Shiels Family Beginnings

And so it begins….

Family tradition states that Micheal Shiels was born in Kildare, Ireland about 1690 and traveled to Scotland for the harvest. He liked the country, the whisky, and the Scottish lassies so much that he decided to stay. He settled in an area near Coulter.

The map included here shows East Mains, a property purchased by the Shiels family around 1800. It is located very close to Coulter, where Micheal first arrived. The area lies roughly halfway between Glasgow and Edinburgh, slightly to the south of that line. Peebles and Lanark are also shown on the map.

AI generated Coulter 1700

When he arrived, Micheal’s first job was working for Dan Scott, a relative of Francis Scott, 2nd Duke of Buccleuch. He earned 10 pounds a year, and before the year was out, Micheal had fallen in love with Dan’s niece, Elizabeth (“Bessie”) Broun. They were married on November 24, 1716, in Coulter. We have a copy of the record.

In the early 1700s, forthcoming marriages were supposed to be proclaimed on three successive Sundays. However, in practice, all three proclamations could be made on the same day upon payment of a fee. Micheal Shiels paid fourteen shillings to have the wedding take place the same day.

Tradition says there was a significant disagreement, and Micheal and Bessie left the area, although we do not know where they went. It is believed that Micheal continued working with horses in the Coulter and Lanarkshire area.

This is an AI created photo based on actual photos that we have from the 1800’s and info from the specific area and time period.

Micheal and Bessie had one son, Dan (born 1719), named after Bessie’s uncle, and seven daughters: Bridget (1717), Annie (1721), Margaret (1723–1794), Nora (1725), Betty (1727), Sarah (1729), and Susan (1731).

Dan’s details are listed on a separate page linked above.

Bridget began training as a nun but later changed her mind and joined the Church of Scotland. As a Presbyterian, she went to China as a missionary.

Nora was a teacher and a very successful governess.

Annie married a farmer named Jim Dunn, but they had no children.

The remaining daughters worked on a farm and never married.

The following shows the first 5 generations of our Shiels history.