As you can see in the above map, the village of Kirkmichael is a long way from any other Wighton town in Perthshire. It is at least 15 miles from Coupar Angus and Alyth, both of which had extensive Wighton populations until about 1700. However, the parish of Kirkmichael is very extensive and has a number of small towns. It's entirely possible that our families worked in the southern half of Kirkmichael parish where the farming was better.

The Wighton presence in the Parish of Kirkmichael began with four Wightons: (Thomas Wighton had a daughter Margarit in 1725; James Wichtan's first child was born in 1727; a Thomas Wighton married Grazel Forbes in 1736; and George Wighton's first child was born in 1737. I found it interesting that the Wightons appeared in Kirkmichael at about the same time as Wightons disappeared from Alyth and Coupar Angus. There is a remote possibility that James and George could have migrated out of Coupar Angus.

No matter where they came from, it is probable that our four early Wightons came from somewhere else in Scotland since over 70 years of parish records revealed no previous Wighton living in Kirkmichael parish prior to their appearance. We can also assume that this migration to Kirkmichael was not the first choice for these families. Kirkmichael, a Highlands town/parish, was not a prime agricultural center, as was the case with other farming villages which attracted Wightons during the Industrial Revolution (e.g., Errol). Soil was poor, the growing season was short, and crop failures from early frosts were a common occurrence. However, rents were low and small farms the norm. As such, for someone willing to face the challenges of the climate, poor growing conditions, and servitude to the landowner, Kirkmichael might have been the best option.

Between 1725 and 1750, 12 Wighton births/marriages were recorded from those first four families. The next quarter century was our high point with 17 births/marriages, however most of these appear to be from families new to the parish. Between 1776 and 1800, three families remained and they had three children. After 1800, one family remained, they had one child, and then they disappeared. Although this sharp drop in numbers could be attributed to disease or famine, it is more than likely the result of the Highland Clearances which was rearing its ugly head in 1795.

Like other agricultural towns which attracted Wightons during the industrial revolution, Kirkmichael proved to be only a temporary safe haven. Its location in the Highlands demonstrates the extent to which Wighton farming families, accustomed to fertile land in the Lowlands, resorted to in order to maintain their former lives.

Kirkmichael has one other distinction to note: it is the location of the spouse with the most unique surname. Janet Wighton married Andrew Amorous in 1777. If Janet had dreams of romance in this union, she would be sadly disappointed. There are no records of any children born to this couple.

We have no firm evidence that anyone in the Meigle line of the Wightons was ever in Kirkmichael. (Meigle and Kirkmichael are about 20 miles apart.) However, there's a possibility that a third generation uncle James Wighton (son of William Wighton and Margaret Finlay) married Janet Robertson in Kirkmichael in 1790. This James had a son Henry (b. 1795), who in turn had a son John (b. 1828) who moved to Meigle and became friends with John Baxter Wighton, our direct ancestor. Both of these men would recognize that they looked very similar to each other but as far as we know, they did not piece together this theoretical linkage. I'll discuss this possibility in more detail in the Meigle Line section of the website.

Sources

ScotlandsPeople Database: http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/

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