From this certificate we learn that James' parents were William Laurie, a farm servant, and Elisabeth Laurie m.s. Grierson (deceased) This means his mother had died before he married and that her maiden surname is Grierson. James was currently living at Haslae Brae, Kirkmichael, Dumfries, Scotland. His parents could have been living somewhere else as often a young man of 32 years would be a farm servant for someone else.
Agnes' parents were John Seaton, a weaver, and Jean Seaton m.s. Graham (deceased).
William Laurie, his father, was a farm labourer and so James Laurie also became a farm servant and eventually moved and started working for the Barbour family at Hazlaebrae, in Kirkmichael, Dumfriesshire. Dumfriesshire is just East of Kirkcudbrightshire. This information is that same address that shows up on his marriage certificate. The approximate birth year varies so we don't know for sure when he was born. According to the 1871 Census there was a James Laurie at Hazlaebrae who was 32 years old it says he was born in Newabbey, Kirkudbright, Scotland.
1871 Scotland Census about James Laurie
Name: James Laurie
Age: 32
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1839
Relationship: Servant
Gender: Male
Where born: Newabbey, Kirkcudbright
Registration Number: 836
Registration district: Kirkmichael
Civil parish: Kirkmichael
COUNTY: Dumfriesshire
Address: Hazlaebrae
Occupation: Farm Servant
ED: 6
Household schedule number: 19
Line: 7
Roll: CSSCT1871_184
Household Members:
Name Age
Gavin Barbour 37
Jane Barbour 28
Frank Barbour 2
Elizabeth Barbour 1
Paul Paisley 20
John Hair 24
James Laurie 32
Thomas Hope 14
We find Agnes living with her Father and an 8 year old girl named Ann Seaton at this time. We have discovered that she is Agnes' daughter and no father is listed.
1871 Scotland Census about Agnes Seaton
Name: Agnes Seaton
Age: 30
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1841
Relationship: Daughter
Father's name: John Seaton
Gender: Female
Where born: Kirkmichael, Dumfriesshire
Registration Number: 836
Registration district: Kirkmichael
Civil parish: Kirkmichael
COUNTY: Dumfriesshire
Address: Cumlees Cottage
Occupation: Weaver Daur
ED: 5
Household schedule number: 7
Line: 11
Roll: CSSCT1871_184
Household Members:
Name Age
John Seaton 71
Agnes Seaton 30
Ann Seaton 8
One year later a son was born to this couple, his name is William Laurie, born 8 Apr 1872 at Cumlees Village. They were still living there with Agnes' father at that time.
They stayed there for the birth of their first child William (b1872-d1888) and then had Jeanie Graham Laurie the next year. Elizabeth Agnes Laurie was born in Aug of 1874 and died in September only surviving for 4 weeks.
In the 1881 Census we find James and Agness Laurie. They are now living at Burrance Bridge, Kirkmichael, Dumfries, Scotland. In this census James' birth year is estimated at 1844 but we know this is the same family. So maybe the census taker or someone reporting it was guessing. On the same census search we see that they guessed that Agnes was born in 1842. We know from the marriage certificate that he should be older than her but once again a certificate should be more accurate than a census but who knows for sure.
1881 Scotland Census about James Laurie
Name: James Laurie
Age: 37
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1844
Relationship: Head
Spouse's name : Agness Laurie
Gender: Male
Where born: Newabbey, Kirkcudbrtshire
Registration Number: 836
Registration district: Kirkmichael
Civil parish: Kirkmichael
COUNTY: Dumfriesshire
Address: Burrance Bridge
Occupation: Agricultural Lab
ED: 3
Household schedule number: 31
Line: 10
Roll: cssct1881_324
Household Members:
Name Age
James Laurie 37
Agness Laurie 39
William Laurie 8
Jennie G Laurie 7
1881 Scotland Census about Agness Laurie
Name: Agness Laurie
Age: 39
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1842
Relationship: Wife
Spouse's name : James Laurie
Gender: Female
Where born: Kirkmichael, Dumfriess
Registration Number: 836
Registration district: Kirkmichael
Civil parish: Kirkmichael
COUNTY: Dumfriesshire
Address: Burrance Bridge
Occupation: Agricultural Lab Wife
ED: 3
Household schedule number: 31
Line: 11
Roll: cssct1881_324
Household Members:
Name Age
James Laurie 37
Agness Laurie 39
William Laurie 8
Jennie G Laurie 7
Recently we were able to find the death certificate for James Laurie, married to Agnes Seaton supporting the statement that he was deceased at the time of his son's marriage. The family moved to Templand, Lochmaben, Dumfries sometime between 1881 and 1888 before the death of James. James Laurie died 27 May 1888 at Templand Village, Lochmaben, Dumfries Scotland of pneumonia.
We can track Agnes to the next census in 1891. This is the last census that shows Agnes so she must have died after 1893 and before 1901.
1891 Scotland Census about Agnes Laurie
Name: Agnes Laurie
Age: 47
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1844
Relationship: Head
Gender: Female
Where born: Kirmed, Dumfriesshire
Registration Number: 840
Registration district: Lochmaben
Civil parish: Lochmaben
COUNTY: Dumfriesshire
Address: Templand
ED: 4
Household schedule number: 26
Line: 1
Roll: CSSCT1891_396
Household Members:
Name Age
Agnes Laurie 47
William Laurie 19
Jeanie G Laurie 18
Thomas S Laurie 9 (Gd Son) - scholar
William Laurie married Marion Kinnaird on 23 Nov 1893 at the Free Church Manse, in the Parish of Johnstone, Dumfries, Scotland. At this time his father, James had already died but his mother Agnes was still living. Similarly, Marion's father, Thomas Kinnaird was alive but her mother Jane Kinnaird m.s. Johnstone was deceased already.
