My great grandmother was Agnes Milligan born about 1843 in Maybole to William Milligan and Agnes Holgan (or Holligan). Her mother died 1867 in Glasgow and her father died 1897 in Maybole, having remarried since the death of his first wife.

My great grandmother had several children but never married. Her children were all reputed to have the same father, named James Irvine. My grandfather, David and all his brothers, as far as I have found, took their supposed father's surname when they married. I believe James had already married before Agnes had her first child to him, but that will be a difficult thing for me to prove. I can't even be sure which James Irvine is my great grandfather.

Agnes spent most of her life in Maybole but she did live also in the Bridgeton area of Glasgow where some others of her family were living. I know she had a brother James and two sisters Elizabeth and Sarah. James married Janet McLarty of Maybole. Elizabeth married Francis McCoid of Girvan, and Sarah married Robert Anderson I think from Glasgow.

Like many others living in the area at that time, my ancestors were very poor and I have seen claims for Parish Relief indicating abject poverty, and close to starvation. They were also involved as you'd expect in the shoe trade. This picture circa 1892/3 is of my grandfather, David Irvine when he was a young soldier.  I believe from the facial similarities that the two women in the picture are his mother Agnes Milligan and his sister.           Helen Kirkham

David Irvine. The women
may be his sister and mother.