirk, Roxburghshire, Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Margaret (Beaty) Sinton — married 25 May 1766 in Wilton, Roxburghshire, Scotland

Descendants

Died 21 Feb 1806 at age 68 in Hawick, Northumberland, England, United Kingdom

Biography

George was baptised in 1737 at Ashkirk while the family lived at 'Huntly'. He is the son of John Sinton and Jean Cuthbertson. ^[1]

He married Margaret Beaty at Wilton on 25 May 1766. They were both living in Wilton. ^[2]

They had a number of children, one of which was baptised at Wilton.

George Sinton, labourer, died 21 Feb 1806 Hawick. ^[3] Residence - Lenton ^[4]

Research Notes

Having grown up and experienced the tough life of a shepherd on his father’s sheep walk at Outer Huntly, George was the one who made the transition from farm to urban living. And no wonder. In his Statistical Account of the County of Selkirk Rev. Robertson writes emotively a few years later:

The young men receive, per annum, from L. 6 to L. 8 of wages, and the young women, from L. 3:10 to L. 4:10, with their maintenance. Labourers, is in summer, is 2d. in harvest, and 10d in winter, per day. Women from 6d. to 8d. in summer, and 1s in harvest. This, however, is inadequate to their expences (sic), when they are in health, and makes them a constant burden upon the public, whenever any misfortune happens to them. Such a mode of living is but a miserable preparation for the cares of matrimony, and the burden of a family. In that state, the rustic beau sinks into a peevish and complaining churl. The gaily attired shepherdess becomes a prey to stupid insensibility and sloth, equally indifferent about her person and her household affairs; and the virtue of both, if it hath withstood the attacks of youthful dissipation, is again subjected to the dangers, which arise from the restless calls of pinching poverty, and the cries of starving infants. (Selkirk, County of Selkirk, OSA, Vol. II, 1792)

George was a labourer. In 1766 he married Margaret Beaty at Wilton while they were both living there.

Wilton and Hawick are 5 miles south of Ashkirk. Wilton was largely a rural parish containing the hamlets of Appletree-Hall, (Wilton) Dean, and Wilton on the north side of River Teviot. It also included a small portion of the town of Hawick.

Only two children appear in parish records. Register entries for the established church at Hawick have gaps eg 'irregular (baptism) entries are frequent after 1770' It is also possible the Sintons belonged to a non-conformist church, of which only limited ones are available. ^[5]

They were living at 'Morrowshall' (Morrishall) when Thomas was baptised at Wilton. It was a farm about a mile north-west of the old bridge between Wilton and Hawick. Morrishaa (mo-ris-haw) Morrishall, former farmstead in Wilton Parish, between Wilton Dean and Whitehaugh, near Brieryhill, lying beside the modern Whitehaugh Road. John Morton and family were there in at least 1835–1851. It was probably deserted in the 1850s and derelict soon after. It was also known as ‘Murrayshall’ (it is marked on Stobie’s 1770 map). (A Hawick Word Book)

At some point afterwards the Sinton family moved across the river to Hawick.

William, born 1778, is assumed to be their child. (See reasons in Research Notes on his profile)

In October 1790 Allison/Aily, daughter of George Sinton, was buried at Hawick. Her birth is assumed 1780-90 in Hawick.

George Sinton was described as a labourer when he died in Feb 1806. He was living at 'Lenton'. That location has not been found on old maps around Hawick, but there is the village of Lanton about 8 miles north-east of Hawick. In Jan 1806 grandson James was baptised to William and Margaret (Hogg) while they were living there. Hence George appears to have been living with William and family when he died, but was interred at Hawick.

Other possible children or relatives of George and Margaret:

Ledy Sinton died 03 Jul 1774 Hawick (no other details) ^[6]

Gilbert Sinton married Jean Cavers at Wilton in 1801.

Wulton (wul’-in, wil’-in, wil-tin) n. Wilton, originally a separate settlement on the north side of the Teviot. It is first mentioned in a deed of about 843 in which Egred, Bishop of Lindisfarne secured to that See land in Teviotdale including ‘Wiltuna’. The church transferred to the Diocese of Glasgow in the 12th century, when there are also several references to ‘ecclesiam de Wilthona’. A large part of the Parish of Wilton was owned by the Langlands family for centuries. The town had its own Common in the area behind Stirches, the feuars being called together at Stintieknowe. In 1627 it was reported that ‘their is no foundatioun for hospitall or schooll, albeit they war necessar’. In the 18th century Wilton consisted of the Langlands and Stirches estates, together with a few smaller farms, the Roughheugh corn mill, the Parish Kirk, Manse and School, and houses at Damside, Sandbed, the Pethheid, Gib’s Nose, the Maut Steep, Saut Haa and Lockiesedge. It remained a scattered village until it was developed as cheap housing for mill workers in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, when it became increasingly dependent on Hawick. With bridge access across the Teviot being easy, it grew more and more clear that Wilton and Hawick were two parts of the same town. Wilton came within the boundaries of the Burgh of Hawick following the local Police Act of 1861 (which was not without its critics), bringing new life to the community... (A Hawick Word Book)

Hawick (hIk, hoik) n. oor ain auld toon, population (1991) 15,812, at the confluence of the River Teviot and the Slitrig Water, in the old county of Roxburghshire, where it is the largest town. It is one of the furthest towns from the sea (about 69km) in Scotland. One of Scotland’s leading textile centres, it is also famous for its Common Riding, rugby, and long tradition of civic independence. It is first recorded in the 12th century, and built up around the Tower and St. Mary’s Church. It has been a Burgh of Barony since some time in the 15th century, with the earliest existing Charter being from Sir James Douglas in 1537. It was burned by the English in 1418, 1548 and 1565, and the inhabitants burned it themselves in 1570 so as to not to provide food or shelter to the invaders. Almost all records before the 1630s were lost through incursions of ‘Englishmen and thieves’... (A Hawick Word Book)

Sources

Selkirk, County of Selkirk, OSA, Vol. II, 1792 ^[7]

A Hawick Word Book by Douglas Scott (Draft version 28 Aug 2022) ^[8]

1. ↑ https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/
2. ↑ "Scotland Marriages, 1561-1910", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XYQ1-WM3 : 11 February 2020), Margaret Beaty in entry for George Sinton, 1766.
3. ↑ https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/
4. ↑ https://www.findmypast.co.uk
5. ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Hawick,_Roxburghshire,_Scotland_Genealogy
6. ↑ https://www.findmypast.co.uk
7. ↑ https://stataccscot.edina.ac.uk/static/statacc/dist/viewer/osa-vol2-Parish_record_for_Selkirk_in_the_county_of_Selkirk_in_volume_2_of_account_1/osa-vol2-p446-parish-selkirk-selkirk?search=selkirk
8. ↑ https://www.astro.ubc.ca/people/scott/book.pdf