One of the amazing things thats happened whilst I’ve been compiling The Blantyre Project, is the amount of times I discover new relatives! It’s always just as thrilling, as the first time this happened each time I find a link, and a family connection is made. A new second or third cousin here, a new great aunt there……it’s just a pleasure to make new connections.
One such exciting connection was with Sonya Little and Caroline Moore. Both these ladies have connections to the James Little family who purchased Crossbasket Castle back in the 1930’s. Whilst researching the history of Crossbasket (which I’ve been doing now for many months), I found out, or rather Sonya, Caroline and I found out we were related to each other.
Determined to plot the common ancestry, I found that their line traced back to Mary Bowie, born 1853. Mary was the sister of my great, great grandfather John Bowie born 1846 (who was one of the rescuer parties going down the 1877 pit after the explosion). The graphic shows this relationship more clearly. Therefore, we all have common ancestry in Mary and John’s parents James Bowie born 1920 and Margaret Moffat!
Whilst doing this, I found out I’m related to the Little’s of Crossbasket, with James Little himself being my 1st cousin, three times removed. I know already I have made contact with distant relatives from George Bowie’s line too. Alex Bowie and Arlene Green, are you reading this?!