James Runciman (father of the artists)1,2

(circa Dec 1688 - Mar 1751)
Father*James Runseman3,4 (say 1660 - )
Mother*Martha Ferriar3,4 (say 1660 - )

BDMs

     James Runciman (father of the artists) was born circa Dec 1688 Bristo, Edinburgh St Cuthberts, MLN, SCT.4 He was baptized on 23 Dec 1688 Edinburgh St Cuthberts, MLN, SCT; Entry reads: "Eodem die James Runchiman and Martha Ferrier in Bristo had a son baptized named James witnessed James waterston William Lillie Tho: Mat?ie" (which witnesses weren't involved in the neighbouring entries, so are assumed to have significance.)4
     James Runciman married Mary Smith on 7 Nov 1735 Kilwinning, AYR, SCT, entry reads: "James Runciman Wright in Edinr & Mary Smith in this Paroch gave in their Names on Saturday Octbr 25th and after Proclamation were married on friday November 7th."2,5,6
     James died in Mar 1751 Edinburgh, MLN, SCT.7 He was buried on 28 Mar 1751 Canongate, Par. of Edinburgh, MLN, SCT, entry reads: "Jam Runciaman Wright (buried) in Jacks B Pl decay 63."7
Although the James born in 1688 to James Runciaman, wright in Bristo would appear to be on the verge of being to old to be the James, wright and architect, known to be the father of artist siblings Alexander and John, it is believed that his wife, Margaret, or Mary, was about 12 years younger than he.
Although there isn't a full paper trail between the siblings shown here there is sufficient evidence to conclude that they are one and the same family.
Alexander's baptism shows his father as James Wright in Edinburgh in his baptism, mother Marg: (sic, ie Margaret). Witnesses: "John Jack Baillie of Canongate And Geo: Willson Chyrurgeon there"
He is apprenticed to Robert NORRIE painter, as son of James wright in Edinburgh.
Eleanora's baptism shows her parents as James RUNCIAMAN, architect, and Mary (sic) SMITH, with witnesses: "John Jack Sclater in Canongate and James Norie Painter in Edinr"
John's baptism unhelpfully doesn't name his mother, but does give his father's occupation as architect, and the witnesses were "John Jack Slater and late Baillie in Can: and Geo Willson Surgeon and present Baillie there"
Between Eleanora and John's baptisms there is a Jean buried, age unknown, but daughter of James wright in Edinburgh, so architect and wright would appear not to be mutually exclusive occupations.
With the lead that Alexander's mother "Marg:" might actually be Mary, Alan found their marriage in Ayr, thank you Alan.
He also found a couple of snippets that show that Alexander did actually have a son - John, a silversmith in London - but was he a RUNCIMAN and what happened to him? Love to hear from anyone with information on this.8,9,10,11

Names/other info

     In 1688 his surname was recorded as Runchiman.4 In 1736 his surname was recorded as Runciaman.5,12

Family

Mary Smith (circa 1706 - circa Sep 1777)
Children
Last Edited8 Sep 2014

Citations

  1. [S16] Lorna Henderson, "RUNCIMAN One Name Study", Added Feb 2010.
  2. [S3088] Gail Nicholls-Runciman, "RUNCIMAN Correspondence," e-mail to Lorna Henderson, Family of James & Margaret (SMITH) RUNCIMAN, rcvd Feb 2010.
  3. [S1597] FamilySearch Labs Record Search (LDS) online at http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch/, Bap. 23 Dec 1688 James s/o James RUNCHIMAN & Martha FERRIER, St Cuthberts, Edin., MLN, from Scotland, Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950 batch C11986-4 film 1066752, extracted May 2013.
  4. [S55] Scottish BMDB entries (to 1854), http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.php, Bap. 23 Dec 1688 James s/o James RUNCHIMAN & Martha FERRIER, St Cuthberts, Edin, 685/03 0220 0099 Canongate, copy rcvd from Alan R, May 2013.
  5. [S55] Scottish BMDB entries (to 1854), http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.php, Birth 15 Aug Bap. 22 Aug 1736 Alexander s/o James RUNCIAMAN (wright in Edinr) & Margaret SMITH, Canongate Par, MLN 685/003 0080 0244, copy d/loaded Feb 2010.
  6. [S55] Scottish BMDB entries (to 1854), http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.php, Marr. 7 Nov 1735 James RUNCIMAN & Mary SMITH, Kilwinning, AYR, 599/00 0030 0019, copy rcvd from Alan R, May 2013.
  7. [S55] Scottish BMDB entries (to 1854), http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.php, Bur. 28 Mar 1751 Jam RUNCIAMAN, aged 63, wright of Edin, 685/03 0220 0099 Canongate, copy rcvd from Alan R, May 2013.
  8. [S55] Scottish BMDB entries (to 1854), http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.php, Birth 13th Bap. 18th Jul 1742 Eleanora d/o James RUNCIAMAN (architect in Canongate) & Mary (sic) SMITH, Canongate Par, MLN 685/030 0080 0307, copy d/loaded May 2013.
  9. [S16] Lorna Henderson, "RUNCIMAN One Name Study", Feb 2010, updated May 2013.
  10. [S55] Scottish BMDB entries (to 1854), http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.php, Birth 28 Aug Bap. 4 Sep 1744 John s/o James RUNCIAMAN (architect in Edinr) , Canongate Par, MLN 685/030 0080 0333, copy d/loaded May 2013.
  11. [S55] Scottish BMDB entries (to 1854), http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.php, Birth 15 Aug Bap. 22 Aug 1736 Alexander s/o James RUNCIAMAN (wright in Edinr) & Marg: SMITH, Canongate Par, MLN 685/003 0080 0244, copy d/loaded Feb 2010.
  12. [S1597] FamilySearch Labs Record Search (LDS) online at http://search.labs.familysearch.org/recordsearch/, Birth 28 Aug Bap. 4 Sep 1744 John s/o James RUNCIAMAN, Canongate, Edin., MLN, from Scotland, Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950 batch C11999-6 film 1067741, extracted May 2013.
  13. [S3089] Edinburgh - Register of Apprentices, 1701-1755: Apprenticeship 4 Apr 1750 Alexr RUNCIMAN, s. to James R., freeman wright in Portsburgh, p. to Robert Norrie & Coy, painters, Book 1837, index entry extracted Feb 2010.
  14. [S55] Scottish BMDB entries (to 1854), http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/index.php, Bur. 22 Apr 1744 Jean d/o James RUNSIMAN, wright, (no age given) Canongate, Edin. 685/03 0220 0009, copy rcvd from Alan R, May 2013.
 
  • Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.

    — Abraham Lincoln
  • My formula for living is quite simple. I get up in the morning and I go to bed at night. In between, I occupy myself as best I can.

    — Cary Grant
  • Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested and the frog dies of it.

    — E. B. White
  • I'm living so far beyond my income that we may almost be said to be living apart.

    — e. e. cummings
  • What then is time? If no one asks me, I know what it is. If I wish to explain it to him who asks, I do not know.

    — Saint Augustine
  • Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.

    — Mark Twain
  • If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer.

    — Henry David Thoreau
  • If two things look the same, look for differences. If they look different, look for similarities.

    — John Cardinal
  • In theory, there is no difference. In practice, there is.

    — Anonymous
  • Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.

    — John Adams
  • People who like this sort of thing will find this the sort of thing they like.

    — Abraham Lincoln
  • History - what never happened described by someone who wasn't there

    — ?Santayana?
  • What's a "trice"? It's like a jiffy but with three wheels

    — Last of the Summer Wine
  • Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened

    — Terry Pratchett
  • I'll be more enthusiastic about encouraging thinking outside the box when there's evidence of any thinking going on inside it.

    — Terry Pratchett
  • .. we were trained to meet any new situation by reorganising; and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illuson of progress

    — Petronius (210 BC)
  • The time we have at our disposal every day is elastic; the passions that we feel expand it, those that we inspire contract it; and habit fills up what remains

    — Proust
  • So just as it is not the desire to become famous but the habit of being laborious that enables us to produce a finished work, so it is not the activity of the present moment but wise reflexions from the past that help us to safeguard the future

    — Proust "Within the Budding Grove"
  • You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.

    — William J. H. Boetcker
  • Only a genealogist thinks taking a step backwards is progress

    — Lorna
  • No man ever believes that the Bible means what it says: He is always convinced that it says what he means.

    — George Bernard Shaw
  • A TV remote is female: It easily gives a man pleasure, he'd be lost without it, and while he doesn't always know which buttons to push, he just keeps trying.

    — Anon
  • Hammers are male: Because in the last 5000 years they've hardly changed at all, and are occasionally handy to have around.

    — Anon
  • The right thing to do is to do nothing, the place to do it is in a place of concealment and the time to do it is as often as possible.

    — Tony Cook "The Biology of Terrestrial Molluscs"
  • All that mankind has done, thought, gained or been: it is lying as in magic preservation in the pages of books.

    — Thomas Carlyle "The Hero as Man of Letters"