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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Berwickshire => Topic started by: puzzlnut on Tuesday 01 June 10 23:53 BST (UK)
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Simpson Buglass (1824 - 1897) is my GG grandfather. My mother said he was head gardener at - I believe - Ayton House and I've found references to him in a couple of online books as a bit of a naturalist. His daughter, Agnes Buglass (1859 - 1935), my mother said, was housekeeper at the same Ayton House and a beautiful christening robe was given to her by her employers when she left. We still have it in the family.
Is there any way to verify this information? And do I have the name Ayton House correctly?
Of course, I've got the pertinent census documents and while I'm able to take the family waaaaaay back, it's all just data and very little anecdotal information.
I'd be grateful if anyone could put some colour on my family tree! My mother's mother burned nearly all the family photographs when she emigrated to Canada as an elderly lady thinking it was just so much baggage!
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Hi,
This is all I can find in Ayton M.I.s,
In memory of Elizabeth Buglass eldest daughter of Simpson Buglass Ayton who died 18/11/1868 aged 21 years, Also son died in infancy. Also Jane Renton his wife who died 26/2/1880 aged 55 years. Also the above Simpson Buglass born 7/3/1824 died 15/1/1897. Also James Buglass eldest son of the above who died 6/8/1940 aged 88 years. Also Margaret Aitchison wife of James Buglass who died 1/2/1944 aged 81 years.
But according to the 1851 census only Simpson was in Ayton at Ayton House shown as married 27 Labourer Lodger Ayton House.
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It's an unusual surname, so you might like to know that a Dan Buglass (1945-2009) was rural affairs editor of the "Scotsman". His obituary was published in the paper on 2nd November 2009 and you can read it online. I tried to give a link to it here but it didn't work. The obit. says he was brought up on his parents' farm near Hawick.
Harry
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That's interesting about Simpson living alone in the 1851 census. I checked my records and hadn't noticed! He married Jane Renton in January 1847 and their first child, Elizabeth was born in November the same year. (records on Scotland's People) Jane wasn't with her parents in the 1851 Census, so I'll have to do some digging to see where she and Elizabeth actually were. Thanks for bringing that to my attention, Beckey.
As for the name, the baptismal record I found shows him as Simpson Bookless, but by the time he was married, it was written as Simpson Buglass, with Peter Buglass (probably his older brother) as witness. And of course the name can be spelled any number of ways when you go back, although OPR's I found have it as Bookless. I'll look into Dan Buglass' obit - thanks, Harry
I do have an interesting story about the Buglasses (or Booklesses). Simpson's daughter, Agnes, was sure there was aristocracy in the background because she had long, elegant hands so she had a cousin do some research for her. He went back to the 1870's and found the Border Almanac which detailed in an article entitled "80 years since" the less-than-legal" activities of 3 of her 3xgreat uncles. We thought it was just one of those family stories but it's true because I found the article! Unfortunately, she stopped the research. The aristocracy was there, though, but isn't it behind nearly all Scots!
I do wonder where the name Simpson came from - it was given to his grandson, my grandfather - as I haven't come across it anywhere else.
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Found Jane Renton Buglass 1851 census in Ayton with daughter Elizabeth - "day labourer's wife". Simpson was at Ayton House as "labourer lodger Ayton House".
Dan Buglass could be related, but probably distantly. No Andrews (his grandfather) in my direct background. But thanks for the heads up, Harry. The love of land, nature and learning are certainly there in my mother's family.
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I see that another of your interests is HENDERSON in Northumberland. Not in Allendale, by any chance?
Harry
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Northumberland, yes. But the Hendersons came from Ford. My grandfather, Simpson Buglass Henderson, was born in Newcastle Upon Tyne, the only child of Thomas Brown Henderson's second marriage to Agnes Buglass. Before that, Thomas Brown was married to Janet Nisbet of Ayton and had 4 children with her. He was a plasterer and slater, and was born in Ford to John Henderson and Margaret Brown. My mother said there was lots of family in Ford, but I haven't been able to trace any further back than that. I'll have to check my map to see where Allendale is!
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Hi puzlenut,
www.maxwellancestry.com/census 1861 shows a George and Margrey Buglass (Master Tailor) with a son Simpson. May be a conection.
Found the others in 51 under Buglas
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Hi, Beckey
I checked out the link you gave me (thanks, by the way - I wasn't aware of this one) and found the family you talked about. HAS to be a connection - George and Margrey's children have all the family names that are in my Buglass background. George would be my Simpson's brother who was born in 1821 and would have been 40 in the 1861 census. I should now check Scotland's People for the name Simpson as I did for another unusual name on my father's side - Quentin.
Thanks Beckey! Good find.
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I see that another of your interests is HENDERSON in Northumberland. Not in Allendale, by any chance?
Harry
It's a long story, but my wife has a cousin in England whose family tradition is that their Henderson ancestors were Scots. I did some research for this lady and found her grandfather Edward Percy Henderson as a young man in the late 19th-century censuses, and he did indeed give "Scotland" as his place of birth. However, there is no trace of his birth/baptism in the Scottish records. As Edward Percy Henderson later built himself a house called "Allendale", I looked for someone of that name in Northumberland and found an Edward P. Henderson of the right age, with parents called John and Mary - the names on Edward's two marriage-certificates - living in Allendale. So I don't understand why he tried to make out he was born in Scotland.
I'm a Scot myself, born and bred, but one line of my family-tree comes from Alwinton in north Northumberland. I visited the place for the first time only a few weeks ago, although I started researching my Alwinton ancestors in the 1980s. I get there in the end!
Harry
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Hi puzzlenut,
Found this one among my death certs., may be a connection somewhere.
John Prentice Buglass 12/1/1887 at Ayton age 2, John Prentice Buglass, Master Tailor & Mary Ann nee Taylor, scarlet fever 14 days, present. John Prentice Buglass,father.
At least it looks like prentice.
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Hi, Beckey
There has to be a relationship there somewhere. I'm thinking that John Buglass was probably my Simpson's nephew - or more possibly grand-nephew. Thanks for the information - I'll check into it. Is this Buglass a relation of yours?
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Not that I know off.
But am looking at a David Buglass/Bookless at Coldingham, wife Mary Herriot, son James ca.1819 married a Janet hay in 1841, parents of her are James Heay and Janet Henderson.
James's daughter was Jeannie/Jane Henderson Buglass, married a David Aitchison in Eyemouth 1874, in my wife's tree.
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From the sound of it, your wife has Hendersons and Buglasses in her background, too. My Thomas Brown Henderson had a sister Jane that would be the right age to be the mother of Jeannie/Jane Henderson Buglass. Of course, here my imagination is running wild - but then what brought Thomas Brown Henderson to Ayton in the first place - and marrying 2 Ayton brides? Perhaps his sister??? Ah, speculation!
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At the moment all the Buglass/Bookless seem to be in Coldingham, have got to David's parents Peter & a Janet Cow and Mary Herriott to a James Herriot & Alison Martin, they are on LDS.
David and Mary are in Coldingham in 1861.
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Peter Buglass and Janet Cow are in my background. They are the parents of James who is Simpson's father. I saw the pedigree for that family on the LDS site but didn't entirely trust it until I found James' marriage record on Scotland's People to Margaret Nisbet in 1812 showing Peter Buglass of Coldingham as his father. James (Simpson's father) was child #5 in that family and David #6 - of the children I know about. It was Peter's 3 siblings who were written up in the Border Almanac so if this is your wife's background, she's got this story, too! If you want a copy of this, let me know. I'm sure your wife will find it amusing!
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My Greig ancestors also lived in Ayton and one married a Buglass.
I have followed the Buglass family as a result via the census returns and BMD records and may be able to help with your research.
Let me know if you are interested.
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I'm always interested! If you follow the Buglass line, my family goes like this: Agnes Buglass -> Simpson Buglass -> James Bookless -> Peter Bookless -> John Bookless -> John Bookless. The last John Bookless was born 1699 in Coldingham.
I have wives for each of the Buglass/Bookless men - and of course, my great-grandmother, Agnes's husband.
The second John Bookless is as far back as I've managed with the Booklesses/Buglasses, but his wife, Margaret Richardson, allows me to go much father back.
Does your family fit in here somehow?
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Marjory Greig (daughter of my Grt x 4 Grandfather) married George Buglass in Ayton.
George Buglass was the brother of Simpson Buglass (gardener). Their parents were James Buglass & Margaret Nisbet.
Are we allowed to post e-mail adresses on this forum?
If so, I will post mine so you can contact me directly and I can send you details of how the Greig's fit in and compare research notes.
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You send a personal message with an e-mail address. Which I'll do!
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Hi, I am Simpson Buglass's 3xgt grandson. I have some info. What are you missing?
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Hello cousin!
I guess mainly I'd like to know more about the estate that he was head gardener at. I'll have to read through this thread again to see exactly what was on it. I'd also love to know if there are any family photographs as my grandmother destroyed all her husband's family pictures before she emigrated to Canada. She was in the beginning stages of dementia. I have one picture of his daughter, Agnes, as an old woman and that's it.
Thanks so much for getting in touch
Pat
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I have no family photos from then. But i have been in touch with Ayton Castle estate to see if i could access estate records which should include photographs of the staff and i am currently trying to sort this out. Their Simpson Buglass was a bit of a character it would seem and he had a fairly impressive grave stone erected and paid for out of public subscription. I have a photo of it somewhere, would you like a copy? I also have a copy of his article on lepidopterae which he contributed to the Berwickshire Naturalists Society and also I think, his obituary. Is your Buglass family tall? I am 6'4", my grandfather James Buglass was 6'2" as was his father Simpson Buglass, son of the Ayton Simpson. Want to see my family tree? I am interested in your findings on Buglass antecedents from before James Buglass/ Margaret Nisbet
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I've also a done Y chromosome DNA analysis on myself to see if the Buglass name came in from an exotic source. My male antecedents walked north at the end of the last ice age and were the first people to colonise Scotland. So unless there was any "wrong side of the bed covers nonsense" (always possible) then all my Buglass male antecedents are 100% Caledonian Scots. I have been told that I have the same genetic markers as the Picts including genes for red hair.
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I've also a done Y chromosome DNA analysis on myself to see if the Buglass name came in from an exotic source. It turns out that my male antecedents walked north at the end of the last ice age and were the first people to colonise Scotland. So unless there was any "wrong side of the bed covers nonsense" (always possible) then all my Buglass male antecedents are 100% Caledonian Scots. I have been told that I have the same genetic markers as the Picts, including genes for red hair.
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I have no family photos from then. But i have been in touch with Ayton Castle estate to see if i could access estate records which should include photographs of the staff and i am currently trying to sort this out. Their Simpson Buglass was a bit of a character it would seem and he had a fairly impressive grave stone erected and paid for out of public subscription. I have a photo of it somewhere, would you like a copy? I also have a copy of his article on lepidopterae which he contributed to the Berwickshire Naturalists Society and also I think, his obituary. Is your Buglass family tall? I am 6'4", my grandfather James Buglass was 6'2" as was his father Simpson Buglass, son of the Ayton Simpson. Want to see my family tree? I am interested in your findings on Buglass antecedents from before James Buglass/ Margaret Nisbet
The 1891 Census for Colinton, Midlothian lists a Simpson Burglass, born at Ayton, Berwickshire, Scotland in 1852. At the date the census was taken, he was living with sons George, Andrew and James, together with his mother in law, Ann Joiner.
Assuming there is a connection, do yo have any information on George you might wish to share?
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Hello Glenman,
Welcome to RootsChat :)
I am sorry but we have been unable to contact SimpsonBuglass1952, he was using his employer email address but has now moved jobs - hopefully Pat is still in touch.
Regards
Sarah