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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Stirlingshire => Topic started by: ziggy1705 on Monday 10 July 06 16:10 BST (UK)
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Hi.
I was wondering where I could find any information on Smiddyhill in Stirlingshire. I was told that it was a farm in the Kilsyth area. The time period I am looking at would be the 1700s.
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Anyone?
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Hello Ziggy,
What about Smithyhill?
I had a look on the Old Maps Site ( http://www.old-maps.co.uk ) and when looking round the Kilsyth area, I saw Smithyhill.
The name could have changed oved the years as Smithy and Smiddy are both colloquialisms for Blacksmiths.
If you go to the Old Maps site and enter co-ordinates 270571,677877 in the search bar, you should get to the image.
Anne
P.S. You might find something useful on this site:
http://www.paperclip.org.uk/kilsythweb/history/Genealogy/genealogy_sources.htm
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Hi Anne.
That looks promising. We have a Kilsyth marriage certificate in 1814 for a Robert Rennie who is from Smiddyhill. The only one we can find was born in around 1774 and we're hoping if we can find some information about the place we might be able to match up our information and find out who his parents were.
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I've sent you a Private Message regarding Rennies of Kilsyth.
There are plenty of Rennies buried in the Old Churchyard but only one Robert. The MI for him is as follows:
Robert Rennie, D.D., of Kilsyth, son of John Rennie, Farmer in Kilsyth
Born 16.5.1762, ordained 3.9.1789, died 10.7.1820
For 30 years Minister of Kilsyth
Anne
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Hi Anne.
Thanks for the list of Roberts, but I don't think the one I am looking for is there.
I have a Robert Rennie marrying an Isabel Adam in Kilsyth in 1814. When we got a copy of the birth entry for his daughter for 1816 it said that Robert was from Smidyhill [as per document]. Her death certificate said he was a "spirit dealer" (which I think kind of excludes the minister you listed above!!).
We have been in touch with other Rennie researchers who have concluded that because he was from Smiddyhill, his parents must be James Rennie and Jean Laing. Apparently they married in 1767 and had 3 sons and 1 daughter - including a Robert in 1774.
That would make Robert 40 when he married Isabel, so there is a search on for a previous marriage as well.
We are also trying to find the death of Robert, somewhere after the birth of his 2nd daughter Isabella in 1819. We're hoping that would help shed some light on who his parents were.
Margaret
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I have a lot of information on the Rennies from Kilsyth. The Rennies from Smiddyhill (or Smithyhill) were related to my family and I have a family tree showing all the connections.
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That is great news. I am still on the lookout for information on this family. I will send you a personal message.
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Hi, Ziggy
I sent you an email with various attachments. I hope you received it OK and were able to make sense of the various documents.
jrskye
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Hi - i'm looking for information on a David Rennie who was the Ploughman for John and Grace Rennie at Allanfauld in 1861.
I suspect that David is related in some way and wondered if you had any further information on the Rennie of Kilsyth family tree.
I'm particularly interested in a John Rennie b. 1781 who married an Isabella Mason and had four children that i'm aware of.
David Rennie b. 14 April 1806
John Rennie b. 12 Sept 1801
Robert Rennie b. 20 March 1808
William Rennie b. 12 July 1815
Thanks
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I have a lot of information on the Rennies from Kilsyth. The Rennies from Smiddyhill (or Smithyhill) were related to my family and I have a family tree showing all the connections.
I have James Mathie Rennie born 1 Oct 1809 Balmalloch, Kilsyth; son of Alexander Rennie and Elizabeth Kerr (Carr). He was a farmer and breeder of prize winning Ayrshire cattle in Kessington. The memorial inscription in New Kilpatrich reads:
ERECTED BY JAMES RENNIE
FARMER KESSINGTON
IN MEMORY OF
MARY SCOTT
HIS WIFE
WHO DIED 8th JANUARY 1860
AGED 50 YEARS
JAMES RENNIE
DIED 3rd JANUARY 1862
AGED 52 YEARS
ALSO ALEXANDER RENNIE
SON AND FARMER
DIED 11th JANUARY 1899
AGED 64 YEARS
Do you have any information on this family?
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I have some information on the Kessington Rennies. My g-g-grandfather was an older brother of James Mathie Rennie. There were 4 children: Alexander, Mary, James and Elizabeth. Mary and Elizabeth married and had family. Mary married John Simpson Dunsmore, who was from Airdrie. They had 10 children, 3 of whom had children. Elizabeth married James Stevenson from Carluke and they had 4 children, 3 of whom had children.
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You will find more on Mary Kerr Rennie's descendants at this thread:
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,543898.msg4152165.html#msg4152165
Her son, James Rennie Dunsmore, was my great grandfather. His widow and five surviving sons followed my grandparents to Brooklyn in the 1920's.
Census 1930 Brooklyn, New York-
Name: Margaret Dunsmore
Event: Census
Event Date: 1930
Event Place: Brooklyn (Districts 1001-1250), Kings, New York
Gender: Female
Age: 60 Marital
Status: Widowed
Race: White
Birthplace: Scotland
Estimated Birth Year: 1870
Immigration Year: 1925
Relationship to Head of Household: Head
Father's Birthplace: Scotland
Mother's Birthplace: Scotland
Enumeration District Number: 1141
Family Number: 406
Sheet Number and Letter: 20B
Line Number: 67
NARA Publication: T626, roll 1509
Film Number: 2341244
Digital Folder Number: 4638799
Image Number: 00510
Household Gender Age
Margaret Dunsmore F 60
Child John Dunsmore M 28
Child William G Dunsmore M 24
Child Norman Drew Dunsmore M 21
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Thanks for all that. Do you know what happened to Francis Paterson Dunsmore? He was born on 7 July 1900, but I have no information on what happened to him. I'd be interested in further details of the rest of the family in the USA.
James Rennie
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Francis Paterson Dunsmore (1900-1950?) took up residence in the Chcago area where he was employed selling mens apparel. Late in life he married a woman with two daughters. He had no children of his own. John Dunsmore (1902-1950?) worked in the New York City port supervising crews of stevedores. He had one son. None of the other brothers had children. William Gordon Dunsmore (1905-1975?) was a manager in a New York City bank. He retired to West Palm Beach, Florida. I met him only once at my grandmother's funeral in Houston. Eric Dunsmore (1907-1924) drowned at Coney Island the first summer that his mother and brothers spent in Brooklyn. Norman Drew Dunsmore (1909-Aug 1980) managed a Chevrolet automatic transmission factory in Toledo, Ohio. I knew him quite well because he frequently drove down to Houston to visit his sister and two nephews.
My uncle, John Dunsmore Campbell (1923-1995), had three boys and three girls. My parents had one son and three daughters who produced eleven grandchldren. I can't give you a figure on the number of grandchildren my uncle obtained but I would guess at least eleven.
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I can send you details of our common ancestors prior to Alexander Rennie, the father of James Mathie Rennie. We go back to the 1600s. Incidentally, it transpires that Alexander's wife was actually Elizabeth Ker, not Kerr or Carr as we had originally believed. I have your grandparents on my tree, and would appreciate details of your branch.
James Rennie
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Hi inss03.
A close friend of mine, Rennie Johnston, is a descendant of Mason/Rennie link
v.i.z.
Modified Register for John Rennie [Cotton Handloom Weaver]
First Generation
1. John Rennie [Cotton Handloom Weaver] was born in 1778 in Dunbartonshire Scotland.
John married Isabella Mason [Weft Winder] daughter of William (John) Mason [Farmer] and Janet Allan in 1798 in Cumbernauld, Dunbarton, Scotland . Isabella was born in 1776 in Kirkintilloch Dunbarton Scotland. She was christened on 29 Sep 1776 in Kilsyth, Stirling, Scotland. She died on 17 Dec 1862 in Cumbernauld, Dunbarton, Scotland .
They had the following children:
2 F i. Janet Renny was born on 24 Feb 1799 in Cumbernauld, Dunbarton, Scotland .
3 M ii. John Renny was born on 12 Sep 1801 in Cumbernauld, Dunbarton, Scotland .
4 M iii. Allan Rainie was born on 4 Sep 1803 in Cumbernauld, Dunbarton, Scotland .
+ 5 M iv. David Rennie [Cotton Handloom Weaver] was born on 14 Apr 1806.
6 M v. Robert Rennie was born on 29 Mar 1808 in Cumbernauld, Dunbarton, Scotland .
7 F vi. Isabel Renny was born on 25 Jan 1811 in Cumbernauld, Dunbarton, Scotland .
8 F vii. Jean Renny was born on 25 Jan 1811 in Cumbernauld, Dunbarton, Scotland .
9 M viii. William Rennie was born in Mar 1813 in Cumbernauld, Dunbarton, Scotland .
10 M ix. Mason Rennie was born on 12 Jul 1815 in Cumbernauld, Dunbarton, Scotland .
Second Generation
5. David Rennie [Cotton Handloom Weaver] (John) was born on 14 Apr 1806 in Cumbernauld, Dunbarton, Scotland.
David married Agnes Danskine on 10 Aug 1838 in Cumbernauld, Dunbarton, Scotland.
They had the following children:
11 M i. John Rennie was born in 1839 in Cumbernauld, Dunbarton, Scotland.
12 M ii. David Rennie was born on 28 Sep 1841 in Cumbernauld, Dunbarton, Scotland.
13 F iii. Helen Rennie was born on 20 May 1845 in Cumbernauld, Dunbarton, Scotland.
14 F iv. Isabella Rennie was born on 13 May 1848 in Cumbernauld, Dunbarton, Scotland.
+ 15 M v. Allan Rennie [Coal Miner] was born in 1850. He died in 1921.
Third Generation
15. Allan Rennie [Coal Miner] (David, John) was born in 1850 in Cumbernauld, Dunbarton, Scotland. He died in 1921 in Cumbernauld, Dunbarton, Scotland .
Allan married Jane Stevenson daughter of Joseph Stevenson [Iron Stone Miner] and Isabella Paterson on 11 Jun 1874 in Cumbernauld, Dunbarton, Scotland. Jane was born in 1852 in New Monkland Lanark Scotland. She was christened on 7 Nov 1852 in New Monkland, Lanark, Scotland . She died on 3 Jul 1908 in Cumbernauld, Dunbarton, Scotland .
They had the following children:
16 M i. David Rennie was born in 1875 in Cumbernauld, Dunbarton, Scotland.
+ 17 F ii. Isabella Paterson Rennie was born in 1876. She died in 1962.
18 F iii. Agnes Rennie was born in 1880 in Cumbernauld, Dunbarton, Scotland.
Fourth Generation
17. Isabella Paterson Rennie (Allan, David, John) was born in 1876 in Cumbernauld Dunbarton Scotland. She died in 1962 in Kilsyth, Stirling, Scotland .
Isabella married Robert Johnston [Pitheadman] son of James Johnston [Iron and Coal Miner] and Margaret Stark [Power Loom Weaver] on 30 Apr 1897 in Cumbernauld Dunbarton Scotland. Robert was born in 1875 in Kilsyth Stirling Scotland. He died on 19 Jul 1948 in Kilsyth, Stirling, Scotland .
They had the following children:
19 M i. James Johnston was born in 1897 in Cumbernauld Dunbarton Scotland.
20 F ii. Jeannie Johnston was born in 1900 in Cumbernauld Dunbarton Scotland.
21 F iii. Margaret Johnston was born in 1902 in Cumbernauld Dunbarton Scotland.
22 M iv. Allan Johnston was born on 2 Jul 1910 in Croy Dunbarton Scotland.
+ 23 M v. Robert Johnston was born on 2 Jul 1910. He died in 1984.
Fifth Generation
23. Robert Johnston (Isabella Paterson Rennie, Allan, David, John) was born on 2 Jul 1910 in Croy Dunbarton Scotland. He died in 1984 in Stirling Stirling Scotland.
Robert married Mona Duffus Amess . Mona was born in 1913 in Stirling Stirling Scotland. She died in 2008 in Stirling Stirling Scotland.
They had the following children:
24 F i. Muriel Johnston was born in Stirling Stirling Scotland.
25 M ii. Rennie Johnston was born in Stirling Stirling Scotland.
Aye
DDJJAKE
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Hi DDJJake
Thanks for this - Rennie will be my second cousin once removed then.
I'm interested in the provenance of the first generation John Rennie b1778 in Dumbartonshire. The 1841 census has him listed as being 60 - so i'd be interested to find out how this was narrowed down to 1778.
Many Thanks
Ian Rennie
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Hi Ian,
Adult ages in the 1841 Census were rounded down to the nearer Zero or Five.
I will Personal Message you with my, and Rennie's e-mail address, so, if you wish, you will be able to contact him.
Aye
DDJJAKE
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John Dunsmore (1902-1950?) worked in the New York City port supervising crews of stevedores. He had one son.
Hi TropiConsul,
Do you happen to know the name of John's son or have any other information about him? I haven't been able to find a death record for John, or to find anything relating to him or his wife, Margaret, beyond a 1940 census from Brooklyn, NY.
Thank you.
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I believe my mother exchanges Christmas cards with him. I'll check with her.
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John Dunsmore (1902-1950?) worked in the New York City port supervising crews of stevedores. He had one son.
Hi TropiConsul,
Do you happen to know the name of John's son or have any other information about him? I haven't been able to find a death record for John, or to find anything relating to him or his wife, Margaret, beyond a 1940 census from Brooklyn, NY.
Thank you.
See the attached 1925 New York State Census from Brooklyn.
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Thank you, that would be great. The Sprague Project site has been invaluable for information about the family and given me good clues.
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On www.fultonhistory.com, there are a number of Brooklyn and other New York newspapers. After a quick check, I found a funeral notice for Eric Dunsmore (who was reported to have died in his home in 1925), a number of mentions of W. Gordon & Norman Dunsmore, and some pictures of Gordon. http://newsstand.bklynpubliclibrary.org/ also has Brooklyn newspapers. www.italiangen.org has New York City marriage and death indexes, as well as other databases.
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Thank you, that's great, I'll have a look there.