Sydserff- East Lothian

[carrumba]

Hello.

Am doing voluntary research on a  family tree for work colleague and her mother never knew where her middle name of Sydserff came from- it's quite distinctive!

Have not been able to find out a huge amount the name as such so far but have traced her mothers family through South Leith  on Scotlands People to an Alexander Sydserff born in Whittinghame, East Lothian in 1787 (son of Alexander Sydserff and Margaret Dickson).  He married a Frances Logan and they had 4 sons and two daughters.

Anyway, if anyone knows anything about the Sydserff family of Whittingham, East Lothian and where they came from I would be most appreciative.

Cheers.

[MonicaL]

Hi Carrumba

It is a fairly rare name isn't! Only 187 entries showing for the surname on IGI, and mostly in East Lothian. I found this http://195.153.34.9/catalogue/person.aspx?code=NA22519&st=1& which provides some info on the surname of Sydserff. The reference there to Ruchlaw, I found a reference to a Ruchlaw House, a grade two listed building, on line which is in Whittingham.

Whether this line connects to your family that you are researching, I don't know. Other general info here: www.scottish-places.info/families/familyfirst373.html

Monica

[carrumba]

Hey there Monica- good to hear from you again :-)

I have taken to researching other people's family trees at work whilst I poke at the far reaches of my own tree to stop me getting bored.  It's amazing how happy it makes people :-)

So, Sydserff.  Yup.. a very funny one and thanks for the link to the article.  I thin I had read that in some form copy and pasted somewhere and it is so annoyingly and tantalisingly close to what I am looking for!  I am trying to see if i can find who the 4 sons and 4 daughters of Martha Sydserf and Francis Buchan are to try and find a link to my Alexander Sydserff as Francis Buchan assumed the name Sydserff on marriage. 

So close... and yet so far!

Thanks for the help! :-)

[MonicaL]

There are seven submitted entries showing on IGI, all in Ruchlaw, for the children of Frances Buchan and Martha Sydserff - with the double barrell name of Buchan-Sydserff.

To do a parent search on IGI (in case you haven't done one before), go to the IGI search screen. Simply put in father and mother's full names (in this case I put in Frances Buchan and Martha only) and then British Isles and search, up come the seven entries. Normally you would add a mother's maiden name for Scottish births but with the additions to mother Matha's name, I left it blank!

Monica

[carrumba]

Hmmm.  Between 1700 and 1787 i can find only one other Alexander Sydserff born on the IGI in 1747 in Garvald, East Lothian.  Possibly the Alexander I am looking for who married Margaret Dickson.

When I look at their son, Alexander Sydserff (born 1787) i notice he was actually born in Whittingehame but his first child by Frances Logan ( Katherine Sydserff - 1814) was born in Garvald.  All other children born in Whittingehame.

I am geographically challenged at the best of times - are Garvald and Whittinghame close by?

[carrumba]

Aha!  Thanks Monica, i'll have a look
 

[carrumba]

Answered my own question on Garvald!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garvald,_East_Lothian

[MonicaL]

A good parish map for East Lothian www.scotlandsfamily.com/parish-map-lothians.htm

The only IGI birth I can find for children to Alexander Sydserff and Margaret Dickson was also in Garvald, a girl called Catherine - Chr. on 12 Sept 1779 Garvald. Likely more entries on SP than are showing on IGI given you have found Alexander's entry which doesn't show on IGI.

Monica

[carrumba]

Alexander's is on the IGI:

Alexander Sydserf & Margaret Dickson
     
Alexander Sydserf, Male, Whittengehame, East Lothian, Scotland
birth date:   15 Mar 1787

I can find the birth entry on SP but not his marriage.

Hmmm... I can feel myself getting to saturation stage and needing to step away before my brain crumples under the weight of Sydserff's!

Thanks for the Parish map.  Much appreciated.  This might be the point where I just pass on everything I have found and let my colleague take the strain of finding anything else.  hehehe.  Though I must admit, it would be hard to put down such an unusual name search ;-)