James Rankin Laing

[akissling]

Hi Fran,
Thanks so much. It is certainly very helpful! I really appreciate you taking the time to check for me. If you need anything from the US please let me know!
Alison

[Forfarian]

Despite even having a date for Jane's death from the newspaper there seemed to be no official record.

Unfortunately Jane died in 1854, just before the start of statutory civil registration. If only she'd survived just a little longer

[Forfarian]

Was Walter Black a baker as well as Provost?

The Provost in Scotland is the equivalent of the Mayor in England and other places. Being Provost isn't a job or profession; it's a voluntary civic office, and is not salaried. The Provost is elected by the members of the Town Council, and the members of the Town Council in Walter's day were usually tradesmen (merchants, master craftsmen and the like) or professional men (lawyers) or sometimes members of the local gentry. So it was absolutely the norm for the provost to be a baker, or a shoemaker, or a grocer.

[akissling]

This is also interesting information. I imagine you had to have some sort of standing in the area or be civic minded. Thanks for your insight.

[Sue Milner]

I am a great granddaughter of Provost Walter Black's son Walter.Walter Jnr sold the bakeries,and other business interests in Hamilton and settled in New Zealand where he married Jemima Morris(Hemima Morete) they had 12 children,the eldest son Walter entered local government as a Councillor for Cook County ,and his daughter Ethel Mc Millan was one of New Zealand's first woman MPs and a city councillor for Dunedin,for many years.There is a family story of a sister of Walter, perhaps Mrs Templeton visiting NZ in the 1870s.I note that Walter Black the provost shares a lair in the Hamilton(?) cemetery with a mrs Laing.

[akissling]

Thanks so much for this interesting update! The family was certainly active politically. It must be in the blood. I can add a bit more information to my tree.  I think Mrs Templeton would be your Walter's niece if I have this figured out correctly. I will have to see if I can figure out the sister who visited. Maybe Paperspast could help. Was Walter in Dunedin in the 1870's?
I also didn't know that Walter Black Sr. was in the same cemetery as her father. Is this cemetery  information online? Thanks again, I really appreciate all of your new information!
Alison

[Sue Milner]

Hi,
I thought the Mrs Templeton who visited was Walter's sister.Walter lived in Gisborne,in the North Island of New Zealand and was a most successful farmer and businessman.Ethel Mc Millan lived in Dunedin after attending the University of Otago and marrying-her husband preceded her as an MP and was one of the architects of NZ's welfare state.
Incidentally, I too am a local government councillor for Waipa District which is an area immediately south of the City of Hamilton in the North Island!