Our ancestor Thomas Chalmers Scott, who immigrated first to the United States (Detroit, Michigan) and then to Canada (Toronto) around 1842, when he was in his 40s. His parents, who lived in Auchtermuchty, Fife, Scotland, were David Scott and Katharine Greig. I have never been able to discover much about his parent's lives, but the free weekend at findmypast.com has helped me discover some clues about Thomas's parents.
The clipping from the Caledonian Mercury newspaper, April 24, 1813 (above) indicates that David Scott of Auchtermuchty was partnered in business with a man named Thomas Chalmers. I had always assumed that T.C. Scott had been named after the well-known churchman Thomas Chalmers (1780-1847) who lived in Fife as well, but now I'm thinking probably he was named after his father's partner and, presumably, friend. It looks like 1813 was not a good year for the business.
The clipping below, from the Perthshire Courier, April 20, 1815, suggests that Chalmers &Co. was a cloth manufacturing business.
The clippings below show land owned by Chalmers and Scott being sold off in 1813, presumably to cover business losses. The following clippings seem to show that Chalmers, at least, recovered financially.
From the Perth Courier, Thursday April 15, 1813.
From the Fife Herald, November 4, 1841.
From the Edinburgh Monthly Magazine, Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 5, April-September 1819. This suggests another bankruptcy.
From the Fife Herald, Cupar, Fife, Scotland, May 27, 1847. Was this David Scott's business partner?
From the Fife Herald, Cupar, Fife, Scotland. June 10, 1847.
The Pigot's Directory of Scotland for 1825-6 (below) shows both David Scott and Thomas Chalmers listed under Manufacturers and Agents in Auchtermuchty. The 1837 edition of the same publication shows only Thomas Chalmers' name.
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