Muir family

What an amazing forum. I have been researching my Muir family history, particularly that of my grandfather Thomas' brother, James Muir. James left the family farm in Ayrshire and went to Birmingham where he met and married a lady named Margaret Ellen McCuthchion. James and Margaret matried in Birmingham in 1888, but then moved to Coventry where their children and descendants continued to live up until the present day. What sparked my interest in this forum topic of Much Park Street, is a St Michael's Church 1894 (13th April) baptismal record for their third child that cites James and Margaret residing at 120 Much Park Street. I am not sure how long they resided there, as this is part of my ongoing research. Prior to living in Much Park Street, James and Margaret as registered in the 1891 Census as living at 13 Butcher Row. James was a greengrocer at that time. Post copied from topic Much Park Street on 23rd Mar 2025 10:07 am

Hi Peter, welcome to the forum 120 was next door but one to the Greyhound pub. Probably the best picture is shown below. You can just about see the 120 of Parsons on the very left of the picture. Curtesy of Neil, one of our moderators. And here on the right curtesy of Covjb35 Post copied from topic Much Park Street on 23rd Mar 2025 10:08 am

In 1921 there are two James Muirs in the directory - James Muir at 17 Chapel Street and James William Muir at 123 Colchester Street. They definitely weren't still in Much Park Street then. In 1912 James Muir, mechanic is at 17 Chapel Street. Can't see a James Muir at all in the 1896 and 1900 directories.

Hi Peter. James seems to have moved round quite a bit and had several jobs looking through the census. In 1891 120 Much Park Street was occupied by William and Amy Mccutcheon who I am pretty sure were Margaret's Brother and Sister in Law. Edith Evelyn was baptised in 1894 but she was born in 1891. She died in 1894 so it looks like she may have been baptised as she was ill. So it looks like James and Margaret were living with William when Edith died in 1894. I have found the London Road burials of Margaret who died in 1907 and Edith who are interred with some more Mccutcheons, James who died in 1947 is not in that grave and is not in any other grave in London Road. Hope some of this helps.

Building on Anne's excellent findings. William McCutchion was a fishmonger at 120 in the 1896 directory but not 1886. There are other fishmonger McCutchions in 1886 including Butcher Row (might be William) and Jordan Well (18 - Samuel, 24 - Allen). In 1900 Allan McCutchion was a fruiterer at 24 Jordan Well. By 1912 there are loads of McCutchions

Thank you Helen and Ann for that information and the extraordinary photos of 120 Much Park Street. It has filled in quite a few gaps in my research. I will do my best to respond to both your posts collectively, and in doing so may also provide some information to other forum members and visitors about the James Muir family and their connection to Coventry. The James Muir cited in the 1921 Census and residing at 17 Chapel Street is my granduncle. He was born 13th June 1870 on Beoch Farm outside Maybole in Ayrshire to James Muir (1843-1921) and Helen Muir nee McNab (1844-1929). On 17th January 1888 James (a Fishmonger aged 18) and Margaret Ellen McCutchion (a Spinster aged 19) were married in The Church of St David in Birmingham. That same year, they moved to Coventry where they had six children, all born in Coventry: Margaret Helen Muir (1888-1955), James William Muir (1889-1971), Edith Evelyn Muir (1891-1894), Harold David Muir (1898-1925), Evelyn Victoria Muir (1901-1956), and Reginald Gilbert Muir (1904-1968). After the death of his wife Margaret in April 1907, James remarried in November 1917 to Lizzie Bailey nee Tomkins (1890-1964). James died on 1st December 1947 at 50 Foleshill Road in Coventry. [Photos of James and Margaret] The James William Muir cited in the 1921 Census and residing at 123 Colchester Street is the son of James and Margaret E. McCutchion. He was born on 6 December 1889 in Coventry. James William Muir married Sarah Ellen Hughes (188-1954) in Coventry. They had three children, all born in Coventry: James Walter Muir (1914-1999), Marjorie Helen Muir (1918-2006) [she married Henry Eric Charley 1914-1975], and Derek Muir (1928-1988). In 2018, my wife and I visited Coventry and met up with our cousins, the two daughters of Derek Muir, Lesley French (Muir) and Lynda Bradford (Muir), and Michael Charley the son of Marjorie Helen Muir. I look forward to reading many of the other stories on Coventry, as sadly, my wife and I had but a very brief visit of two days and did not get the opportunity to see all that Coventry had to offer by way of its history and heritage. Perhaps, on the next visit.