The Little Connection
As per the genealogy links below to the hand-drawn family trees meticulously draughted by my late Uncle Alexander (Sandy) Waddell, and the various biographies that Sandy put together from various sources, plus a rather entertaining diversity of family letters that have survived the years (including a most impressive Invitation to the Misses Little from the Maharajah of Johore, requesting their company at dinner, in order to meet the Rajah and Ranee of Sarawak).
The biodates (ie from birth to earth) were noticeably incomplete (as of Feb 2014), but they have been augmented (and where necessary, of course, corrected), using the extensive and authoritative material that has recently become available to me by the kindness of my newly-revealed fourth cousin Simon Potter, a direct descendant of the patriarch of the family, Rev Robert Little, Minister of Applegarth.
The table is curtailed after the (-3) generation in which Margaret Little married James Waddell, my great grandfather, as the tabulation would become too cumbersome and indeed the relationships with the Waddell Connection would be too tenuous by that stage. And, indeed, I've omitted some marriages even in that generation, that strayed outside our family focus.
If you're just browsing rather than checking dates and suchlike, the hyperlinks in bold font are likely to be especially colourful. And since so much of the Little family history is centred on the extraordinary city of Singapore, let's catch a preliminary glimpse of its remarkable political architect and the legendary city-centre oasis, eponym and icon familiar to generations of travellers and empire-builders. (not to mention renowned authors such as Ernest Hemingway and W Somerset Maugham).
I'm extremely grateful to Robert Dalgliesh [Mar 2016] for very helpful information regarding Dr WilIiam Margaret Dalgliesh and his family, much improving their dates and my spelling!
| # | Individual | Spouse / Partner | Family |
| ‑6 | (Rev) Robert Little 1743 – 5 Jan 1803) Minister of Applegarth |
Barbara Anne Cleghorn (19 Mar 1759 – 15 Jul 1823) (m 9 Dec 1783) |
Margaret Little (7 Oct 1784 – 30 Jun 1805) Matthew William Little (b 2 Aug 1786) William Maxwell Little (24 Jul 1788 – 12 Dec 1843) Anne Little (15 Jul 1790 – 24 Jul 1790) Euphaim Little (19 Jan 1792 – 28 Jan 1792) |
 | |||
| ‑5 | Margaret Little (7 Oct 1784 – 30 Jun 1805) |
William Dalgliesh (ca 1774 – 25 Jun 1846) (m 4 Jan 1804) Rector of Annan Academy |
Mary Dalgliesh
Dr William Margaret Dalgliesh (18 Jun 1805 – 25 Nov 1884) |
| ‑5 | Matthew William Little (b 2 Aug 1786) |
Mary Bear | Mary Little
Anne Little Robert Little |
| |||
| ‑5 | William Maxwell Little (24/27 Jul 1788 – 12 Dec 1843) |
Anne Martin (14 Mar 1790 – 14 Apr 1869) (m 3 Nov 1818) |
Dr Robert Little (1 Jul 1819 – 11 Jun 1888) Sophia Anne Little (1821 – 11 Jun 1822) Anne Little (1 May 1822 – 16 Nov 1902) William Little (b 1 Nov 1824) John Martin Little (17 Sep 1825 – 18 Apr 1894) Matthew Little (26 Jan 1827 – 7 Nov 1902) Sophia Little (Dec 1828 – 9 Mar 1830) Jessie Little (b 15 Jun 1830) William Little (b 15 Dec 1832) |
| |||
| ‑4 | Dr William Margaret Dalgliesh (18 Jun 1805 – 25 Nov 1884) |
Susanna Mary Bell (13 Jan 1807 – 29 Jun 1852) (m 1 May 1830) |
Five sons resulted in total, and four daughters.
Margaret Little Dalgliesh (ca Apr 1831 – 1 Jan 1832) Mary Dalgliesh (ca 1835 – 19 Dec 1889) William Dalgliesh (ca Jul 1839 – 9 Jan 1840) William Henry Dalgliesh (ca Oct 1840 – 8 May 1916) (m 1871 to his step-sister Mary McEwen qv) |
| Anne Little (1 May 1822 – 16 Nov 1902) (m 28 May 1874) (previously married to Robert McEwen – their daughter Mary had married William Henry Dalgliesh in 1871!) |
sp? | ||
| ‑4 | Dr Robert Little (1 Jul or 20 Aug 1819 – 11 Jun 1888) |
Sarah Sophia Whittle (b 24 Aug 1833) (m 14 Mar 1849) |
Sophia Little (28 Aug 1852 – 3 Mar 1899) Jessie Little (29 Mar 1854 – ca 1936) Mary Little (17 May 1856 – 31 Jul 1869) Dr William Maxwell Little (b 1857) Margaret Little (26 May 1858 – 27 Jan 1940) Robert (Robin) McEwen Little (16 Oct 1860 – 17 Sep or Dec 1905) |
| Mary Elizabeth Campbell (1849 – 6 Apr 1884) (m 1871) |
Mary (May) Campbell Little (10 Apr 1872 – 3 Mar 1948) Col William Campbell Little (6th Gurkhas) (b 26 Feb 1875) Matthew Little (twin) (26 Feb 1875 – Sep 1967) Dr John Wishart Little (27 Mar 1877 – 7 May 1918) Matilda (Maud) Wishart Little (30 Aug 1878 – 18 May 1954) Harriet (Hetty) Lawrence Little (27 May 1881 – 12 May 1959) Alexa Campbell Little (29 Jul 1882 – 8 Jul 1955) Louisa Scott Little (20 Dec 1883 – 9 Sep 1944) | ||
| ‑4 | Anne Little (1 May 1822 – 16 Nov 1902) Portrait |
Robert McEwen (sometimes McEwan) (27 Feb 1817 – 20 Mar 1854) (m 12 Feb 1846) Portrait |
Annie McEwen (25 Dec 1846 – 29 Mar 1937) Mary McEwen (7 Feb 1850 – 28 Jan 1940) (m 1871 to her stepbrother William Henry Dalgliesh qv) Roberta Henderson McEwen (18 May 1854 – 6 Dec 1938) (m 1874 to James Chalmers Dick, bank inspector and Robert Burns fanatic, settled in Newcastle-upon-Tyne) great grandmother of Simon Potter |
| Dr William Margaret Dalgliesh (18 Jun 1805 – 25 Nov 1884) (m 28 May 1874) previously married to Susanna Mary Bell father-in-law of step-daughter Mary McEwen |
|||
| ‑4 | John Martin Little (17 Sep 1825 – 18 Apr 1894) |
Mary Dalgliesh (ca 1835 – 19 Dec 1889) (m 8 Aug 1855) (see above) |
William Dalgliesh Little (17 Apr 1857 – 22 Mar 1920) Edward Armstrong Little (Dec 1858 – 16 May 1909) John Martin Little (2 Feb 1860 – 15 Dec 1945) Dora Dalgliesh Little (1864 – 3 Dec 1953) |
| ‑4 | Matthew Little (26 Jan 1827 – 7 Nov 1902) |
Isabella McNair Black (4 May 1838 – 1 May 1868) (m 1859) |
Robert Little (14 Jan 1860 – 7 Nov 1918) Anne Maxwell Black Little (1862 – 1 Feb 1944) |
| Harriet Agnes Lawrence (4 May 1838 or 15 Dec 1847, Bristol – 16 or 18 Apr 1929) (m 23 Jan 1873) daughter of Alexander Lawrence, renowned captain of colonial clipper Orient, and Miriam Ann Boddy |
Lawrence Little (13 Sep 1873 – 13 Sep 1873) Harriet Agnes Little (23 Jul 1875 – 9 Jun 1944) Miriam Anne Little (twin) (23 Jul 1875 – 26 Jul 1954) Matthew Little (1 Oct 1876 – 4 Oct 1876) Alexander Lawrence Little (12 Sep 1877 – 12 Sep 1877) Hilda Maxwell Little (12 Dec 1878 – 28 Dec 1966) Marion Lawrence Little (28 Jan 1881 – 29 Nov 1882) Harry Martin Little (18 Mar or 12 May 1883 – 5 Feb 1947) | ||
| ‑4 | Jessie Little (b 5 Jun 1830) |
William Martin (cousin) (b 1829) (m 30 Oct 1856) |
Ann Margaret Martin (24 Jul 1857 – 20 Feb 1916) Mary Jean Martin (12 Apr 1859 – 13 Jul 1922) Agnes Hairstens Martin (21 Jan 1867 – 3 Jul 1914) Jessie Martin (b ca 1869) William Archibald Martin (b 1871) Barbara Martin (ca 1874 – 4 Feb 1934) |
| |||
| ‑3 | Sophia Little (28 Aug 1852 – 3 Mar 1899) |
James Brennand (1847 – 1892) (m 7 Aug 1872) |
Richard Brennand (b ca 1874) Sophia Brennand (5 Jan 1875 – 10 Oct 1960) Robert Brennand (b ca 1877) James Brennand (b 1879) Mary Brennand (ca 1885 – 9 Nov 1935) |
| ‑3 | Dr William Maxwell Little (b 1857) |
Ella Schroeder | sp |
| ‑3 | Margaret Little (b 26 May 1858 – 27 Jan 1940) |
James Waddell (26 Dec 1846 – 5 Jul 1907) (m 5 Mar 1881) |
Peter Hately Waddell (15 Dec 1881 – 30 Mar 1955) Robert Waddell (4 Jul 1883 – 19 Jan 1952) Mary (Mollie) Campbell Waddell (4 Mar 1885 – 6 Jul 1955) Helen Halcro Wardlaw Waddell (1887 – 1889) Margaret (Meg) Wardlaw Waddell (8 Mar 1889 – 23 Jun 1931) |
| ‑3 | Robert (Robin) McEwen Little§ (16 Oct 1860 – 17 Sep or Dec 1905) |
Ruby Hunter Campbell (15 Sep 1870 – 1954) (m 27 Mar 1897) |
Alexander Campbell Wishart Little (1898/9 – 23 Oct 1952) Robert Charles Little (15 Jan 1900 – 4 Apr 1983) Nina Maxwell Little (21 Sep 1902 – 24 Jan 1970) |
| ‑3 | Mary (May) Campbell Little (10 Apr 1872 – 3 Mar 1948) |
Harry Hebden (m 6 Jan 1897) |
Mary Winifred Hannah Hebden (b 3 Nov 1897) |
| ‑3 | Col William Campbell Little (6th Gurkhas) (26 Feb 1875 – 26 Jun 1958) Portrait |
Margery de Beauvoir Birkett (b 22 or 26 Feb 1875) (m 22 Jan 1916) |
sp |
| ‑3 | Matthew Little (26 Feb 1875 – Sep 1967) |
Florence Lizzie Davidson (9 Jan 1874, Newhills, Aberdeen – 10 Jul 1953, Victoria BC) (m 12 Oct 1910) |
Margaret Elliot Little (7 Oct 1912 – 4 Feb 2018) = Andrew Grote Stirling (20 Nov 1910 – 7 Nov 1991) (m 7 Jul 1936) Mary (Mollie) Campbell Little (b 4 May 1916) |
| ‑3 | Harriet (Hetty) Lawrence Little (27 May 1881 – 12 May 1959) |
Eustace Edward Gunter OBE (1873 – 1935) (m 1918) |
sp? |
| ‑3 | Alexa Campbell Little (29 Jul 1882 – 8 Jul 1955) |
Sir Alexander John Fortescue Craufurd 7th Bart (1876 – 1966) (m 25 Sep 1911) |
Isolde Vereker Craufurd (28 Jun 1912 – 6 Nov 1990) Cynthia Campbell Crawfurd (b 17 Aug 1917) |
| ‑3 | Louisa Scott Little (20 Dec 1883 – 9 Sep 1944) |
Piers Sumner (1877 – 1949) (m 1 Jul 1916) |
Alexa (Lexie) Irene Sumner (27 Mar 1918 – 24 Aug 2000) |
| ‑3 | Annie McEwen (25 Dec 1846 – 29 Mar 1937) |
Oscar Vernède (14 Mar 1844 – 12 Nov 1921) (m 11 Jan 1870) |
Arthur Henry Vernède (30 Sep 1872 – 13 Mar 1955) Robert Ernest Vernède (4 Jun 1875 – 9 Apr 1917) Charles Oscar Vernède (6 Jul 1877 – 25 Jun 1949) Mary Rosamunde Vernède (1881 – 5 Jan 1951) |
| ‑3 | Mary McEwen (7 Feb 1850 – 28 Jan 1940) |
William Henry Dalgliesh (1840 – 8 May 1916) (m 28 Nov 1871) |
Mary Dalgliesh (6 Mar 1873 – 13 Feb 1945) Robert McEwen Dalgliesh (22 Nov 1874 – 4 May 1932) William Henry Dalgliesh (15 Oct 1877 – 2 Jan 1905) Frank Bell Dalgliesh (18 Mar 1880 – 20 Jun 1952) John Ewen Dalgliesh (1882 – 13 Jan 1917) Allan Bertric Dalgliesh (1888 – 27 Aug 1963) |
| ‑3 | Roberta Henderson McEwen (18 May 1854 – 6 Dec 1938) |
James Chalmers Dick (1839 – 15 Oct 1907) (m 13 Oct 1874) |
Annie McEwen Dick (Dec 1875 – 1953) Martin Forster Dick (3 Jan 1877 – 17 Dec 1932) Mairi Chalmers Dick (15 May 1881 – 29 Sep 1954) Hamish Dick (1885 – 26 Jan 1942) |
| ‑3 | Harry Martin Little (18 Mar 1883 – 5 Feb 1947 |
Jean Somers Gordon Ballingall (3 Jun 1890 – 2 Feb 1980) (m 29 Mar 1913) |
Helen Gordon Little (19 Jan 1914 – 21 Oct 1967) Marion Lawrence Little (b 7 Oct 1915) Matthew Martin Little (b 23 Jan 1918) Jean Heather Little (b 12 May 1921) David Maxwell Little (24 Oct 1922 – 5 Nov 1944) |
| ‑3 | Agnes Hairstens Martin (21 Jan 1867 – 3 Jul 1914) |
Leonard Shafto Connell (1867 – 1913) (m 19 Feb 1903) |
|
| ‑3 | Barbara Martin (ca 1874 – 4 Feb 1934) |
Sydney Bourn Balden (1869 – 1946) (m 1909) |
|
This was undoubtedly because, a generation earlier, Margaret Little (1858-1940), daughter of Dr Robert Little (1819-888) of Singaporean eminence, had married Robert's father James Waddell (1846-1907) on 5 Mar 1881. Later in life she became known as 'Old Grannie', and was greatly revered throughout the family connections.
I've noticed several books of nostalgic anecdotage about Singapore and its imperial heritage:
Tales of Old Singapore: The Glorious Past of Asia's Greatest Emporium, by Iain Manley
Traveller's Tales of Old Singapore, by Michael Wise
Singapore: A Pictorial History 1819-2000, by Gretchen Liu
And there are also some heavyweight histories (very readable nevertheless), such as the two-volume centenary narrative that Uncle Sandy evidently made frequent use of:
And this rather older two-volume opus:
As always with such online facsimile versions, the maximal screen display can be achieved by using a judicious combination of the options Fullscreen / F11 / Hide Nav Bar / Zoom custom ...%
The Rude Forefathers
I'm extraordinarily grateful to Dane Wiren (Dec 2016), who has just provided a first-hand footprint of the generation preceding the Rev Robert Little, and an unprecedented revelation of Robert's brothers and sister, in the form of a letter home from their brother George, back in 1779.
I suspect that George had been the black sheep of the family, and had been encouraged to redeem himself by seeking his fortune as a merchant in the British colony of Jamaica, and deeply involved in the so-called triangular trade, with some up-front capital provided by his brothers. Some redemption, we would nowadays say.
The letter is addressed (on the outside, no envelope in those days), to his father, Mr Peter Little senior, evidently a farmer in Lochmaben, but directed via his brother the Rev Robert (probably to ensure the widest-possible informal dispersion around the family, of what he has to say).
| Address | p1 | p2 | p3 | |
| jpg's | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Transcript (plain) | ||||
| Transcript (fancy) | ||||
What can we deduce about the rest of the family?
- There must have been, though he's not mentioned, a Peter Little junior, presumably the firstborn male
- Robert and George we knew about from the get-go
- William we know has died
- James and David had advanced money to George
- John's wife is mentioned, so presumably there is, or had been, a John
- Joseph and Mary are mentioned as being the youngest
thereby generating a brand-new topmost row of the Generation Table.
| # | Individual | Spouse / Partner | Family |
| ‑7 | Peter Little senior
of Greengate House (or Greengatehouse), Lochmaben |
not mentioned by name | Peter Little junior
Robert Little (1743 – 5 Jan 1803) George Little (fl 1779) William Little James Little David Little John Little Joseph Little Mary Little |
| |||
Ruder Still and Ruder
When sitting down at my desk this morning (Oct 2018) I had no idea that this unpremeditated section was going to urge itself forward. But it has. A most extraordinary book, Miss Hargreaves, which nobody but my Aunt Jane and I have ever read, was a paean to the creative power of the inspiration of the moment – delay and you lose it. "Creative thought creates"...
It's very English, written and set in post-war austerity, with a backdrop of a second-hand bookshop in a small market town, and the Anglican cathedral ... an England that died in the 1960's as the vulgarians gained ascendancy.
I read it at the age of about 10, when I was living in Chichester, and it has echoed unceasingly ever since, though at the time I didn't understand why her parrot was called Dr Pepusch.
Well, I must get back to basics and explain that the obtrusive inspiration was a rather exotic genealogical tree (due to Simon Potter, and already featured in a different context) but with particular relevance to the back-history of the Little family, inasmuch as it featured a backdrop to Barbara Anne Cleghorn, wife of the fabled Minister of Applegarth, the Rev Robert Little, the touchstone of family decency ever since.
(Please click image to enlarge)
Assuming that you've clicked and scrolled appropriately, you'll have seen quite a reassuringly clerical pedigree on her paternal Cleghorn side and a slightly alarming Orkney provenance on her mother's side. Well I quite like an Orcadian connection, as that's whither an Erskine ancestrix of mine was once banished for murder, but it's got to have credibility.
Sadly, Matthew Cleghorn's wife Euphemia (though, like Caesar's wife, herself above suspicion) seems to have emerged from an imbroglio of Grahams and Honymans (the latter of whom are well documented, but the Grahams' record is seriously underwhelming – Simon Potter has always been tremendously knowledgeable and helpful, however, so I'm happy to take it on trust).
- www.geni.com/people/John-Cleghorn-Min-of-Wemyss/6000000004172667145
- Fasti ecclesiae scoticanae: the succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland from the reformation, Vol. V, page 121 for John's details
- www.geni.com/people/Matthew-Cleghorn-Min-of-Dryfesdale/6000000018491554056
- Fasti ecclesiae scoticanae: the succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland from the reformation, Vol. II, page 204 for Matthew's details
| # | Individual | Spouse / Partner | Family |
| John Cleghorn Minister of Wemyss (d 22 Feb 1744) pronounced "weems"! |
Janet Selkrig / Selkirk | Matthew Cleghorn (1711 – 17Jun 1781) Elizabeth Cleghorn = Sir James Clerk of Penicuik, Baronet David Cleghorn Charles Cleghorn Anne Cleghorn Christian Cleghorn | |
| |||
| ‑7? | Matthew Cleghorn (1711 – 17Jun 1781) Minister of Dryfesdale |
Name unknown (m 1726) |
|
| Euphemia Graham (b 1727, Orkney?) (d 27 Oct 1809) (m 1749) daughter of Robert Graham, great-grandson of Bishop Graham of Orkney |
John Cleghorn (b 14 Nov 1749) Euphemia Cleghorn (b 15 Feb 1751) = Bryce Little, Minister of Covington Janet Cleghorn (15 Jul 1752 – 24 May 1770) Elizabeth Cleghorn (b 13 Oct 1753) = Alexander Keay, Edinburgh brewer (m 20 Mar 1782) Jean Cleghorn, (10 Jun 1755 – 14 Nov 1776) James Cleghorn (b 31 Aug 1756) Charlotte Cleghorn (25 Dec 1757 – 4 Feb 1758) Barbara Anne Cleghorn (b 19 Mar 1759) = Robert Little, Minister of Applegarth Robert Cleghorn (b 10 Jan 1764) Margaret Cleghorn (b 2 Jul 1765) George Cleghorn (b 20 Sep 1768) | ||
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I must say that one admires Elizabeth for breaking ranks to marry a brewer!
And it has to be remarked that these two geni.com sources do tie in quite closely with Simon Potter's reckoning of Bishop Graham's descent, just miscounting by one generation:
| George Graham (1565 – 19 Dec 1643) | Marion Crichton (d 10 Apr 1632) |
| John Grahame (1615 – 1666) | Barbara Stewart (d 1664) |
| Harie Graham (1648 – 20 Jun 1718) | Euphemia Honyman (d 17 Oct 1686) |
| Andrew Graham (1672 – 1699) | Euphame Honyman (1669 – 13 Sep 1763) |
| Robert Graham (1696 – 1736) | Margaret Graham (m 1721) |
| Euphemia Graham (1727– 27 Oct 1809) | Matthew Cleghorn (1711 – 17Jun 1781) |
which makes Robert Graham in fact the great-great-grandson of Bishop George Graham of Orkney.
So is everything in the garden as lovely as it looks? Well, not quite...
The inscription is quite hard to read, but the Edinburgh Kirkyard evidently provides a narrative these days:
All very well, but it's obviously been put together by a GCSE drop-out. The inscription actually says
to the Memory of
MRS MARGARET CLEGHORN
Who Died 12th Feb.ry 1812
Aged 55 Years
Wife of
WILLIAM JOHNSTONE ESQ
Solicitor Supreme Courts
Also of
EUPHEMEA, THOMAS, JAMES CLEGHORN
and BRICE JOHNSTONE, their Children
Who Died Young
We don't have a picture of her husband's gravestone, but again there is a narrative provided by the Edinburgh Kirkyard:
which is all very well in its way, but presumably neglects to say that by a later marriage to the widow Mrs George Patton he became stepfather to her children William and Janet Patton.
This is all just nit-picking however. The real issue is about her age (which on her gravestone could be read in several different ways as 5 and 3 look very similar on a weathered slab of stone). Margaret was actually born on 2 Jul 1765, if the geni.com website is to be believed, and at her death she would have been 46.
Perhaps people then were just as innumerate as people are today.