Margaret Boswell

MARGARET MONTGOMERY

Disputed Ancestry

The ancestry of Margaret Montgomery is disputed. Paterson's history identifies her as a daughter of David Montgomery of Lainshaw. History of the County of Ayr etc. Vol. I., p. 240 and Stirnet identifies her as the daughter of James Montgomery of Lainshaw. Stirnet: Boswell 02

Margaret "Peggy" Montgomerie married her cousin James Boswell, 9th Laird of Auchinleck in November 1769.

She remained faithful to Boswell, despite his frequent liaisons with prostitutes, until her death from tuberculosis in 1789. After his infidelities, he would deliver tearful apologies to her and beg her forgiveness, before again promising her, and himself, that he would reform. James and Margaret had four sons and three daughters. Two sons died in infancy; the other two were Alexander (1775–1822) and James (1778–1822). Their daughters were Veronica (1773–1795), Euphemia (1774-ca. 1834) and Elizabeth, known as 'Betsy', (1780–1814).

She died of Tuberculoses in 1789