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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Berwickshire => Topic started by: Brunlees on Saturday 24 March 18 15:23 GMT (UK)
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Hi,
I am wondering if anyone can help or suggest where I can look to try and find the birth of my 4 x great grandfather.
What I know is as follows -
John Brownlee was born c. 1788 (taken from 1841/1851 census, and death details given in the Kelso Chronicle). The 1851 census gives his birthplace as Mellerstaine , Berwickshire. Through looking at numerous newspaper articles of John's achievements in gardening and prize winning in the Kelso location, we can see that the name changed spelling in about 1827 to Brunlees. His children all born before this were recorded as Brownlee but later details show them also as Brunlees (the most famous being my 3 x great grandfather Sir James Brunlees, the prominent Victorian Engineer). John died on the 24th October 1854 (why couldn't he have waited just over a couple more months to 1855!) in Kelso.
A a family we have never been able to get beyond John in over twenty years of research and have really drawn a blank now on what else to try. Can anyone suggest any record archives, or local records that may be we be able to find details of his birth and parents?
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Was his death recorded as Brownlee or Brunlees?
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We haven't (to my knowledge) found the OPR record of his death, and it is through newspaper articles, and his gravestone at Kelso that we are aware of the date of his death.
Both the 1841 and 1851 census report his name as Brunlees, all newspaper articles from about 1827 also show him as Brunlees, as does the headstone.
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Hi
What were his children's names in birth order? As you probably know, this might give an indication of his parents.
I've found 18 baptisms showing for a John (variations) Br*nlee* 1785 +/- 5. All are in Scotland, including one in Greenlaw. None in Roxburghshire
Gadget
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When you mention Mellerstaine, do you mean Mellerstain House and the area around it, north of Kelso:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mellerstain_House
Gadget
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Hi Gadget,
John married, Margaret Rutherford (b. 1788, Eyemouth, parents, John Rutherford, Agnes Bennet).
The known children are
Agnes (03/05/1814)
James (05/01/ 1816)
Jane/Jean (16/01/1820)
John (29/05/1822)
Robert (11/08/1824)
all are born in Kelso.
Would the record in Greenlaw be from 1781, parents George Brownlees and Margaret Marshall? I think we had previously seen this and although being the closest fit, had dismissed it because of the level of difference in birth years.
As to Mellerstaine (as written on the 1851 census), we have always presumed it to be one in the same as the Mellerstain estate/village, and realise there isn't a lot there at all.
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Hi
Yes it was the 1781 one. Wondering about the accuracy of the 1851 as the 1841 is an unrounded 57 (b. c. 1784).
I believe Mellerstain is in the parish of Earlston but not found any baptisms, marriages or deaths there for variations of surname, nor wills for any in the border counties :-\
Gadget
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Hi Gadget
The government, being short of money (!) instituted a whole lot of new taxes in the late 1770s, including a servant tax.
You paid a guinea tax for each male servant you employed (only half a guinea for females...) and in the list of servants employed by George Baillie, proprietor of Mellerstain, for 1778-9, is a 'Robert BURNLIES, Gardener's man'. he is not included in the next available list ,for 1785-6. I think Robert might merit further investigation.
regards,
Lesley
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Thanks Lesley :) I was just searching through Scotlands Places and the NRS online records.
Gadget
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There seem to be quite a lot of Robert Brownlees (+variants) in Lanarkshire. May be worth remembering that George Baillie was George Baillie of Jerviswood (in Lanarkshire) and Mellerstain, and servants often travelled to estates with family connections.
Regards,
Lesley
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Hi Gadget,
I think we had always presumed the 1841 to be aged 51 to tie in better. Also the notice of his death in the Kelso Chronicle in 1854 ages his as 66, tying back to 1788.
Hi Lesley,
That's very interesting about the servant tax. John went on to become the gardener for a Mr Innes, at Broomlands in Kelso, the agent for the Duke of Roxburghe. He also won numerous prizes and judged in different Horticultural shows. Possibly there is a sibling also called Robert that would fit too. It would make sense that a 'gardening' parent with links to the upper crust of society would of benefited John, in obtaining the job that he did.
Can I ask what the records showing the Robert are called, and if they are publically available at all?
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Noticed the Lanarkshire ones - nothing so far that links. I think Jerviswood is in Lanark parish. Also Tyninnghame, East Lothian is worth looking at.
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The servant tax is to be found under 'Historical Tax Rolls' at
https://scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/
Regards,
Lesley
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This is the entry, Lesley
https://scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/digital-volumes/historical-tax-rolls/male-servant-tax-rolls-1777-1798/male-servant-tax-rolls-volume-03-1778-9-counties/30
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Lesley,
You might want to check the LDS film for John's birth. I have found Kelso records on the film but do not appear on SP.
Also you seemed to have missed Anne bapt 18 Feb 1820 and Jane was 03 Mar 1818.
Don
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Found the record on Scotland's Places thank you!
I had mixed Anne and Jane/Jean up as I typed them on here! My mistake!
The Robert is definitely a new avenue for us to look down as I don't we had the link of professions/employment before.
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https://www.scottishindexes.com/61transcript.aspx?houseid=73602080
The Isabella Brown here (living at Mellerstain Mill) is Isabella Brownlees b1789 to Alexander Brownlees and Jean Forsyth.
She was a first cousin of the John Burnlees born to George Brownlees and Margaret Marshall. That John married Helen Haldane and died 1856 in Edinburgh. So whilst that's not your John, perhaps the Mellerstain link indicates a connection between the families.
There is a tree on Ancestry.co.uk called the Brownlees of Greenlaw (Descendants of George Brownlees and Margaret Marshall). Perhaps your John's father is somehow related to the George at the top of the tree. Contact the owner if you can extend the tree.
There are also a few Brownlies Brounlies in the index of this book.
https://archive.org/details/householdbookofl00bailrich/page/146
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Found a reference to a Brownlee in relation to Whitburn school, Baillie of Polkemmet was the laird & connected to the Jerviswood Baillies!
Skoosh.
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Hi Bethan, Skoosh - I am just revisiting this thread, re looking at some of the old information, and noticed your posts - thanks for the info I will look into the details you have given