Archibald James Lamont

Born Rothesay, Scotland, 1833

Died Govan, 1912

A British Army Soldier from 1855

Discharged to Pension at Glasgow, 1861

Archibald James LAMONT was born in the Quod Sacra Parish of Rothesay, in the Royal Burgh of Rothesay, Buteshire, Scotland, on 28 May 1833. He was the son of gardener Peter & Elizabeth [nee STEWART] Lamont  [Parish Registers, Baptisms, 1820-1855, Rothesay Parish, Buteshire, Scotland, Parish 558. LDS microfilm 1041086 Item 2, DGS 7908485]. His parents were from the Argyllshire Parish of Kilfinan.

Archibald James was orphaned some time between 1843 and 1851, and on Census Day in 1851 [the evening of Sunday, 30 March] he was still residing in Rothesay - he was enumerated as a 17 year old lodger in the home of Daniel McLEAN and his wife Mary CAMERON - both described in the Census as elderly natives of Argyllshire [1851 Census of Scotland, County of Bute, Parish and Burgh of Rothesay, Enumeration District 17, Page 4; Schedule No. 21; Parish No. 558; Enumeration Date: 2 April 1851. LDS Microfilm 1042358 DGS 4016324]. At that time Archibald was shown to be working as a 'cotton piecer' in a cotton mill in Rothesay. His younger siblings were found on Census Day in 1851 living with their aunt Euphemia [nee Lamont] McLACHLAN in the southern part of the Parish of Kilfinan, Argylshire.

Archibald James enlisted as a private soldier with the 94th Regiment of Foot (Infantry) in Glasgow on 7 June 1855 - he would have just passed his 22nd birthday [The National Archives (Kew, England): War Office, Commissary General of Musters Office and successors: General Muster Books and Pay Lists, Infantry, 94th Foot, 1855-1856, Regimental No. 3365; WO 12/9492]. Muster records show that he was 5' 6" tall.

Archibald James was soon transported to Karachi, a British stronghold in what was then India, but is now in Pakistan, at the mouth of the Indus River. The Suez Canal was only completed in 1859, so Archibald James would have sailed on a troop ship down the west coast of Africa, around the Cape of Good Hope, and up the east coast of Africa through the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea. Once at Karachi, he would have slogged up the Indus River, and he was stationed at Peshawar in the North-West angle of India in the pass to Afghanistan for some time. The conditions must have been brutal, and some kind of sickness struck Archibald James early in 1861, and he was returned to Scotland and discharged, presumably as 'unfit for duty'.

Archibald James Lamont was admitted to a Chelsea Pension in the UK on the 2nd of July 1861, and he was awarded his first pension payment at Glasgow at the end of the month [The National Archives (Kew, England): Royal Hospital Chelsea, Returns of Payment of Army and Other Pensions, Glasgow 2nd District, 1852-1862, Monthly Return, 1 to 31 July 1861; WO 22 / 130 / M-188-191]. The surviving records do not specify where Archibald James was living in Glasgow. At the end of October, 1861, his penison disbursement was transferred from the the 2nd Glasgow District to the Paisley District [The National Archives (Kew, England): Royal Hospital Chelsea, Returns of Payment of Army and Other Pensions: Glasgow 2nd District, 1852-1862, Monthly Return 1 to 31 October 1861; WO 22 / 130 / M-196-199. and Paisley District, 1852-1862, Monthly Return, 1 to 30 November 1861; WO 22 / 134 / M-220-222]. Paisley itself was a burgeoning industrial (cotton mill) centre in the old village located a few miles west of Glasgow, south of the River Clyde in Renfrewshire.

But there's significant speculation that Archibald James returned to Rothesay at this time. Certainly he married there in January of 1863, to Mary Jane KIRKPATRICK, the daughter of a 'cotton spinner' named Joseph Kirkpatrick, and his wife Elizabeth [nee GREER]. Archibald James and Mary Jane were married in her parents' home at 50 Mill Street. Archibald James was described simply as a 'labourer' who was residing at 19 Old Vennel [by 1882 redeveloped as Russell Street]. Mary Jane was about 9 years younger than Archibald James.

Records created within the Statutory Births and Deaths Registration process reveal that several children followed:

• Joseph Kirkpatrick Lamont, born 5 Castle Street, Rothesay, 29 October 1863;
• Archibald James Lamont, born 18 Castlehill Street, Rothesay, 15 October 1865 [and died 101½ Main Street, Glasgow, 9 October 1869];
• Robert Lamont, born 18 Castlehill Street, Rothesay, 27 February 1868;
• Elizabeth Jane Lamont, born 30 William Street, Glasgow, 8 March 1871 [died 83 Queen Street, Govan, 8 July 1874];
• John Lamont, born 102 Langlands Road, Govan, 14 July 1873 [died 12 Keyden Street, Kinning Park, 4 April 1877];
• Sarah Jane Lamont, born 12 Keyden Street, Kinning Park, 26 February 1877 [died 35 Keyden Street, Kinning Park, 22 July 1878];
• James Lamont, born 35 Keyden Street, Kinning Park, 18 February 1880.

These birth and death registration records, along with decadal census details, show that Archibald and Mary remained in Rothesay for about 6 years after they were married. Then, perhaps late in 1869 or early in 1871, they moved to Glasgow. And it appears that they moved to Glasgow with Mary's parents. On Census Day in 1871, Archibald, Mary, and their surviving children Joseph, Robert & Elizabeth J were living with Joseph & Elizabeth [nee Greer] Kirkpatrick at 30 William Street, Glasgow.

By 1873, however, they had moved again, this time to Govan, where they remained until at least very late 1876. They lived at two addresses on Keyden Street in Kinning Park from at least 26 February 1877, when daughter Sarah Jane was born, until after their last child, James, was born in February of 1880.

The family moved again by Census Day in 1881 - at that time Archibald, Mary, and their 3 surviving children - Joseph, Robert and James, were living at 82 Queen Street back in Govan. On Census Day in 1891, the family [minus son Joseph, who had married by that time] was living at 51 Queen Street, Govan.

Mary Jane [nee Kirkpatrick] Lamont died at 85 Doncaster Street, District of Kelvin, Glasgow, at 8:20 in the evening on 21 November 1900, and on Census Day in 1901, Archibald James was enuerated as a resident of son Robert's household at 841 Govan Road, Govan.

The photograph below was probably taken between 1900 and 1912. The image was scanned in 2005 while the original was still in it's frame, behind glass, so the image quality is not the best. However, the photograph behind the glass appeared to be a copy of an original. No sense of what might have been written on the back of the photograph itself has been developed.

Archibald James Lamont, 1833 1912

On Census Day in 1911, Archibald James was enumerated as the sole occupant of a large block of residences located at 144 Harmony Road in the Craigton Parish of Govan.

Archibald James Lamont died at 932 Govan Road, District of Govan, County of Lanark, at 5:45 in the morning, on 12 October 1912, when he was said to be 77 years of age. The cause of his death was 'cerebral haemorrhage', a stroke. For details about the interment of his, and his wife's remains, please see https://family-historian.com/projects/family-surname-files/lamont/burial-details-archibald-james-mary-jane-lamont.

Over the years of his life after army service, the manner in which Archibald James was employed showed the following details.

• • • 1863 - labourer
    • 1865 - labourer
    • 1868 - labourer
    • 1869 - ship builders labourer
    • 1871 - ship builder's labourer
    • 1873 - Boatyard Labourer
    • 1874 - Wood Sawyer's Labourer
    • 1877 - Wood Merchant's Labourer
    • 1878 - Wood Merchant's Labourer
    • 1880 - Sail Maker's Labourer
    • 1881 - Labourer, Tarpaulin Works
    • 1891 - General Labourer, [circumstances indecipherable]
    • 1901 - Annuitant
    • 1911 - Pensioner, army
    • 1912 - Formerly Tarpaulin Maker's Labourer, Army Pensioner

While records of British army pension payments do not extend beyond 1862, it's clear from the last 3 entries above, 1901 - 1912, that Archibald James Lamont's army pension was paid for the duration of his life.

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