RUSSELL, William Farmer in Newarthill, Lanarkshire DNA linked ¹

   Other names for William were RUSSAL, William ^{1 2 3 4 5 6} and RUSSEL, William.⁷

  General Notes:

The parish registers of Bothwell parish include a list of children "of William Russel farmer in Newarthill and of his spouse Elizth Russel". Viewed online, the entries are among other entries which have been added at a later date than the actual baptisms of those named took place. This is not unusual in Church of Scotland registers. From the dating the entries were made in, or later than, 1812. Some of the entries indicate irregular baptisms, that is baptisms that were performed by ministers outside of the Established Church of Scotland structure. The entries pertaining to William and Elizabeth's children are placed together over two pages of the register, and list births of the couple's sons John, James, William, Robert, Alexander, George, Thomas and Andrew. The baptisms of these children are recorded as having taken place between April 1790 and September 1805, and were performed by "Mr Hisslop Shotts". This latter person may be identified as the Reverend Ebenezer Hislop, Minister of the Associate Congregation Shottsburn. He is listed as having served at Shottsburn between 1781-1816.

In the 1861 death certificate of William Russell his father was recorded as William Russell, a farmer, deceased.

In his marriage certificate of 1865 John Russell recorded his father as a farmer who was deceased. ^{3 5 7 8}

  Research Notes:

SHOTTSBURN

At one time the parishes of Bothwell and Shotts were united. Kirk O' Shotts is a well-known landmark on the M8 between Glasgow and Edinburgh, and its graveyard contains stones from the early 17th century. The church was formerly a Roman Catholic Chapel dedicated to St Catherine of Siena, a Dominican laywoman, and was linked to the aristocratic Hamilton family. There is a spring of water in the vicinity, on the hillside, at the foot of which lies Shottsburn. This spring was associated with the legend of a giant Bertram de Shotts.

After the Reformation, from 1630 onwards, the area remained a focus for intense religious activity for those of the reformed religion, including the Covenanters. It figured largely in the heated, even violent, struggle between Presbyterianism and Episcopacy over who had the authority to rule the newly reformed Church.

In this context The Patronage Act (1712) was an important development. It gave the right of choosing ministers to church congregations instead of the patron of the church, that is the owner of the land on which the church of any area was situated. This ensured a great deal of trouble at Shotts, because it caused there to be at least two forced settlements. That of Reverend Mr Lawrence Wells was the best known. The settlement of Mr. Wells was unpopular, so much so that many worshippers quitted the church in order to join the "Seceders". It was the Seceders who built a church at Shottsburn for their own use, the United Original Secession Church, in the 1770s.

"The United Original Secession church at Shottsburn originated in an Associate Congregation formed in 1738 in consequence of the forced settlement of Rev. David Orr in that year, and afterwards greatly strengthened by the forced settlement of Rev. Laurence Wells in 1768. The church was erected in 1771, but has since been repaired." (Vision of Britain)

Between then and 1975 when the Seceders rejoined the main congregation at Kirk O' Shotts, the Protestant Church there, as in many other parts of Scotland, had suffered serious discord, division and separation within itself. ^{9 10 11}

William married Jean RUSSELL on 7 July 1783 in Bothwell parish, Lanarkshire, Scotland.^{1 2} (Jean RUSSELL was born about 1760 and died before 20 June 1789.)

  Marriage Notes:

Old Parish Registers
Bothwell Parish Lanarkshire
Marriages

"Proclamations
1783
Julie 7 William and Jean Russell Both in this parish proclaimed at the date hereof £ s 2 d
(Note added)
x
G.N. Accet. not yet paid himlf Accot."

²

William next married Elizabeth RUSSALL (DNA Linked) on 20 June 1789 in Bothwell parish, Lanarkshire, Scotland.¹ (Elizabeth RUSSALL (DNA Linked) was born about 1765.)

  Marriage Notes:

Old Parish Registers
Bothwell Parish Lanarkshire
Marriages

"Proclamations
1789
Ditto 20^th (previous date June 6) William Russal [sic] and Elizabeth Russall [sic] both in this parish £ s 2 d" ¹