James Ramsay of Fife

[Damside Damsel]

My 4 x Great Grandfather was James Ramsay who married Ann(ie) Brown 16th January 1785 at St. Hilda's Parish Church, South Shields, Co. Durham, England. No details of any help given. No trace on 1841 census.
This was annotated at baptism of son Thomas -
Thomas 3rd. son of James Ramsay, Mariner, native of Fife and Ann Brown, Native of Alnwick. Born 19/1/1799
Children in order: -
Isabella 1786, James 1789, Richard 1791, Mary 1795, Thomas 1799

This is all the information that I have to go on - if Scottish naming patterns are used (if I have all the children  ) then possible parents in Fife could be: - James and Mary - pretty common, I know, and Fife is a big county!!!

Does anyone have a missing James Ramsey from their family in Fife? or does anyone have an idea what my next steps could be.

Any help would be much appreciated
Heather

[ev]

hi Heather 

have you seen this -

http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=hebsramsey&id=I0078

there is a death for a james ramsEy 2nd quarter 1848 south shields on freeBMD

ev

PS just noticed that this is probably your tree 

[Damside Damsel]

Thankyou EV
I wrote to South Shields about 5 years ago, as Parish Records show that a James Ramsey died 1848.
Apparently they could find no trace of a death of a James Ramsey or Ramsay and I just assumed it was an unregistered death!!!
It was most unusual, I must say, for South Shields Registry Office as thet are normally on the ball.
I will just gamble on £7 and apply to GRO Southport - Watch this space!!!
Many, many thanks
Heather

[jac2]

hi heather
on the fife death index theres an entry for a james ramsay died 1834. worth a check at least. as he was a sailor he would have travelled up and down the coast.

James RAMSAY      Wemyss   6 Sep 1834         seaman, "Success"         Perished nr Fraserburgh - Fife Herald 11 Sep 1834     
source   Nwsp   Campbell   Newspaper

jacci   

[Dordee]

Heather
I have come to believe a relative of mine - Peter Shepherd married a
Ann Ramsay in Fife maybe about 1780 on as  I have yet to confirm but
their daughter was Mary Herries Shepherd who married Thomas Mount
- the Mounts being the family who migrated to South Aust.in1839
I am still trying to ascertain Marys mother - am very sure it was Peter
Shepherd who was a schoolteacher - we have letters from him to Mary.
Hope we can settle this.   Cheers  Dordee

[ellerydesign]

Hi Dordee,
Hopefully you'll get this message ayear after posting your last message.

I'm a direct descendant of May (or Marjorie) Ramsay, bap. Cupar23/1/1786 who is a younger sister of Ann Ramsay bap Cupar 5/4/1778, d. “of dropsy”, bur. Cupar 16/3/1844, who married Peter Shepherd, Teacher, b. c. 1756 bur. Cupar 23/6/1846. Annwas the daughter of Arthur Ramsay, Hammerman & Blacksmith in Cupar, Fife, by Christian Campbell, dau. of James Ramsay, Maltster & Brewer of Cupar.

There burial entries from the Cupar OPRs are:
Shepherd -   Ann Ramsay, wife to Peter Shepherd, teacher, of Cupar, aged 65, buried 16 March 1844.
Shepherd -   Peter Shepherd, teacher, of old age, aged 90, buried 23 June 1846.

However I can't find any marriage entry for them, or indeed any other details regarding their family.  You say they had at least one child Mary Herries who went to Australia in 1839.

Do you have any further info on them and their family.

Many thanks,

Craig

[Dordee]

Hello Craig - kin of mine
I am thrilled to offer information to someone as I have been helped by
others at  Rootschat for which I am grateful.  Firstly where do you live?
I am inAustralia where Ann Ramsays daugh. Mary Herries came with her
husband Thomas Mount of Cupar. Do not have marriage date for her parents.   I have been trying to locate any of Mary's siblings too.   Thomas and Mary had five sons in Cupar, two must have died as they brought three sons to Australia in 1839 on the Rajastan.   They had their only daughter Mary Ann Jane and another son Robert Fife born here.   I am directly descendant from Robert Fife, him being my Mothersgrandfather - a very tall man with a red beard.   I have compiled and had printed a booklet only able to go back to Peter and Ann.  Incidentally I was sure Peter Shepherd died at 90 yrs and Ann at 65.   Did not know where the name Herries came in.    Also was confused with your words   Hammerman & Bl by Christian Campbell\
(who is he?) dau. of James Ramsay,
alster & Br.  please explain.
Would love to hear from you what would we be too each other ?
Bit hard to work out.
Dordee

[ellerydesign]

Hi Dordee,

May/Marjorie Ramsay (she later married Alexander Younger and lived in Leuchars parish near Cupar) was my 4 x great grandmother.  The lines goes back from myself through my mother (Elizabeth Margaret Hill), grandmother (Helen Bogue McNicoll), gt grandmother (Elizabeth Younger Bogue), 2 x gt g'mother (Helen Younger), 3 x gt grandfather (John Younger), 4 x gt g'mother (May/Marjorie Ramsay).

Ann & May were daus of Arthur Ramsay, Blacksmith & Hammerman in Cupar. He was a son of another Arthur Ramsay by his wife Margaret Smith who was the daughter of John Smith/Smyth, also a Hammerman of Smiths in Cupar. The Hammermen of Smiths were members of the guild of blacksmiths or metal workers. The marriage of Ann & May's sister Jean states she was the dau. of Arthur Ramsay, Gunsmith in Cupar Bridge, so Arthur senior was a gunsmith. He is 6 x great grandfather. There is a large number of Smiths/Smyths in Cupar who were Hammermen.

Ann & May's mother was Christian, the eldest daughter of James Ramsay, who was described as a Maltman (maker of whisky) & a Brewer (maker of beer or ale).

I live and work in Edinburgh which is about 3/4 hour drive south of Cupar, and a short drive across the Forth Road Bridge from the Kingdom of Fife.

Craig

[Dordee]

Hello Craig
Thank youfor the reply.  Quite a bit to absorb heh?
I wonder if you could locate any Mounts in the Cupar, Fife areas or
anywhere for that matter.   The name is not common and I am sure
if any are in Scotland they must be related.
Have not yet been to Scotland but am longing to go.   How lucky you
are to live there Edinburgh must be beautiful.
I can nowadd some more names at the beginning of our family tree.
Would love to hear from you again.
Dordee