The spotlight this month falls on my great grandfather Adam Cargill . The photograph above is only one known photograph of Adam.

Adam Cargill was the first generation of my paternal Grandfather's family to be born and raised in Arbroath. His father and mother had made the short journey from Auchmithie to Arbroath as the days of serfdom were finally over for the Auchmithie fisherman. Earlier generations of Cargill's had attempted to leave Auchmithie but were made through the courts to return.

It was Adam's mother and father (Thomas Cargill and Jane Smith) who made the move a few miles south for a better life.

Adam was the youngest of four children and was born on the 19th of December 1948. By the time Adam was 23 he was the only child remaining of Thomas and Jane. In those early days moving to Arbroath probably didn't look like such a good decision for the Cargill's.

Adam married Helen Smith in Arbroath on the 4th of October 1867 in Arbroath. By 1875 Adam had his own boat which was called Adam's. Over his fishing career Adam would own/run seven different fishing boats.

Adam and Helen would have 9 children, with three of them dying in childhood. Included in the nine were Dev Cargill who would go own to be a successfull footballer in the golden days of Arbroath Football Club, Adam Cargill who was a fishing boat skipper and the father of Adam Cargill who was a local town Councillor in Arbroath for many years, Thomas who went on to have a successfull joinery business, Jim who was also a town councillor and fish seller and Joe who went on to be a fishing skipper and my grandfather.

Adam would die of cancer ot the Jaw on the 26th of March 1916 at his home at 7 South Street, Arbroath and was aged 67.

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