Grandparents in Utah

Elizabeth Geddes LindsayRobert McQueen Lindsay

Knowing that William Lindsay's father William Geddes Lindsay died in a mining accident in Scotland, I figured that Christina Howie Lindsay probably represented the first of the Lindsays to be buried on American soil. Not so.

William Lindsay's paternal grandparents Robert McQueen and Elizabeth Geddes Lindsay as well as his great-grandparents Robert Geddes and Marion Gibson Geddes are all buried in the Salt Lake City cemetery. Oddly, the writings of William Lindsay never mention their deaths, or any reunion with either grandparents while in Utah as Robert McQueen Lindsay and Elizabeth Geddes Lindsay's time there overlapped from 1867-1873. This seems odd in that they had a relationship with these grandparents while in Scotland as noted from one of William Lindsay's accounts.

" Our next move was to Gatehead near Kilmarnock and while here our sister, Jean, was born and while living here Grandfather Lindsay was severely burned in an explosion of gas in the coal mine, but by careful nursing and the blessings of the Lord he finally recovered. Brother Robert and I used to gather hawthorn blossoms to scent the room he was in."

Source: A brief history of William Lindsay Senior and his wife and family, written by William Lindsay, found on ancestry.com from Heidi Lindsay

Below is information about Robert McQueen Lindsay from Ancestry.com

A FEW INCIDENTS IN THE LIFE OF ROBERT MCQUEEN LINDSAY
He was born at Wanlockhead, Dumfries Shire, Scotland, August 14th, 1799. We know nothing for sure about his father. His mother’s name is given as Elizabeth Lindsay, and that is practically all we know about her.

Wanlockhead where he was born and married, and raised most of his family, is a small village high up in Lowther Hills, where the bonnie heather grows on the hills nearby. There are lead mines all around there and most of the men work in the mines. So of course, he also became a miner, as soon as he finished his schooling.

There is no railroad or public road within ten miles of the village so they live in peace and quiet and seldom move away. Few people move into the village, only the ones wishing to work in the mines. They seem to be industrious, honest and simple and nearly all are related by marriage. They are strict observers of the Sabbath Day.

When about twenty years old, he married Elizabeth Geddes of Lead Hills, another small village, only two miles away, but in the county of Lanark. She was born also on the 14th of August 1799. They were married in 1819 and lived there until about 1832.

We understand the family moved into Ayrshire, where he and his wife engaged in taking contracts opening mines, sinking pits and working as coal miners part of the time. Times were hard and wages low and sometimes it was hard to get work at all. So they had to move quite often to find employment. … Missing words… April 1848, the whole family joined the Mormon Church, having been thoroughly convinced that it was the gospel taught by Jesus Christ and his Apostles while they were on the earth.

About 1856, he was seriously burned by fire in an explosion in a coal mine. But by the administration of the Elders and the blessings of the Lord, he was healed. He was very fond of his children but he liked to tease them. He and his wife and daughter, Elizabeth, came to Utah in 1867, crossing the plains with ox teams. Soon after their arrival in Salt Lake City, He was employed as keeper of the gate at the Temple block for some years. In the fall of (1868?) he went to work on the railroad in Weber Canyon. He was accidentally injured and from his hurts he never fully recovered. He died in Salt Lake City, on February 23rd, 1869. He and his wife were a fine old couple and were very happy in each others’ company. They had lived together some fifty years. She lived until October (?) 17th, 1873, and lived with her daughter, Mrs. C. J. Thomas in Salt Lake City.

Early life: Schooling

Childhood and a chance for education was brief for children among the many mine fields in Scotland during the Industrial Revolution were the drive for coal was insatiable. Yet were it not for the Mines Act of 1842, there likely would have been no schooling.

The following accounts tell of the Lindsay boy's schooling experiences. There seems to be agreement between the boys accounts in terms of a certain punishing instructor. Yet the location doesn't align since William liked the instructor in Neephill while James did not. This brief schooling which taught basic literacy, was a benefit for us as well as William, for without this education, much of this history would be non-existent.

There was a schoolhouse here & I went to it with my brother Robert a few times. We then lived at Craighall near the river Ayr. Soon after this we moved to Gatehead about two & a half miles from Kilmarnock & while living here I went a very short time to a school but the teacher was very cruel & whipped the children unmercifully so I learned scarcely anything from him. Then we moved to Thornton row & Robert & I attended school a few months at Neephill John Smith teacher & he was a good teacher & at his school I learned very fast & got practically all the
schooling I ever did get which I think was less than a year.

Source: William Lindsay Autobiography, pg 270

I was nine years old, and was going to the Neep Hill school, which was two or three miles away. The schoolmaster was a very large man, but he was a cripple. This handicap didn't seem to bother him when it came to being stern with his students. When you were unprepared he could dress you down with his cane to sort of brighten your memory. The next time you were prepared. Now I am not an advocate of harsh treatment, but at the same time I am sure there is something wrong today when children go to school until grown and in many cases are not much farther along in eduction than many of us at the ages of ten and twelve.

Source: James Lindsay's Autobiography, pg 1

Apparently those precious months of schooling paid off, one time quite literally.

I will relate an incident that happened about this time. Mr. Finnie the mine owner came down to look over the new mine & Mr. Landels the government inspector accompanied him. It was against the law for any boy under ten years of age to work in a mine unless it could be shown that he could read spell & write. As soon as the inspector saw us he called Mr. Finnie's attention here are two boys under age & you are liable for allowing them in your mine. Mr. Finnie then questioned me I being the youngest. What is your age? I answered nine. Can your read? I said yes. Read from this book. Which I did. Spell Carmel bank. Which I did. I then read some writing in a book he carried with him & he of course was much pleased at my being able to answer correctly as that released him from any trouble.

He looked in his purse but said he had nothing less than half a crown but said I will give you a shilling some day as you are a clever little fellow. But the inspector said Mr. Finnie I have a shilling, I'll give it to the boy & you can pay me later. So I got the shilling the first time I ever had so much money & I think I felt richer than I have ever done since. I took the shilling & gave it to my father who was also very much pleased.

Of course after passing that examination I was free from any more trouble & other boys came to work in the mine usually with their fathers till in time there were forty to fifty boys nearly all of the same age.

Source: William Lindsay Autobiography, pg 270-271

Inspiration: Robert Burns

Robert Burn's was influential to all Scots, including the Lindsay family in Wasatch County. I like the fact that they held a poet so esteemed. As a child, William visited important sites from Burn's life in Scotland. From William's Autobiography Pg 271-272...

"I only remember 2 occasions that we got off from work to visit for a day or so away from home. One time the whole family went on the train to Dumfries where Burns died and was buried. I sat in his chair and visited his grave."

Burn's home where he died.

"Every evening or especially Sunday evening they read a chapter from the Bible sang a hymn and had prayers Similar to the description given by Burn's in the Cotter's Saturday night. A very fine custom in my opinion and worthy to be emulated."

At Davie Pryde's Hall in Center Creek and later in larger gathering places in Heber, on Burn's birthday, January 25th, Scottish immigrants continued the tradition of celebrating Burns and his poetry. I'm not sure how closely it follows the traditional Burn's supper with haggis and all, but the event was a large production that in time had its own finance committee. One article described it as being "simply immense" with dancing and recitations going until 3 am. The 1891 celebration where William Lindsay recited Burn's "Cotter's Saturday night," as well as his mentioning of the poem in his journal, are evidence of William's fondness for the poem (see full text of the Cotter's Saturday Night here).

Source: Wasatch Wave: 2/3/1891
Note: To those descending from James and Agnes Watson Lindsay or Margaret Eleanor Thomas Lindsay,
the James Watson listed in the article is also a Scottish ancestor that cherished Burn's

From the 1908 celebration at James A. Dawson's home "William Lindsay gave an interesting address on the life of Bobbie Burn's and finished with the advice to "Keep our lug flaps off." Can anyone tell me what a lug flap is? Is it a watch part and is the advice to keep our watches off?

The 1909 celebration was held at the amusement hall (still standing behind the tabernacle in Heber). Apparently the Lindsay brothers were instrumental in keeping these Robert Burns parties alive. William Lindsay wanted everyone to know they were invited, "the more the merrier."

Source: Wasatch Wave. 1/22/1909

It is unclear how long these Burns celebrations went for in Heber. The Wasatch Wave has been digitized through 1922 and the last recorded celebration therein was in 1916. Each time these celebration ended with everybody singing "Auld Lang Syne."

Finally, more evidence of the love for the Cottar's Satruday night and Robert Burns is portrayed in the following passage...

"In September 1915 there was a parade & display of the different nations gotten up & a reward of $20.00 or rather a prize for the best Float representative of that nation. So the Scots decided to compete for the prize & we got up quite a nice float I was selected to ride in it representing Robert Burns's Poem The Cottar's Saturday night with a wife & four children around me. We sent to Salt Lake & got a Bagpipe player & a good Scotch Singer to come & ride in our Float & he to play the Bagpipes as the procession moved along Our float was thatched with straw. But with it all we were outdone by the Swiss people from Midway who had a real Swiss cottage & the woman with her cow & calf. However we got the second prize of $15.00 which we paid to the Piper & the Scotch singer that came from Salt Lake to help us." -William Lindsay Autobiography, pg. 335

This parade (at the Wasatch County Fair more in the Wasatch Wave here) in September sounds like an event that was likely photographed and one that would be great to have a picture of.