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Montrose Antecedents

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The son of James Piggin, shoemaker of Leicester: Samuel PIGGINS
bombardier, later sergeant instructor in Royal Artillery (his service record is available via FindMyPast)
born about 1819, St Marys, Leicester (18 and a half at attestation on 1838/02/07) from service record
born about 1819, St Martins, Leicester (according to 1881 census)

Said to have been the son of one James PIGGINS: the family tradition was that James was a master shoemaker of Nottingham, but the most likely James of those alive at this time was a shoemaker who apparently spent all his life in Leicester.


% Harriet Saunders (c.1825-1877) on 1844/February/12 at Athlone in Co. Roscommon, Ireland (census states she was born Wexford)

One of the couple's sons, James (1866- ), may have died as infant

Transferred in 1856 to the Forfar and Kincardineshire Artillery Militia, discharged (no. 1597) in 1859 at Kinsale at age 60

The family were living at 18 Wellington Place, Montrose, Scotland in 1881 (Samuel described as Chelsea pensioner). The 1861 and the 1871 census entries for Montrose have yet to be checked.

+ 1888/05/12 "aged 67" at Montrose (record Montrose deaths 1888, page 46, entry 138 states Father: James Piggin, shoemaker (journeyman))
Possible earlier child:
James Storer PIGGIN
* 1841c Leicester
I. Samuel, moulder (1861), traveller (1872), publican, sewing machine agent
* 1845a/03/17, St Margarets, Leicester
% Caroline Record (1843-1884) (widow of William Caddy) 1885/03/22, Edmonton
(all the children at right are hers; one child, George 1876-1877, died in infancy)
living at Kings Head, 36 Middle St, Chatham, Kent at 1881 census
+ 1886d/10/31, Poplar, "aged 42"
A. Annie Caddy (adopted Piggins)
* 1861 June (aged "10" in 1871, "17" in 1881)
B. Henry Caddy (adopted Piggins?)
* 1864
C. Elizabeth Piggins Caddy
* 1868b/05/28, Medway
D. Edward
* 1870/05/20 at Medway (registration not found: probably unregistered) ("10mo" in 1871, "13" in 1881) (Y-DNA samples from his descendants establish beyond doubt that his father was Samuel)
% Jennie Cook (-1893) 1891 at Camberwell
% Mary Louise Verey 1895 at Lower Sydenham (Lewisham RD)
immigrated to United States 1918/05/07
+ 1933/03/27 Detroit, Michigan
E. Alfred
* 1872c/06/20, Medway
% Edith Mildred List, 1895
F. Samuel (order clerk commercial at 1901 census)
* 1874d, Medway
% Naomi ---
G. Joseph, commercial clerk, warehouseman
* 1879c, Medway (still living with mother in 1901 census)
% Jemima "Nina" Wishart (the surname "Shields" is mentioned in a family story, but cannot be confirmed) (1881-1975) 1906
+ 1948
H. Rupert E
adopted son of Caroline, according to 1901 census: he is not mentioned in any other record
* circa 1890
II. Edward, trumpeter in 1871, tailor in 1881, later clothier
* 1847c, Greenwich (1871 census states Chatham)
% Margaret Millar: they were supposed to have had two sons and two daughters
1881 census: living at 120 High Street, Montrose
+ 1887 in Scotland?
A. Jane
* c1873
B. Florence
* c1874
C. Fanny
* c1877
D. son?
III. Eliza, steam loom weaver in 1871
* 1850c, Greenwich
% George Sharpe, n.i.
% Louie Van der Merwe, n.i.
+ 1900
IV. William, stonemason
* 1852d, Greenwich
% Helen Stuart (c1851-1916)
1881 census: 15 Reform St, Montrose
1893 Detroit City Directory: stone yard, Clinton Avenue + 1905, Dundee
The Ellis Island lists show the arrival in New York in 1904 of William S. Piggins aged 52 and Helen Piggins aged 47 (they must have then returned to Scotland). There is then the (re?) arrival of Helen S. Piggins aged 59 on 1909/09/24 aboard the Lusitania
A. Harriet
* c1877, Dundee
+ 1930
B. William
* c1878, Dundee
% Caroline A. Vincent
+ 1944
Not located in the Ellis Island lists.
A principal of the K-R-I-T Motor Car Co. of Detroit. See photo of him driving a car in 1910, as well as factory photos.
He later obtained a patent
C. Edward
* c1879, Dundee
% ---
+ 1932
The Ellis Island lists show the arrival in New York in 1907 of Edward S. Piggins, aged 28.
V. George, mill worker in 1871
* 1856/05/22, Montrose
% Betsy L.N. Doig 1886 at Montrose (George F. Piggins)
% --- CHEAP, n.i.
+ 1896b, Portsea, "aged 40"
VI. Frances
* 1859, Kinsale, Ireland
% Captain W. KERRISON
+ 1928
VII. Alfred, stonemason
* 1861/04/21, Montrose
% Mary Agnes MATHERS ( -1947)
+ 1892 in Scotland?
A. Harriet
* 1885
% Alex YUILL, n.i.
+ 1965
B. James Mathers, shipbroker
* 1888
% Mary MILNE
+ 1978
VIII. Frederick
* 1864/07/15, Montrose
+ 1885 aged 20 in Scotland?

Kind thanks to George Piggin of Lancashire and Frances Piggins Horton of Arizona, who not only provided copious vital data but also commissioned the first ever Piggins positive paternity test with DNA and shared the findings: Edward and other Leicestershire Piggins share a common line of male Y-DNA. My especial thanks as well to Lin Penny for sharing research from census research and other sources. Further information on this family is available from the Scots Origins website, which offers the following information relating to the surname Piggins. The proffered details of Piggins in the 1881 census are publicly available on this website and some of the registry information is certainly in the chart above. But other secrets may be held by Scots Origins. Would some kind soul care to extract what they have and share it?

Scots Origins Dataset No. of records
OPRI & SRI Birth & Christenings (1553-1901) 20
OPRI & SRI Marriages (1553-1901) 16
SRI Deaths (1855-1926) 12
1881 Census 14
1891 Census + Images 9
1901 Census + Images 11
Total 82

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