Balmain, Malcolm, William, Walter - Wemyss

[kelly]

Harry,

I believe that Balmain in NSW was named after William Balmain who was born in Rhynd, Perthshire in 1762 and was a naval surgeon and civil administrator who sailed as an assistant surgeon with the First Fleet to establish the first European settlement in Australia. He later took up the appointment of the principal surgeon, for New South Wales.

[hdw]

That's an old thread you've resurrected! My Mary Balmain was married in 1707 to David Anderson, a miner in Methilhill, parish of Wemyss. The miners were still serfs at that date, the property of their masters, in the case of David and their son Murdo Anderson, the property of the Earls of Rothes.

The surname Balmain seems to have been commonest in central and west Fife, and I've never come across a Balmain in east Fife where I was brought up. I doubt if they were related to Perthshire Balmains.

Harry

[hdw]

I checked on Scotlandspeople for births of individuals called Balmain/Balmean/Balmeane in Fife between 1600 and 1700, just to get an idea of the spread.

Balmain 11:- 2 in Torryburn, 2 in Abdie, 6 in Abbotshall parish, Kirkcaldy, 1 in Kinghorn
Balmean 14:- 6 in Largo, 6 in Kirkcaldy, 1 in Kinglassie, 1 in Newburn
Balmeane 11:- 4 in Largo, 7 in Kirkcaldy.

Note that there are none in Wemyss!

I found a Mary Balmean born in Largo in 1679 to John Balmean and his unnamed wife in Balcormo. Funnily enough Balcormo is just down the road from Balmain! This is presumably John "Balmeane" and Euphame Syme who were married in 1678 in Largo.

She might be the Mary who married David Anderson in 1707 in Wemyss parish, my 6 x great-grandparents, ancestors of many Andersons, Horsburghs, Bowmans and others in Pittenweem and beyond.

Harry

[isabelle giroux]

Hi. I write from France. My English is not good, I'm sorry. My name is BALMAIN. In France, all the Balmain come from the village of Saint Sorlin d'Arves in the Alps, in the department of Savoie.  You mention the couturier Pierre Balmain. His grandfather was from Saint Sorlin d'Arves.
I saw on Généanet that in the 1600s there were two areas of settlement of Balmain, A Saint Sorlin d'Arves and in Scotland. I do not know how long ago this emigration took place, whether the Scotch Balmains came from France. What you have heard in your family seems to confirm this. I also saw on the Clan Ramsay website that John Ramsay of Balmain was created Lord Bothwell in 1485. The name Balmain could therefore be ancient in Scotland.
the origin of the name in France comes from Balme, which means cave. The places gave their names to the people, but the people also later gave their names to the places.  I would also be curious to find the links between Savoy and Scotland but if it is very old, it may be difficult. But if there is a search to be made on the spot, which is within my possibilities, I am willing to help you. Goodbye.

[hdw]

Hello Isabelle. Your post is very interesting, but sometimes two words or two names from different languages can look the same, but they are not related. The Scottish place-name Balmain which is the origin of the surname comes from two Gaelic words, "baile" and "meadhon", meaning farm or settlement, and middle. It corresponds exactly in meaning to the English/Scots surname Middleton, i.e. the middle farm or settlement. As in Kate Middleton, our future Queen!

Harry

[isabelle giroux]

Hello Harry
Indeed, we can find the same name with different origins. What prompted me to respond was DollyDebs' post which sais : "My Balmains according to family hearsay, originated in France but I have yet to confirm that link and it seems doubtful that I will be able to."
In the Alps, Balmain is a name that really comes from a single village. it then spread. There is a long tradition of emigration in the Alps and in particular in Saint Sorlin d'Arves. A study was made in 1930 on the population of this village between 1648 and 1758. About 50% of the population was emigrating. At that time it was rather in the bordering regions and in the nineteenth century, there was a wave of emigration much further afield: USA, Canada, Argentina, Mexico, Algeria etc. and even a wave of Savoyard teachers in Russia.
It is possible that DollyDebs' Balmains originated in France, but this does not rule out another Gaelic strain. In France, the name BALMAIN, with this spelling, is specific to St Sorlin d'Arves. It has not undergone any deformation. The other forms that can be found, such as Belmain, Bellemain, do not refer to the same family origin. That's why I was very interested to see your exchanges.
How exciting it all is!
Goodbye
Isabelle

[hdw]

Here is the entry for Balmain from "The Place-Names of Fife". The farm is in the area of central Fife where the surname has always been commonest.

https://fife-placenames.glasgow.ac.uk/placename/?id=1346

Harry

[isabelle giroux]

Hi !
thank you for the link.
Isabelle