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Derek Lambie

Inspired by the popular BBC TV series on genealogy, Who Do You Think You Are? Derek Lambie (Editor, Scottish Sunday Express) decided to embark on his own quest. He was keen to discover if he was related to a Captain Andrew Lambie, one of Mary Queen of Scots inner circle - a man accused of involvement in the notorious murder of her suspected lover, David Riccio! The murder of Rizzio by John Opie

The journey commences

Naturally Derek was impressed by the statistics that reveal a 60% increase in family history enquiries since the Centre opened, so this was his first port of call. A quick browse of the inventory of documents revealed Andrew Lambie was still Keeper of the Palace of Linlithgow in 1577, a full decade after Mary's death. What's more, The Surnames of Scotland book also listed him as one of the forefathers of the reasonably uncommon Lambie name. West Lothian born and bred himself, Derek wondered if the connection was more than coincidental.

Lambies in the 19th century - West Lothian miners

His research continued, uncovering other notable Lambies through the ages. There was Elizabeth Jane Lambie, heir to a wealthy attorney administering Jamaican sugar plants in 1833. Lieutenant Colonel Lambie, who served under Queen Victoria as Assistant Inspector of Artillery at the height of the Crimean War in 1855. And a Jean Lambie, inexplicably being given 200 old Scots merks a year as a pension from the Duke and Duchess of Hamilton in 1680. In the article eventually published in the Sunday Express, Derek mentioned the episode of Who Do You Think You Are? that recently featured actor Alan Cumming's extraordinary revelations about his grandfather. Just as that series featured celebrities being taken on emotional journeys into their heritage, extraordinary revelations are just as likely to await less well-known subjects.

Derek's initial delving into the Lambie tree quickly revealed a pattern. Most of his immediate ancestors were coal miners, a job that passed through the generations from the mid 1930s back to 1851. The 10-year censuses also revealed the Lambies regularly moved about West Lothian and Lanarkshire, presumably following work. Derek was amazed at the insights given by the census entries. He discovered his grandfather William was one of 13 children. The records also revealed how large families could be crammed into a one-windowed miners' row cottage. The archives exposed the hardship of 19th century working class life. His greatgrandfather John's brother Robert had to cope with the deaths of at least three children years after losing his sister. John Lambie headstone

During World War One, a Thomas Duncan Lambie was killed, aged 24 (notice, left).

The archives showed other family tragedies, such as a John Lambie who died in a cycling accident, and many, many child deaths - in almost every Lambie generation going back to the turn of the 18th century (as in the headstone, right).

Emigration

In tune with many Scottish families, emigration was another common occurrence. Derek came across Lambies heading for Canada, Pennsylvania, New York and Australia. One surprise to Derek was his grandfather's marriage certificate, which revealed service in an elite force in World War Two - something kept secret.

Irish roots

Head of the Centre, Dee Williams put the picture in perspective.

"Enquiries-wise, I'd say we're about five per cent up on last year, which is good considering that was a fantastic year with the interest from The Gathering. There is a great interest in researching ancestry, and Who Do You Think You Are? has had a tremendous impact. A lot of people love the social history of it all; the learning about what life would have been like for their relations at the time".

Alison Lindsay, NRS head of reader services agreed: "It is not a finite thing, family history. Quite soon after you start out, you more often than not find you go off at tangents and come back later on thinking, 'Oh, so that's what that meant', when you learn more. You eventually get to put the flesh on the bones, but you do have to work at it".

The Lambie family tree took an unexpected twist. The 1851 Census listed Derek's great-great-grandfather, Robert, was born in Shotts but his parents, and a number of his siblings, were from County Tyrone in Ireland. They left at the height of the Great Famine. The only other document related to Robert's baptism on August 8, 1847, at Airdrie's St Margaret's RC Chapel. Sadly no other information exists and with the family tree jumping the Irish Sea, the Scottish trail ran cold. Derek was completely unaware of Irish Catholic roots - like so many genealogical searches, for every answer there are as many intriguing questions. Derek was satisfied with the 160 year journey into Lambie history at the ScotlandsPeople Centre, from the World War One trenches to West Lothian mines, to the United States and, ultimately, the Gorta Mór in Ireland. As for the Mary Queen of Scots connection? That mystery will remain unsolved.

Dee Williams with Derek Lambie. The inset refers to a 1902 family death in a lorry accident.

This feature is based on an article published in the Scottish Sunday Express, and the photographs reproduced with their kind permission.