I have always been told that my Livingstone ancestors were originally from Scotland, but I am finding it impossible to trace them.
My 3x great grandfather John Livingstone was born in 1771, according to the information on his gravestone. He married Jane Burgess in Stockport in 1797, and on the marriage entry he is listed as a "Navigator", which I understand is usually known as a "Navvie", and would imply that he probably worked on the construction of the local (Peak Forest) canal, constructed about that time.
I can find no record of his birth in local parish records, although I have traced his wife. I have looked at "Scotland's People" website, checking all variations of the surname Livingstone who were born two years either side of 1771 in Scotland, but found nothing conclusive. Is there any way of tracing a worker who moved from Scotland to England to find work at that period? I should really appreciate any suggestions on this.