William’s birth record has not been found, but he was probably born before 1780 if he was at least 17 years old when he married Elisabeth Thom in Dunfermline on 10 March 1797.¹

Fifeshire parish records show the births and baptisms of five individuals in Dunfermline, all with parents William McGregor and Elisabeth Thom (spelled Tom in one case). Although the birth or baptism of David McGregor is not similarly shown in the records, his death registry indicates that his parents were William McGregor and Betsy Thom. The match of names between the parish birth records and David’s death registry strongly suggests these individuals are members of the same family, and therefore are so listed.

The witnesses listed in the parish records for the births and baptisms of the children below have some names in common, and may further support the relationships shown. Traditionally, the witnesses for Scottish births and baptisms were the two grandfathers, although other relatives or even the parish register keeper would serve as witnesses. For example, the birth/baptism entries for the eldest five children all list David McGregor, weaver in Dunfermline, as a witness. The second witness, each described as a weaver in Dunfermline, is respectively, Mungo McGregor, Henry Smeiton [spelling uncertain], William Inch, and Henry Dickey (witness for both twins, Agnes and Janet). The two Mcgregors listed as witnesses, David and Mungo, are quite possibly related to William. Also, another entry in the Fifeshire parish registers, for a contemporary of William McGregor, may be of particular interest. The entry reads:

Possibly, this David McGregor and William McGregor are brothers, and perhaps they served as witnesses for the births of each other’s children. Also, each had a son named Mungo (an uncommon name even in the 18th and 19th century Scotland), along with the Mungo McGregor being listed as a witness. The recurrence of these names (Mungo, David, and William) may suggest relationships, and are strong candidates for further research.