St. Michael's Parish Church, Inveresk, Scotland
Even though we can't definitively link Samuel Watts II to Samuel Watts I, or Samuel Watts I to his parents in Scotland, I'm going to do a short post about it anyway. I will re-post the chart that shows the possible family tree:
The information about the Watts baptisms is from the source, Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950. The church of Inveresk, which is on a rise in the land just a kilometer from Musselburgh, served the people of the town. As of 2022, the town's populations was 21,479.
Above is a photo of St. Michael's Parish Church in Inveresk. The original church, where their baptisms would have taken place, was torn down in 1804 and the new church built in 1806. The original church was erected when Christianity first came to Scotland. It has been a Presbyterian church since the Reformation. (Presbyterianism appears to be a hallmark of the Watts/Moore line.) The name Inveresk comes from Inver, meaning river mouth, and Esk, the name of the River Esk. It signifies where the mouth of the River Esk meets the Firth of Forth.
Musselburgh, which is named for the shellfish, is said to be the oldest town in Scotland. The area was a Roman fort as early as 80 AD. From Wikipedia:
Musselburgh is known as "The Honest Toun", and celebrates this by the annual election of the Honest Lad and Lass. The town motto "Honestas" dates back to 1332, when the Regent of Scotland, Randolph, Earl of Moray, died in the burgh after a long illness during which he was devotedly cared for by the townsfolk. His successor offered to reward the people for their loyalty but they declined, saying they were only doing their duty. The new regent, the Earl of Mar, was impressed and said they were a set of honest men, hence "Honest Toun".
There is an area of Musselburgh today called Watt's Close. The word close means a private alleyway, not open to the public. It is considered a prime real estate location. Perhaps that's where the Watt/Watts family lived in the eighteenth century.
Margaret Dalrymple, Samuel the soldier's mother, was born in 1725 in Kirkintilloch, Dunbartonshire, Scotland, which is north of Glascow, and about an hour away by car today from Musselburgh.
Dalrymple is a prominent name in the area. There is a seventeenth century home in Musselburg called Newhailes, which is open to the public and was the home of the Dalrymple family back in the day.
Newhailes House and Gardens
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