Over the centuries Scots have travelled far and wide in search of work and a better life. Of course it’s not only Scots who have made these journeys but the essence of this article is about a few Scots who have ended up down South and in particular in Hook Norton. The closure of the steel works during the 1960s and 1970s led to many moving to Corby in Northamptonshire where the industry was still producing steel. However, in the 19th century why would Scots take up residence here in Hook Norton?
Some years ago I transcribed the earlier censuses that are available online relating to Hook Norton for deposit in the village museum. It was relatively easy to put in a birthplace of Scotland as a search term.
No expat Scots were found in the censuses for 1841, 1851 and 1861. The first census in which Scots appeared was that of 1871.
Catherine Robins, aged 28 and her son, George, aged 4 had both been born in Glasgow. Catherine, nee McPherson had married James Robins in Evesham, Worcestershire in 1866. However, as she was born in Glasgow perhaps she returned there to give birth to her first child. Her subsequent children, she had seven in all, were born in England. James was a wheelwright in Hook Norton but had been born in Swerford, a neighbouring village. Agnes, their second child, was born in Evesham, however, the others were born in Hook Norton.
The family remained in the village and I have traced them through successive censuses. By 1891 the family were living in Down End. In time young George became a carpenter possibly working with his father. In these days of no motor vehicles the main form of transport was by horse and cart thus providing a demand for the services of a wheelwright.
James died in 1917 and was buried in the Baptist Burial Ground in the village. Catherine had died ten years previously. George died in 1922 in the Horton Infirmary in Banbury. His sister, Catherine, being appointed the administrator of his estate which had a value of £95.
Catherine and George had been long term residents of the village, however, Charlotte Annandale (1858-1901), born in Arbroath would be recorded as a visitor at the time of the 1891 census. She had been visiting her aunt, Sarah Luckett, nee Sturch, on census night. Sarah was living at East End in the village. Her household on census night was completed by Sarah Hitchcox a 96 year old blind lady.
Charlotte’s father, Robert Annandale was an estate bailiff living in Shropshire. His first wife, Fanny Waite, had died in 1856 and he had married Sarah Luckett’s sister, Ellen Sturch in Hook Norton in 1857. The family must have moved to Scotland for a brief period to allow for Charlotte to have been born there.
Another Scot found in the 1901 census was John Aitken, a retired gardener and widower living with his daughter Helen and his son in law, Joseph Clarkson. The Clarkson’s were the head teachers of the village elementary school. John was born in Lanark and married Sabrina Steimer who was born in Bavaria. Sabina died in 1890 and following her death he moved in with Helen and Joseph until his death in 1918.
The final Scot I located was Mary Neilson Tims nee Aitken, who was born in Dundee in 1867. She married Josiah/ Joseph Tims a fruiterer in the village. They had married in Amersham in 1892 before moving to Hook Norton. In 1901 they were living in Chapel Street. Mary died in 1945 with probate being granted in favour of Florence Jessie Tims, one of the couple’s daughters. The value of her estate was £2720 16s 5d. Florence never married.
Compared with the number of Scots currently living in the village it can be seen that a few others made the decision to settle here in this picturesque village in north Oxfordshire.