Fifeshire Cavalry

[Skoosh]

Lizzie, I don't think that was the case. Scotch gardeners were knowledgeable and much sought after elsewhere in Britain. Accommodation would have been provided. A head gardener would often be responsible for a large staff and supply the house with fruit, veg & flowers. They often competed at local shows for their masters. Nobody can afford this nowadays.
 The commercial forestry which now dominates our landscape is the result of expeditions abroad involving guys who were once just gardeners.

Skoosh.

[hdw]

My wife is a bit of an authority on this subject, having taken up volunteer guiding in the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh as her retirement project. She has been studying garden history, and Scottish gardeners were in great demand by the owners of stately homes all over Britain as they were literate and intelligent and up to speed with the latest developments in horticulture. Many of the early plant collectors, e.g. Forrest and Douglas (of Douglas Fir fame) were also Scots.

Harry

[LizzieW]

Thank you Skoosh and Harry. 

Of course, I only know that my 3 x g.grandfather was a gardener at the time of his death as were a couple of his sons, so as the baptism I found has a father who was a gardener I thought there might be a connection.

I did find out that men were asked to join the Militia through a ballot and if they didn't want to go, they had to pay someone else to take their place.  If this was the case, then I suppose a gardener, although valued in the gardens, would not have had enough money to pay for a substitute.

Unfortunately, as my ancestor died in 1829, that is too early to be able to follow his career as a gardener either before or after he left Scotland.  His occupation was shown in the parish records.

Lizzie

[Skoosh]

Lizzie, have a crack at the Scottish National Archives,   http://www.nas.gov.uk/onlineCatalogue
don't be too specific, you might be lucky. Newspapers of the time also carried Horticultural Show prizewinners.

Skoosh.

[LizzieW]

Skoosh

Thanks, for the link.  I'll see what I can find. 

Lizzie

[Clairebear1980]

Hi Lizzie,

I have just discovered that Charles Gilchrist & Catherine Robinson are my great x 5 grandparents.  I have no further information to help with what you are looking for but wondered if you had any joy with finding out any further information about the Fifeshire Cavalry?

Regards
Claire

[LizzieW]

Hi Claire

Welcome to Rootschat.

No, I didn't find out any more info about the Fifeshire Cavalry than I already had.

Which of Charles and Catherine's children are you descended from?   Four of their children lived to adulthood and married, Charles 1800-1867, John 1804-1873 (my 3 x g.grandfather, Anne 1808=1874 and Catherine 1812-1895.

Lizzie

ps.  If you need any info about your ancestors I have loads.

[Clairebear1980]

Hi Lizzie,

I sent an email to the National  Archives of Scotland yesterday on the off chance they might have any info on the Fifeshire Cavalry.  I am guessing you may have already done this. 

I descend from Ann Gilchrist too and her illegitimate daughter Mary. 

Regards
Claire

[LizzieW]

Hi Claire

I'm not descended from Anne, I should have put a bracket after g.grandfather!  I'm descended from John.

No I've not contacted National Archives of Scotland, I hope you get lucky there, as I'd like to know more about Charles Gilchrist's background before he joined the militia - if they have it in Scotland.   

I didn't get the info myself that I have on the Fifeshire Cavalry, Bruce Gilchrist who was born in England but lives in USA, researched the info a few years ago.  Do you have a copy of the book The Descendants of Charles Gilchrist and Catherine Robinson Married in Boston, Lincolnshire, compiled by Bruce Gilchrist?  There are 206 Pages covering just Anne and her descendants alone up to 2004!  I don't know where you live, but there is a copy of the book in Boston Library, Lincs.  He also printed an addendum a couple of years after the original book with more information that he had researched or had been sent to him.  I know he was collecting more information to put on a CD but he has been ill and is also aged 82 now so I'm not sure the CD will be forthcoming.

At the beginning of the book where Bruce has info about Charles and Catherine, he talks about the payroll records of the Fifeshire Cavalry which are in Kew.  He has also found letters regarding the formation of the Fifeshire Cavalry that are in Kew ref WO4/152, WO4/157 p 337, WO1/1094, WO (no ref dated 27 June 1795) which are printed in the book.

I met Bruce when he came over to the UK about 2003 and took him to meet my mother so he could hear, first hand from her, about information he had found out and fill in the gaps he'd missed.   He's met hundreds of Gilchrist ancestors and visited over 50 libraries as well as buying 1000s of birth, marriage and death certs.  I bought lots of them relating to my family from him a few years ago.  The amount of research Bruce did is absolutely staggering but what is in the book up to 2004 only took him 14 years, travelling to UK from USA and visiting 100s of Gilschrist ancestors, he has photographs, newspaper reports of births, marriages and deaths and tragic accidents such as drownings at sea, etc.

I have a copy of the book compiled by Bruce Gilchrist, so if there are any gaps in your research I can probably help out. 

Lizzie