Thomas BROADFOOT

When I was in my early 20s, I began to try to find out more about my paternal ancestors with the help of my father, his siblings and spouses and a great aunt. I made handwritten family group sheets (which I still have, thankfully) and I made my first drop down pedigree chart on paper that was designed for blueprints. It is a LOT of work to do it this way. I am glad that I never gave up.

It took some time to get in the right order but at the top of the chart was Thomas BROADFOOT and his wife Margaret HARCOMB. This explained my father's name of Thomas Harcomb Broadfoot quite clearly. I worried that I might never know more about them other than their dates of birth.

I am indebted to Marjorie Fletcher of West Valley City, UT for her help as she sent me the most wonderful documents. Today, I began the process of seeing just what I have just for the man I call the "first" Thomas Broadfoot. I am scanning his birth/baptismal record which Marjorie got for me at the Family History Library in Utah. It is probably the closest I will ever get to that place! I found her by the address she listed on her work at the family search Web site.

Thomas is listed as born 5 Jany 1829 and baptized 6 Jany 1829, in Kirkinner, Wigtown, Scotland. It is a copy of the Parish register (film # 1068, 037).  Thomas's father, John Broadfoot, lists in the column for residence Cottar and a word that looks like Cruick or Creek. Thomas's mother clearly reads as Mary Reynolds. [I have been seeking more evidence to prove that her name was RENDALS]

As you saw with yesterday's post, I have the marriage record of Thomas to Margaret HARCOMB. For a long time, this was all the evidence I had. But, due to the index of the Scotland census at Ancestry.com, I have gathered the information of the 1841, 1851, 1861, 1881 and 1891. I have been unable to find the 1871 listing for the family as of today.

Once I have gathered this evidence, I set out to find the census images at Scotland's people. You buy credits and each search costs one credit and the viewing of that image costs 5 credits. Until now, I have only been successful at finding births, marriages and deaths.

Births, marriage and deaths images are AMAZING, once you find the right ones! They have so much information on them. Death records are my favorite (well, this IS Granite in My Blood, you know!) In addition to the date and place of death, the cause is written and the person who was present at the death. If the person who was present couldn't write their name, then a X is made with their name being written by the doctor or the registrar. This is a way of determining the literacy of an ancestor.

in 1841, Thomas was was 12 and living with his parents. His father, John, age 35, was a farm servant and his mother Mary, age 35, gives her place of birth as Ireland. Thomas has an older brother David, age 15, and younger siblings, sister Jean age , and John age 6. They live in a place called Blackmyer, Kirkmabreck, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland. In 1851, they live at 18 Hollandbank, Kirkmabreck, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland. Thomas is 22, older brother David, who is 25, no longer lives with the family, and younger siblings Jane is 18 and a seamstress, and John at 14 is an agricultural laborer like his brother Thomas and father John.


Mary who is 1841 listed her place of birth as Ireland, now gives it as England. The census day for 1851 is 30 March 1851 and on 7 November 1851, Thomas Broadfoot marries Margaret Harcomb and leaves home. [John Broadfoot and his wife, Mary, parents of Thomas Broadfoot die in 1880 and 1865.]


On 7 April 1861, Thomas and Margaret have John, age 8 (my ancestor), and Hugh age 5 and Eliza age 2. They live at Bank St. in Creetown and Thomas is an agricultural laborer and remains in farming for all of his life.

In 1881, they live in Urr and all the children listed in 1861 are gone. They have Thomas age 18, James age 15 and William age 12. In 1891, only children James and William are left at home. James is a stonecutter and James in a grocer.


On 7 Feb 1899, Thomas, general labourer, age 70, dies of pleurisy and pulmonary congestion leaving his wife Margaret, a widow. His son John (my ancestor) is present at his death. Thomas parents are listed with his mother maiden surname as Reynolds. 

Thomas Broadfoot's sons Thomas and James are the only ones to go to America. They both become the first generation of this family to work with granite. They are the beginning of my American granite workers. They leave behind their other siblings, including my ancestor, John.