Mother’s Day 2026 - Agnes Livingstone
I am Agnes Livingstone and I live in Blantyre with my father (David Hunter), my husband Neil and our five children. It is 1823 and, although we all work hard, this is a happy, secure home with lots of laughter.
I was born in Airdrie in 1783 the second oldest child in a family of five. Sadly, my mother became ill when I was eight years old and it became my responsibility to care for her until her death seven years later. Even though I was young I understood it was my duty to put the needs of the family before my own wishes.
In Airdrie we lived in a lovely house with land where we grew vegetables and had our own animals and hens for food. Our house was well furnished and we were very comfortable. After my mother died my father brought us all to live in Blantyre in our little single room and I continued to be responsible for running the house and looking after my sisters and brothers. In time my sisters and brothers married and had their own families while I remained at home looking after the house for my father and earning a little money by helping him with his tailoring business. In 1810 I married Neil Livingstone who was one of my father’s apprentices.
Neil is a proud man and a good husband and father although sometimes he can be stubborn. He has strong religious convictions and expects high standards from his children and from me. He and my father have many discussions about religion, politics and life in general but, like all men, they never include me in these conversations as women are not considered to have any worthwhile opinions. It annoys me sometimes, but I content myself with having a well organised home and putting the needs of my children first.
When we were first married Neil and I lived in Glasgow, where Neil worked as a tailor, and it was there that our first child, John, was born. John is now twelve years old and is a hardworking and dependable boy, always looking out for his younger brothers and sisters and in 1838 John will be the first to travel away when he takes his own family to live in Canada.
My second son David was born in this house on the 19th. March 1813 so is now 10 years old. I love all my children, but I have a soft spot for David, especially as he is named after my father. He is a serious boy, stubborn like his father, but a serious student who is never without a book in his hand. David will become a medical doctor then a missionary who will travel to South Africa in 1841 and the whole world will hear about him.
Little Charles is only 2 years old and has the same name as another son of ours who died when he was very young. It is heartbreaking to lose a child and, sadly, we have suffered losses with our little ones. Charles will always look up to his older brothers and, like John, will emigrate, going to North America in 1839.
Then there are my two girls, Janet is 5 years old and little Agnes is only a baby. Life for girls is very different as they are expected to help in the home from an early age. Neither Janet nor Agnes will marry or leave home but they will become skilled seamstresses and run their own business.
Although I don't go out to work, I am kept very busy running the house. Neil now works as a door to door tea salesman so is out of the house during the day but there are meals to prepare for John and David in their breaks from the Mill, shopping and washing to do, the house to keep clean and the little ones to look after. We have to make our own clothes and, of course, every Sunday, we go to Church. I am very particular about how my house is kept and how my children are turned out, especially on Sundays when I make a special effort with their clothes. Some people think I am behaving above my station in life, in fact the Mill owner's wife let me know she did not approve, but I will not change my ways.
Neil, Janet, Agnes and myself will leave this house in 1841 and move to Hamilton. I will miss the busy life with a young family around me although we have many nieces and nephews in the area. My son John will often come home from Canada to visit so I will meet his children and Charles and his wife and daughter will be in Scotland 1857. In 1851 David's wife Mary and her four children Robert, Agnes, Thomas and Oswell will come over from South Africa to stay with us in Hamilton but things will become difficult and she will move on.
Neil will die in 1856, but my two daughters will look after me until my own death in 1865. My daughter-in-law, Mary will come back to Scotland in 1859 with the children, including her new little daughter Anna Mary, and things between us will be better. Mary will return to Africa in 1861, leaving her children in our care, but will sadly die in 1862. David will make his final visit home in 1864 which will be the first time he will meet little Anna Mary. After my death Anna Mary will grow up in Hamilton in the care of Janet and Agnes.
When I look back on my life, I will see it was largely spent caring for others, but I will be happy to have provided a good home and a good start in life for my family. Although my son David becomes well known I will be equally proud of all my children.
