Lilias Sorbie seated middle centre was born on 6th April 1840 in Stonehouse. She was the eldest of Thomas Sorbie and Grizel Millar's 12 children. Thomas was the son of John Sorbie, born 1798 who married Ann Brown on 11th January 1817. Grizel was the daughter of Gavin Millar and Lilias Hamilton married in Stonehouse in May 1813.
Lilias married William Gilmour on 6th May 1858 in Stonehouse and they had a large family of 15 children, the last daughter being Isabella (Bell) who was born in 1880 and the last son Henry. John, the eldest son died in 1898 - therefore this places this superb photo sometime in the mid/late 1890's. Note how all the men sport prominent moustaches - even Henry who was in his late teens. Henry was the last of his generation to die - in 1974 at 37, Kirk Street, Stonehouse at the grand age of 93.
George Baker,
resident of Stonehouse recalls Henry A.P.Gilmour "...The Former United
Presbyterian Church was given the name ‘Paterson United Free Church’ in memory
of the Rev Henry Angus Paterson who ministered there for almost 60 years. It is
said that almost the whole village followed the much loved and respected man to
his final resting place in the local cemetery in August 1901.
Many of the children of the village were named Henry, Henrietta Paterson, after
the old Minister. One of our own was Henry Angus Paterson Gilmour, born May 23rd
1881, he was the youngest of a family of 15, Father was William Gilmour, Mother
Lilias Sorbie. Henry was named after the old minister, and later became a
manager, then Preses of the Congregation, for many years.
When I first came to live in Stonehouse, I remember seeing old Henry on his way
to Church on a Sunday morning, (Grey suit, trilby hat) carrying his Bible and
hymn book. I can picture him yet. He still lived in the house in Kirk Street
where he was born.."
William and Lilias' fourth son was Gavin (middle row above, second left), born on May 24th 1866. He married Margaret Brown in Stonehouse in February 1891. Their son William was born in 1898 and being academically gifted, he was awarded a place at Glasgow University to study medicine in 1917.
However his further education was deferred when he voluntarily joined the Gordon Highlanders and was posted to the 1st/7th Battalion as World War One began to reach it's conclusion. Regretfully William's life like so many others was tragically cut short on Friday 27th July 1918, at the age of only 20 years. He died in battle at Marne, France and is buried at Marfaux cemetery near Reims. His parents, Gavin and Margaret were given at this time as living at 22, Green Street, Stonehouse. William's name is also commemorated on the war memorial in Stonehouse new cemetery.
William and Lillias' eldest son John (standing back row on the family photo above, forth from left), was born in March 1861 and married Helen Hoggan in Hamilton on 1st June 1888.
John and Helen's only son, John, was born 3rd September 1892 (standing in front of his father above).
John married Jeanie Easton from Ferniegair, Lanarkshire in October 1919. They had their first child John William in Scotland in November 1920.
In 1923 they emigrated to the U.S.A. where they settled in Detroit, Michigan. Here they had a daughter Jean on July 12th 1927.
Their son John William married June Marie Soullier in Dearborn, Michigan on 20th June 1942 and they have a daughter Denise who now resides in Arizona.
John and Jeannie's daughter Jean married Robert Halliday in Detroit on 17th May 1952. He was an accountant, she was a secretary. They were introduced at a funeral wake by Robert's friend, a Scotsman, Alec Frame in 1950. They were engaged on Valentine's Day 1951 and fifteen months later they were married.
John Snr. died in 1967 aged 75 and Jeanie in 1965 aged 73.
Robert and Jean Halliday had two children, Susan and Nancy in Michigan, then moved the family down to Fort Lauderdale in Florida in August 1958 where Robert's parents had been living since the early 1950's. Two more children followed, Richard and Becky.
Robert Halliday died in 1973, the year after the above photo was taken and Jean in 1980, both in Oakland Park, Florida.
The Hallidays all still live in the Fort Lauderdale area, except Becky, the 'baby of the bunch' who lives in North Carolina with her husband Jerry and family.
Susan and Becky are members of the Sorbie e-mail group. Susan, especially is keen to research her Scots ancestry including the Gilmour family and has already visited Scotland to investigate her roots. She hopes to make it over to the Sorbie reunion in Stonehouse in the next year or two.
