Hi Alf D
I think this is how it goes:
1) Sir William RAMSAY 1852, his:
2) Father: William RAMSAY 1812 - at age 40ish married Catherine ROBERTSON, neice of Elizabeth CROMBIE
3) Uncle: Sir Andrew Crombie RAMSAY, Geologist, b 1814
4) Grandfather: William RAMSAY, died 1827, manufacturing Chemist in Glasgow, married 1809 to (2nd cousin?) Elizabeth CROMBIE, (died 1858), dau of Andrew CROMBIE.
5) Gt-Grandfather William RAMSAY Dyer and Clothier in Haddington died bf 18 Jul 1794
(added: Married 1762 to Helen "Nelly CROMBIE (CRUMBIE, CROUMBIE (b 1741-d 1822)
So next, this is William (1) speaking of his family - in this part, of William(4) who is the one you are looking for confirmation of:
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1904/ramsay-lecture.html My grandfather on my father's side, William Ramsay, was a chemical manufacturer in Glasgow; he came of a long line of dyers, who carried on their work in Haddington, a small country town in the east of Scotland. He was the first, I believe, to distil wood for the production of pyroligneous acid; and he purified it by "torrefying" the acetate of lime formed by its neutralization, and distilling with oil of vitriol. He also was the first to manufacture bichrome; and for many years, he and his partners, the Messrs. Turnbull, made "Turnbull's blue".
Taking Bichrome as the clue:
http://www.archive.org/stream/sirwilliamramsay00tildrich/sirwilliamramsay00tildrich_djvu.txt" In the little town of Haddington during last century several
generations of Ramsays carried on the craft of dyers.
"....one of the family, William (by reading the whole thing, this is William 4) by name,
the son and grandson of previous Williams who had been content to pursue their calling
by the banks of the East Lothian Tyne, determined to push his fortune in a wider sphere.
In about 1785 William RAMSAY (4) went to Glasgow and became Junior partner in firm of
Arthur & Turnbull, manufacturers of of wood spirit and pyro- ligneous acid. Also made dyer's chemicals and a variety of prussian blue still known as ' Turnbull's Blue,' And, this firm was the first to manufacture ' chloride of magnesia ' as a bleaching liquor and also ' bichrome.'
It goes on to say that if William RAMSAY (4) had patented some of the processes he invented, he could have been very rich but he thought he had not the right to do this and was content to stay relatively poor.
In 1800 he founded the Chemical Society of Glasgow, and chosen as their first president.
The society was dissolved in abt 1802. William was well known outside of Scotland - attracting foreign chemists to make the journey to visit him there. Long after his death, his widow recieved visits from important men in the field.
He also published papers in the field of experimental investigation:
1. On the Solubility of some of the Earths by means of Sugar.
Nicholson's Journal, 1807.
2. On Culinary Salt, with the means of purifying it from
substances which contaminate its qualities. Highland Society 1 s
Transactions, 1816.
3. On the Antiseptic Power of Pyroligneous Acid. Edinburgh
Philosophical Journal, 1820.
In 1809 William RAMSAY (4) married Elizabeth CROMBIE, dau of Andrew CROMBIE writer of Edinburgh
Issue
Eliza 1810
William 1811 (father of Sir William RAMSAY)
Andrew Crombie 1814
John 1816
There was also some mention on one of those links, that the RAMSAY men of this line tended to die relatively young.
Cheers
AMBLY
