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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Midlothian => Topic started by: Dannemois on Tuesday 23 January 18 11:22 GMT (UK)
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Can someone please help identify witnesses.
On 9th February 1788 Daniel daughter of Alexander Smith workman at Harvieston and Isabel Chisholm his spouse was baptized. Witness George Cranstoun Esq of Dewer and William Robert Cranstoun junior.
I am a direct descendant of Alexander Smith and putting together a family history to hand down to my children. I would would appreciate if possible information and if possible a photograph of one or both witnesses. Just felt a little on the witnesses would enhance the story.
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George Cranstoun Esq of Dewer is listed as a member of the General Asembly, 1797 - 1798.
From :- The Principal Acts of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland ....
Malky
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On 9th February 1788 Daniel daughter of Alexander Smith workman at Harvieston and Isabel Chisholm his spouse was baptized. Witness George Cranstoun Esq of Dewer and William Robert Cranstoun junior. I would would appreciate if possible a photograph of one or both witnesses.
You do realise that both witnesses were probably in their graves before photography became widely available? Wikipedia says, "....1839, a date generally accepted as the birth year of practical photography".
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Sorry; brain not in gear. I will rephrase.
Can someone please Identify who Wm Robert Cranstoun jnr is; I cannot seem to find anything about him.
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If you go to the on-line catalogue of the National Records of Scotland and enter Cranstoun and DewAr in the search box, you will find several documents related to the family.
My 1882 Ordnance Gazeteer says:
Dewar, a hamlet in Heriot parish, Edinburghshire, 6 1/2 miles S of Middleton. Dewar farm, adjacent to the hamlet, contains a spot called the Piper's Grave, traditionally associated with a foolish and fatal exploit of a Peebles piper; and Dewar Hill, not far therefrom, is crowned with a remarkable large stone, called Lot's Wife.
Harvieston, an estate with an old thick-walled mansion, greatly enlarged in 1869, in Borthwick parish, Edinburghshre, 1 mile S by E of Gorebridge. Its owner, George Cranstoun Trotter-Cranstoun (b. 1801; suc. 1838), holds 1652 acres in the shire, valued at £632 per annum, and whose ancestor bought it about the year 1750. Some fragments of the ancient castle of Catcune are within the grounds.