James Renwick, 4th great grandfather

[Ruskie]

On the OPR of the baptism of a son, my 4th great grandfather is cited as James Renwick in Middleburn.  This document is from the year 1790.  Can someone tell me anything about "Middleburn"?

Have you looked for other sons and daughters to see if any of their baptisms mention Mid(dle)burn?

[pelirroja]

Yes, I have checked for the baptism records of the other siblings but no luck finding anything.  Only the baptism of George Renwick exists, fortunately for me.
I haven't tried the BordersFHS yet and you've given me a couple of other suggestions to follow.  I also downloaded Tancred's book and that's valuable for other ancestors of mine.  Thanks again.

[MonicaL]

There are these other christenings, father James, in Hobkirk around the right time as potential siblings to George perhaps?

https://familysearch.org/search/record/results?count=20&query=%2Bsurname%3Arenwick~%20%2Bbirth_place%3Ahobkirk%20%2Bbirth_year%3A1760-1815~%20%2Bfather_givenname%3Ajames~

Monica

[hdw]

Tancred's book mentions my 5 x great-grandfather William Stephenson of Langburnshiels farm in Hobkirk parish. Wm. was a prosperous "store farmer" who found tenancies for his sons William, Joseph and Thomas Stephenson in East Lothian.

Joseph Stephenson was married to a Margaret Renwick, and when he died suddenly in 1803 one of the individuals involved in settling his estate was his brother-in-law George Renwick. Joseph had married Margaret Renwick at Alwinton in north Northumberland and his brother Thomas Stephenson also married his wife Elizabeth Ord there, but whether or not the Stephensons and Renwicks were natives of Alwinton, I don't know. I know Elizabeth Ord was from nearby Sharperton Edge.

William Stephenson senior is also mentioned in Michael J.H. Robson "A Break with the Past: Changed days on two Border sheep farms (Langburnshiels and Riccarton)" (privately published, 1991). Robson researched the members of the Riccarton Mill Club and one was a William Renwick, who "may have been the farmer of that name who was married to Isabella Usher, sister of Thomas Usher, shepherd at Hawthornside. These Renwicks were tenants in Weensmoor in the later nineteenth century."

Harry

[hdw]

See Midburn (sic) on this map to the west of Hobkirk village.

http://www.bordersfhs.org.uk/hobkirk.asp

Harry

[MonicaL]

There farming families were so connected weren't they, Harry.

Beverly, not sure we are going to have much luck with those possible siblings to George  William you discussed and confirmed as brother in this post www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=729163.0

From these discussions, also a consideration that Janet Renwick had married James Grieve. Can't find a death for her post 1855...

Benjamin, who you are aware was likely living with Janet in 1841 and 1851, I think died single in the Jedburgh Poorhouse in 1869. No parents names, Governor reported the death.

Monica

[hdw]

Yes, and page 1 of that George Renwick thread to which you give a link confirms the Renwick-Usher family.

I see I've posted before about my Stephensons. I'll try not to post the same stuff again for a third time!

Harry

[pelirroja]

I see that what I wrote was confusing when I said:
"Yes, I have checked for the baptism records of the other siblings but no luck finding anything."     I meant that I had found no mention of Middleburn / Midburn.

I know who the siblings of George Renwick are, and, Monica, you also found them on FamilySearch.com.  Two of them, William Renwick of 1789 and Janet Renwick of 1792, died in infancy.  Janet Renwick of 1796 did marry James Grieve and I have her OPR death certificate.  I know about Benjamin and William of 1794 left no death certificate.  Also most of this is mentioned in the Tancred book.

A year ago I thought that my William Renwick of 1794 had married Isabella Usher so a local genealogist researched (for a fee) the issue and determined it was a different William Renwick.  Sure becomes convoluted!

I'll look again at the links and send an email to Bordersfhs seeking info, and I did learn a little more about my 4th great-grandfather, James Renwick.  You are an awesome group of people and special thanks to you, Monica.