Cause of Death --- COMPLETED ---

[Johnner Kid]

I'm currently working with Torthorwald OPRs deaths and burials records, to be published soon by DGFHS.
This extract lists the death of a four year old child, James Raining, son of Robert Raining alias Rainwick.
Cause of death " .. eating Wambeck roots in the field."  See clip below --

Does anyone know what Wambeck roots are ?

COMPLETED for the moment, anyway. 
Decided to go with 'Wambeck ?' but have added a note along the lines of the suggestion by Mike that this is llkely an old term, once used locally, for a poisonous weed related to hemlock.

[Mike in Cumbria]

I wonder if is hemlock, which does grow in Dunfriesshire and has poisonous roots

[LoneyBones]

Just wondering if the letter is a P or a C? ... not that it gets me anywhere, still can't find a plant that fits.
Leonie.

[Ruskie]

Hemlock seems to make sense. I would be interested to know if you can see any other examples of a capital letter like that elsewhere in the records - I can't quite see it as an H. 

[Mike in Cumbria]

I can't prove this, but thinking about where it is, and what the child would be doing, my best guess is that this is an archaic local name for water dropwort, which is related to hemlock. It has sweet celery-like roots, and grows along stream sides and in damp fields. It also looks like other edible roots. The roots could have been exposed by ditching work in the field, and the inquisitive, hungry child has tested them, found them sweet, eaten them and died. I know it has a quick effect on cattle

Mike

[Mike in Cumbria]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_dropwort

This link says that there have been human fatalities

[Johnner Kid]

Thanks Mike, Ruskie, Lazybones for your thoughts.
Hemlock, Dropwort and Digitalis all grow in this area.  Today the poisionous, yellow flowering, ragwort also grows in great profusion in fields and along the roadside.  Farmers can be ordered remove it to prevent it spreading to fields with animals.  I suppose it could have been any of these plants that this unfortunate child ate.
The clip show ragwort growing around the one remaining Cruck Cottage in Torthorwald.

[LoneyBones]

Ah then... maybe the plant name is Crambeck. If it's a water weed the term beck would be obvious. Similar to a plant called Chokeweed. Chokeweed in in the ipomia family, many of which have tuberous roots. Some are toxic as it's in the solanum family. Same as potatoes. 
Leonie.

[Ruskie]

I think you might have nailed it Leonie. I can certainly see' Crambeck' ....  there is just the right amount of 'squiggles' for the word to be Crambeck. I've never heard of it (sounds like something out of Harry Potter  .

That is such a beautiful cottage Johnner Kid.