Freedom For Scotland

Scotland's Ma Hame

1st Generation

Decendants of

William Smellie/Agnes Wilson

Agnes Wilson Born  1786 Motherwell Died ---

William Smellie Born  1786 Hamilton Died --- Buried South Dalziel Churchyard Motherwell (Fought at the Battle of Waterloo)

Married  ---

Another of the tenants' names was William Smellie, who, being an old soldier with a Waterloo record, was popularly known as "Blood." William was a man of decidedly fearless disposition, and, as was to be expected, earned much local distinction at least. One eerie job for which he was always engaged was the closing up of the holes leading to the several different habitations of the foxes in the Jerviston Woods throughout the hunting season. This duty had, of course, to be undertaken during the lonely watches of the night, when the foxes were out on the prowl for food, few folks had the courage to offer for it. Another story illustrative of William's bravery used to be related by the late John Ralston. One day the old military man who was the teacher of the Motherwell Band at that time went away for a walk, and on reaching Dalserf Bridge, and not having a penny to pay toll, he attempted to wade across the Clyde. That part of his journey brought disaster upon him, for the river, being partly in flood, tore him into its angry embrace, so that it swept his lifeless body down to Garrion Farm Lade, from whence it was removed. When the dire news reached Motherwell, "Cork" King, who engaged and paid the band tutor, was naturally much grieved, and dispatched Sanny Russell with a cart to bring the body home. and, as assistants, John Ralston and Wull Smellie were sent along with him. The body was safely deposited in the cart and covered with a large sheet which the party had taken out with them, and then the homeward trek commenced. At one portion of the latter the dismalness was accentuated by a heavy shower of rain, but the irresistible Wull, not in the least daunted and still clinging to the practical side of things, leapt nimbly into the cart, and, in order to keep himself dry, crept in below the sheet beside the dead. John Ralston and his remaining cronie were completely nonplussed and the former used to say that the very hair on his head stood up in manifestation of the terror he felt in that uncanny moment. When he remonstrated with Wull, that gentleman shouted from beneath the sheet a query as to what need there was to be frightened. he also supplied, the gratuitous information that many a time, on the battlefield, he had been glad to sleep comfortably with a dead body for a pillow. When in that vortex of war, the Battle of Waterloo, William had not escaped without injury. Amid the general din of the fight William's nose had come in for some attention and the hurt was such that ever after its reciept our soldier hero spoke with a peculiar "snevelling" sound through his damaged nasal organ. As a consequence he was referred to as "Snevelling Wull."

Children

Robert Smellie Born  28 11 1829 Motherwell Died ---

William Smellie(Quarryman) Born  1825 Died 21 01 1897 Bronchitis(71) Address 3 McAndrews Row Motherwell

Homepage 1