Reading Andrew Greig’s new novel “Rose Nicolson”, the tale of my ancestor

Just blogged this. William Fowler was an ancestor via the Dodds, Somner and Logan lines of my family tree.

Viv's Academic Blog

I recently started reading this novel by Scottish writer Andrew Greig. Set in late 16th century Scotland, it is written in the words of William Fowler, student, poet, and later secretary to Anne of Denmark, Queen of King James VI and I. William Fowler also happens to be my 12xg-grandfather, and someone whose family history I have researched extensively, beyond that published to date.

Reading a good Scottish historical fiction book is always exciting for me. Reading one supposedly written in the words of my ancestor is a step beyond! Early on in the book Fowler starts as a young undergraduate student at St Andrews University, something I would do myself over 400 years later.

Fowler’s family history in the book is problematic for me, with an invented older sister, as well as elimination of at least two surviving Fowler brothers. I have to cut the author some slack though…

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Recording a talk about a Dandie Dinmont Terrier breeder ancestor

Sharing this for my cousins. The dog breeder ancestor was on the Dodds side of my family, so shared with my Lowrie and Blacklock cousins.

Viv's Academic Blog

I was asked a couple of years ago if I’d speak at an event in the Scottish Borders about my ancestor who was a pioneering breeder of Dandie Dinmont Terrier dogs. The event was going to include a walk around Kelso, seeing some of the places associated with my ancestor.

Sadly due to the Covid pandemic the 2020 event was postponed. And then by the time of the 2021 event it was (1) still too risky for immunosuppressed me to attend, and (2) not feasible anyway because of how much my progressive neurological disease had worsened.

Amazingly the event went ahead, despite the ongoing pandemic situation. Events covered three days, at the Haining near Selkirk, Abbotsford near Melrose (little Dandie Dinmont dogs racing!), and Oxnam and Kelso.

I’d recorded a talk about my ancestor and this was part of today’s Kelso events. I put together the slides in PowerPoint on…

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Review of David Dobson’s “Scottish Genealogy: The Basics and Beyond”

Sharing this genealogy book review from my academic blog

Viv's Academic Blog

Titled “Scottish Genealogy: The Basics and Beyond”, its emphasis is very much on the latter aspect, introducing the reader to less commonly used material which can be rich in information for people researching their family trees. The author draws on over fifty years of experience in this field, and is well qualified to write on this topic.

After a brief introduction to the basic Scottish genealogy records (birth, marriage and death certificates, census returns, and old parish registers) it turns to the other less known records. Examples covered (and these are just some of them) include other church records, gravestone inscriptions, statistical accounts, tax records, sasines and land registers, maritime records, burgh records, tracing specific occupations, covenanters, military records, education, poor law records, and emigration. It really is quite an extensive list. In each section there is a brief introduction to the type of record, and then a look at…

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A female ancestor borrowing books in 18th century Haddington

Posted today on my academic blog. This is about my 5xg-granny.

Viv's Academic Blog

It’s International Women’s Day, and the Books and Borrowing 1750-1830 project I’m involved with blogged today about women borrowers in libraries.

I studied such records as part of my PhD examining Scottish reading habits between circa 1750 and 1820. Women are largely hidden as readers in historic library borrowing records, especially in libraries which restricted access to men. But sometimes they show up as borrowers directly, or it is recorded that a book was borrowed on their behalf. Other female members of the family may potentially have read any other book borrowed from the library.

At Haddington’s Gray Library which I studied female borrowers make a prominent appearance, and their borrowing patterns can also be compared with male borrowers at the same time. For example it’s possible to detect that they were borrowing on different days of the week from men, and that they also tended to choose a different…

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Identifying ancestors among the men who signed the 1320 Declaration of Arbroath

Sharing this post from my academic blog. The ancestors are via my Dodds side, going through the Somner line and then various branches back in time. Lots of lines of descent from thereon in.

Viv's Academic Blog

2020 marks the 700th anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath. I originally intended to write a blog post about this in the anniversary month of April, but illness prevented this. But I can do it now, better late than never, and still in time before the end of the 700th anniversary year.

The Declaration of Arbroath was a letter of April 1320, from the Scottish barons to Pope John XXII. It asserts the independence of Scotland, in particular with regard to the threats from England, and asks the Pope for his support and assistance. The letter was drawn up probably at Newbattle, but then written at Arbroath Abbey, the chancery or royal writing house at the time. A particularly famous part of the letter is the following, which is oft cited even to this day, especially in the context of moves for Scottish independence.

As long as but a hundred…

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Smallpox inoculation in late 18th century Melrose

Just shared this on Facebook with my cousins, and sharing here too. Toftfield = Huntlyburn. Recollections of my 6xg-uncle, Andrew Usher at Darnick (born 1782, died 1855) who founded the whisky distilling dynasty in Edinburgh:

“I was born and brought up at Toftfield and the oldest circumstance I remember about that place is that when the doctor came to inoculate the family with the smallpox (vaccination had not then been discovered) as I thought it was something very painful I ran away. My father came after me and when in the act of taking me home his heart failed him and he said to himself ‘What if I should be leading the laddie to his death’ (for children so inoculated not infrequently died) and he set me at liberty again. I was, however, persuaded to go into the house and seeing what a simple matter it turned out to be, I presented my arm to the doctor. It so happened that I was very slightly affected while some of the rest were very ill. I had no fever and kept singing away as usual. One of the servants asked me how I could sing when the rest were so ill. My reply was that I would sing as long as I was able.”

Reflecting on a parser text adventure game I wrote about an ancestor

In the 1590s my 12xg-grandfather Sir Robert Logan of Restalrig hired mathematician and occult practitioner John “Logarithms” Napier to hunt for hidden treasure in Fast Castle in Berwickshire.

I wrote a text adventure based on this true story, filling in the gaps in the record creatively, and entered it into the Spring Thing 2020 interactive fiction competition.

Today I wrote up some thoughts about the development of the game.

The game is freely available online to play via browser or download.

Robert Logan was an ancestor via the Dodds side of my family, via the Somner ancestors of my Melrose gg-granny Catherine Irvine, Mrs Dodds.

A mystery Cavers girl from Selkirk

Here’s a blog post from my Cavers one-name study blog related to my Hawick Cavers ancestry. A very unexpected discovery, solving a mystery in the family tree that had puzzled me for over 30 years.

Cavers One-Name Study Blog

While browsing through the Scottish birth, marriage and death certificates again I looked at the 1861 marriage of “Isabella Scott or Cavers”, a 21-year old mender in a wool hosiery factory, living at 4 Fore Row, Hawick, daughter of Barbara Moyes maiden name Scott. Isabella married wool sorter William Spalding, also aged 21, of Wilton Place, Hawick. Very sadly Isabella died just over a week after her wedding. Her death certificate names just her mother again, no father noted. Who was he?

My working presumption is that he was a Cavers man, hence the two surnames that unmarried Isabella used when she married. Looking in the census finds her mother Barbara (who died in 1869 aged 51) was born at Selkirk. And a bit more digging finds mother and daughter together in the 1841 Selkirk census, living at Edinburgh Road, Selkirk, in the large household of Alexander and Jane Scott…

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Report of an ancestor’s estate garden in 1877 Cumbria

A while ago I found that my gg-grandfather Andrew Kerr had been visited and interviewed about the estate garden he kept at Netherby, just across the border in Cumbria. This was just a few months before he died of tuberculosis, the first of many of his family to die of the disease. I wonder if he knew that he was dying when he gave the garden tour. Anyway it is a lovely insight into a working garden at the time. I am particularly impressed by him growing bananas. Netherby lies right beside the Border with Scotland, so was just about as far north as you could get and still be in England.

From the Carlisle Patriot newspaper, 2 March 1877:

NETHERBY HALL – In the current number of the Journal of Horticulture, Mr James Dickson of Arkleton – who enjoys the proud distinction of “the champion grape-grower” among his brethren – writes an animated and interesting account of the Border land from Langholm to Longtown, ending with a description of the gardens and grounds around the stately seat of the Grahams of Netherby. Discoveries made some time ago show that the Netherby was the site of a permanent Roman station. Along the back of the mansion is a cemented terrace 25 feet broad used as a skating rink, then a grass verge 7 feet wide. A flight of steps down to the flower garden, or “terrace garden” as it is called. This was executed about two years ago, and is in keeping with the mansion. This garden is backed up to the east by woods; to the west and south lies a beautiful lawn studded with magnificent beeches, sycamores, oaks, limes, elms, and Scotch firs. Yet I am told that little more than a century ago there was not a tree to be seen in all the locality. Proceeding from Mr Kerr’s house in the direction of the kitchen garden, and passing many cold frames (which were filled with bedding and other useful plants), we come to a propagating pit, length 27 feet, width 11 feet. This is principally filled with some fine young plants intended for table work. The second house is a quarter-span length 31 feet, width 10 feet. This is used for growing pines, and at the time of my visit there were some very fine fruit in it. The sorts grown are principally Queens with a few Charlotte Rothschilds. Passing from this house you enter the kitchen garden, occupying about two acres surrounded by a good brick wall, which is covered with plum, pear, and cherry trees seeming to thrive pretty well. Vegetables are exceedingly well grown and merit special notice. In this garden stands the principal range of forcing houses. The first of the glass structures we enter is a peach house, length 36 feet, width 15 1/2 feet, filled with healthy fruitful-looking trees. I may mention, that when Mr Kerr entered on his duties as gardener here he was very much annoyed with scale on the peach trees, and after trying many compositions all to no effect, he resolved on trying paraffin oil, two wine-glassfuls to three gallons of water. After mixing it thoroughly wih the water he syringed the whole of the trees with this mixture. The result is, he has never been annoyed with scale since. The next house is a stove, length 44 feet, width 15 1/2 feet, filled with a fine variety of specimens of such plants as crotons, palms, ferns, begonias, dracaenas, bananas, &c., with cissus discolor trained-up the rafters, which has a grand effect. The whole are in perfect health. In passing through this house Mr Kerr gave me what he has found to be an effectual cure for mealy bug. To one pint of water add two tablespoonfuls of paraffin oil. After mixing it well go over the whole of the plant, leaves and branches, with a sponge. The next house is a vinery, length 48 feet, width 21 1/2 feet, in which the vines look remarkably well and bear fine crops of fruit. From this we enter a greenhouse, length 37 feet, width 16 1/2 feet. This house is filled with a miscellaneous lot of plants for house and table decoration. We then come to a vinery, length 41 feet, width 21 1/2, in which are hanging some very fine bunches of grapes. Mr Kerr grows all the leading sorts; his favourites are Black Hamburgh, Muscat Hamburgh, Duchess of Buccleuch, Frakenthal, Chasselas Napoleon, Royal Muscadine, Mrs Pince, Gros Colman, Lady Downe’s Buckland Sweetwater, and Muscat of Alexandria. The next house is also a vinery, length 43 feet, width 15 1/2 feet. The vines in this house also look well. The last of the glass structures is a peach house 44 feet in length and 15 1/2 feet wide, filled with peach and nectarine trees, all in fine condition and bearing remarkable crops of superior fruit. Midway between the house and kitchen garden is a geometrical flower garden, in gravel and edged with fancy tiles. This goes under the name of Lady Graham’s flower garden. It looks well at all times of the year, but decidedly best when gay with tulips, as they show off the figures to the best advantage. In the pinetum are the following trees:- Wellingtonia gigantea, Abies Douglasii, Picea Nordmanniana, nobilis, and Webbiana, Pinus austriaca, and Thujopsis borealis.

1823 inventory of possessions (farming and household) of Robert Ormiston tenant farmer of Drinkstone near Hawick

Recently I discovered that my distant aunt Helen Hall (1792-1858) had been married to Robert Ormiston tenant farmer of Drinkstone north of Hawick. Robert Ormiston died relatively young, in March 1823, just four years after his marriage, leaving his widow to bring up four young sons, including one born less than a month after his father had died.

After his death Robert’s possessions were recorded in the registers of Peebles Commissary Court, and I transcribed this inventory. Because they may be of interest to my cousins, fellow descendants of the Hall family at Wilton Dean, I’m posting the transcript here. Helen Hall, Robert’s widow, was the younger sister of John Hall (1790-1867) who was the grandfather of my gg-granddad Thomas Cavers Hall.

Firstly the inventory recorded the farming side of Robert’s life. Values after each item are amounts of money in pounds, shillings and pence. As the record shows he was mainly a sheep farmer.

List of Farming Stock &c on the Farm of Drinkstone as valued by Mr George Ballantyne Tenant in Essenside and George Hall Tenant in Newhouses per valuation dated 2nd May 1823
7 score & 10 Ewes at 15/ each 112 11 –
14 Do at 11/ Do 7 14 –
5 Score of Dinmonts at 11/ Do 55 – –
5 Score of Hoggs at 8/6 Do 42 10 –
21 Do at 6/6/ Do 6 16 6
4 Tups @ 18/ Do 3 12 –
15 Milk Cows @ 8 8/ Do 126 –
4 two year old queys @ 4 15/ 19 – –
7 Stirks @ 2 3/ Do 15 1 –
2 Work Horses @ £15 Do 30 – –
1 Ditto 3 3 –
A Riding Poney 9 – –
2 Young Horses at £7 10/ each 15 – –
1 Brood Sow 1 10 –
1 Breeding Mare 2 10 –
A Cart & frame 2 – –
Do 3 15 –
Do 1 10 –
A long Cart body 2 – –
An old Do & Wheel barrow – 5 –
Cart Harness 3 – –
2 ploughs & Tackle 2 9 –
4 Harrows @ 2/6 each – 10 –
a pair of Fanners, Riddles, Half full &c – 12 –
A Turnip Drill &c – 15 –
Rakes, pitch Forks Spades &c – 4 –
Riding Saddle Bridles &c – 15 –
===
473 9 –

Then further along in the inventory is a record of Robert’s furniture etc. Note this was incomplete, missing as often happened items such as clothes, and also the books that he almost certainly owned, such as a bible. Nevertheless it is an interesting read.

List of Household Furniture Bed and Table Linen belonging to the said deceased as Valued by James Robson Wright in Hawick and Adam Hart weaver at Lockiesedge per valuation dated the 22nd of March 1823
One closs Bed 2 10 –
Do Do – 10 –
one hanging Do 1 10 –
Two Do Do 2 13 –
A Cupboard 1 1 –
A Press – 7 6
A Clock 5 5 –
Two Tables 1 10 –
A Craddle – 6 –
Fire Irons – 14 –
A Weather Glass – 5 –
Four chairs – 16 –
Ten Do @ 10/6 each 5 5 –
Two chairs – 6 –
Two Beds, a meal ark, two churns and churn standers 2 – –
A Gun 1 10 –
A Table 3 – –
A Meal chest – 8 –
A Cloth Do 1 – –
Two Do Do – 7 6
A Writing Desk – 15 –
A bed and meal chest – 5 –
A press two dressers with crockery ware and four chairs 1 4 –
one Table and resting chair – 7 6
A Brass Kettle 1 10 –
A Copper Do – 2 6
A bake board – 6 –
Five potts 2 5 –
A frying pan, girdle & Boiler – 10 –
Three spinning wheels – 3 –
Twenty one Bowies 1 10 6
Three stools – 7 6
Three Tubs – 5 –
An Iron Beam weights &c – 12 –
A looking Glass – 1 6
23 1/2 pairs of blankets at 5/6 per pair 6 9 3
3 1/2 Do Do 1 5 –
4 Do Do 1 10 6
2 Do Tartan Do at 5/6 – 11 –
4 Do Do Do at 8/ 1 12 –
11 Ticks 2 7 –
4 Bolsters – 6 6
1 Feather Do – 5 6
1 Do Do & 4 feather pillows – 14 6
2 bed covers at 6/ each – 12 –
2 Do Do @ 2/6 – 5 –
2 Table Cloths – 5 –
1 pair of Sheets – 3 6
28 Sacks @ 2/4 each 3 5 4
15 3/4 yds Do – 14 5
===
61 15 –