William Runciman1
(circa 1804 - 28 Dec 1858)
Father* | Thomas Runciman (m. Jean SIMPSON)2 (circa Jul 1762 - bet. 1841 - 1851) |
Mother-Poss* | Jean Simpson2 (bet. 1756 - 1761 - bet. 1841 - 1851) |
Intro
Does a tailor become a hind? Are there two families here or one?With the differences in occupation I had doubts about my identification of these family connections, however "reasonable" they seemed when I first made them.
My answer is now yes, as at least the son of a taylor does indeed become a hind/land steward. I had the answer all along, the death cert. of son John clearly shows his father (John married to Marion Weatherly) as a land steward.
The tailor connection:
1783: Thomas Runciman and Jean Simpson marry in Haddington, Thomas a taylor, (recorded in the Dunbar OPR)
1784: John, son of Thomas and Jean (Simpson), taylor at Broxburn born/baptised
This John is linked to the one married to May/Marion Weatherly through the latter 's marriage which gives John's father as Thomas, albeit with no occupations listed for either father or son.
An earlier Thomas was a tailor, eg 1770 bap. Alexander s/o Thomas and Barbara Wallis - which latter surname features as a witness somewhere (yet to be refound)
The farming connections (which may or may not indicate a different family despite the same wife's names):
1798: at Crawhill: a son George born to Thomas a hind.
1808 Isabella born to John and May (Weatherly) which may be the link crossing the boundary between tailor Thomas and hind Thomas.
1871 death of John son of John and Marion (Weatherly) in Edinburgh, father John shown as a land steward, deceased.
1869 Robert (married to Agnes King) is linked because his death cert states his father as Thomas, ag labourer, but mother not named
1885 Thomas (married to Mary Redpath) is linked because his death cert states his parents as Thomas, general labourer, and Jane, albeit without a surname for Jane.
Alexander (married to Joan Manderson) is linked to farming Thomas by naming pattern of his children, and because a Thomas, hind was witness to several of his children's baptisms, at Mickle Pinkerton, which place features in several earlier entries in the Dunbar OPRs, eg birth of George 1734 to Thomas and Helen (Stevensone).
Alexander, possibly this one, is linked as witness to marriage of John and Marion Weatherly at Oldhamstocks (banns Innerwick where father Thomas was cautioner for the groom)
Once Alexander is linked in, this also links in the George married to Janet Darling, as their respective children Agnes and George are documented on their 1861 marriage cert as first cousins.
With large gaps in the known children for George and Janet there was room to fit in a son Thomas, who has now been found (died Edinburgh 1877) to add naming pattern into the evidence for the prosecution
Until I found the Crawhill connection I was coming to the conclusion that there were two families, but even with the Crawhill connection between Alexander's and John's families, it still isn't really "proof" that they are one family but could be indicative of two Johns, one son of the tailor, the other married to May Weatherly.3,4,5
BDMs
William Runciman was born circa 1804 Dunbar, ELN, SCT

William Runciman married Janet Paxton, daughter of John Paxton and Margaret Morrison, say 1825 ?ELN, SCT, not immediately obvious ELN/BEW, earliest recorded child 1829 Thomas, N Berwick.1,2
William Runciman died on 28 Dec 1858 Brewery, Par. of Borthwick, MLN, SCT; cert. shows William as 55, farm servant, married (no wife shown, Janet had died 3 yrs prior); d. 3am of cancer of stomach; s/o Thomas RUNCIMAN farm serv and Christina m.s. SIMPSON (neither shown as dec'd); Bur. Borthwick burying ground; Inf. son Thomas; Reg. 30th.2,1
Census
William Runciman appeared on the census of 7 Jun 1841 Bonnington, Par. of North Berwick, ELN, SCT, with Janet Paxton, as RUNCIMAN: William 35 ag l; Janet 35 ; Assumed children: Thomas 15 Ag L, John 12, William 8, George 6, Margaret 6 mos all b ELN (NB enumerators were instructed to round ages down to the nearest multiple of 5.)7William Runciman appeared on the census of 1851 Dirleton Station, Kingston, Par. of Dirleton, ELN, SCT, with Janet Paxton, enumerated as RUNCIMAN: William 47 farm serv b Dunbar; wife Janet (PAXTON) 49 b Gifford, Haddington; Children: Thomas 25 farm lab b Athelstanford, Haddington; George 16 farm lab, Margaret 9 scholar both b N Berwick.1
Names/other info
William Runciman was the informant for the death of his wife Janet Paxton on 21 Jan 1855 Congalten? Mains, Par. of Dirleton, ELN, SCT.1,8DNA Info
William belongs to a tested line in the RUNCIMAN Surname DNA Project. Follow this link for further DNA information.Summary
Current research indicates that the only line that looks like still having direct male line RUNCIMANs available for representation in the DNA project to solve the above conundrum is that already in the project.9Links
Click here to see William's page on WikiTree, a (free) collaborative on-line tree.10Family | Janet Paxton (circa 1802 - Jan 1855) |
Children |
Citations
- [S203] 1851 Census transcripts, Scotland, via Ancestry.com, Kingston, Par. of Dirleton, ELN Par. 705 ED 3 Pg 4 Sched 9, hsehold of William RUNCIMAN & Janet PAXTON, extracted Mar 2010.
- [S56] Scottish BMDB entries (from 1855), http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.php, Dth 28 Dec 1858 William RUNCIMAN, reg. Par. of Borthwick, MLN, 674/00 Pg 10 #30, copy d/loaded Jun 2010.
- [S3] Lorna Henderson, "RUNCIMAN Analysis", Apr 2010.
- [S56] Scottish BMDB entries (from 1855), http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.php, Dth 1871 John RUNCIMAN, Dist 685/2 Pg 102 #304, Edinburgh St Andrew, MLN, copy d/loaded Apr 2007.
- [S15] RUNCIMAN DNA Project online at http://dnasurnames.info/lineages/spRUNCIMANLineages.htm, Oct 2011.
- [S15] RUNCIMAN DNA Project online at http://dnasurnames.info/lineages/spRUNCIMANLineages.htm, Apr 2010, updated Mar 2012 and Jun 2016.
- [S201] 1841 Census transcripts, Scotland, via Ancestry.com, Bonnington, Par. N Berwick, ELN Par. 713 ED 3A Pg 4, hsehold of William & Janet RUNCIMAN, extracted Mar 2010.
- [S56] Scottish BMDB entries (from 1855), http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.php, Dth 21 Jan 1855 Janet PAXTON, wife/o William RUNCIMAN, reg. Par. of Dirleton, Haddingtonshire (ELN), 705/00 Pg 2 #4, copy d/loaded Jun 2010.
- [S3] Lorna Henderson, "RUNCIMAN Analysis", Mar 2012.
- [S3217] WikiTree online at http://WikiTree.com/, Oct-11.
- [S2562] Ros Runciman, "RUNCIMAN Corres.," e-mail to Lorna Henderson, Birth 19 Apr bap. 10 May 1829 John s/o William RUNCIMAN & Janet PAXTON, Nth Berwick OPR rcvd/extracted Jun 2010.
- [S2903] Lawrence FLETCHER, "RUNCIMAN/WISHART/JAMIESON Corres. ex Lawrence F," e-mail to Lorna Henderson, Marr. 3 Jun 1856 William RUNCIMAN & Catherine GARDNER, Whitburn, Linlithgow 673 #7, copy rcvd Mar 2010.
- [S2562] Ros Runciman, "RUNCIMAN Corres.," e-mail to Lorna Henderson, Transcr. Birth 25 Sep bap. 30th Sep 1832 William s/o William RUNCIMAN & Janet PAXTON, Nth Berwick OPR rcvd/extracted Jun 2010.
- [S2903] Lawrence FLETCHER, "RUNCIMAN/WISHART/JAMIESON Corres. ex Lawrence F," e-mail to Lorna Henderson, Dth 17 Sep 1912 William s/o William RUNCIMAN & Margaret (sic) PACKSTON, wid/o Catherine GARDNER, Dist of Whitburn, WLN 673/01#37, copy rcvd Feb 2010.