1891 Census William Houston Head Mar 52 Colliery Oversman Kilmarnock, Ayr, Scotland Annie Houston Wife Mar 52 New Cumnock, Ayr, Scotland Annie Houston Dau Unm 20 Dressmaker Kilbarchan, Renfrew, Scotland Jessie Houston Dau Unm 18 Paisley, Renfrew, Scotland Agnes Houston Dau 15 Dressmaker Hurlford, Ayr, Scotland Annie Houston Adopted 2 Kilmarnock, Ayrshire The adopted child Annie Houston was the illegitimate child of William and Annie’s daughter Elizabeth. She was born on 28 Feb 1889 in 15 Morton Place, Kilmarnock and registered as Annie Torrance Houston. As Elizabeth Houston married Archibald Torrance on 31 Jan 1890 it is reasonable to assume that he was the father. The Kilmarnock Standard of 8 Oct 1892 reported that William Houston, James Spencer and Archibald Torrance, all residing in Hurlford appeared in the Small Debt Court as a result of damage to a horse they had hired for a trip to Troon. Identifying the three defendants cannot be done conclusively though the 1891 Census is helpful. It seems likely that these alleged miscreants were James Spence (23, coal miner) who was boarding with Archibald Torrance (23, painter) and his family in Mauchline Road, Riccarton, Hurlford. The families of James Spence and Archibald’s wife Elizabeth Houston had lived in adjacent houses in Houstoun Square, Abbey, Johnstone, at the time of the 1871 Census. It seems likely that William Houston was a relative, perhaps father (53) or brother(28), of Elizabeth Torrance (Houston). Old photo of beach at Troon