James Geddie (1780 - 1873)

Born 7 Jul 1780 in Garmouth, Parish of Speymouth, Moray, Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Margaret (Gilbert) Geddie — married 1 Jun 1806 in Keith, Banffshire

Husband of Mary-Anne Stuart (McKandy) Gilbert — married 29 Mar 1853 in Garmouth, Moray, Scotland

Died 25 Jul 1873 at age 93 in Garmouth, Moray, Scotland

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Biography

In a part of the world where several small shipyards were producing a good tonnage of ships each year, it was a wise choice to become a timber merchant. Though the wisdom of that choice might have seemed questionable to James on the night of the "Muckle Spate", or Great Flood of August 30th, 1829 as Kingston was inundated. As described by Dick Lauder, p 10 of Jim Skelton's book "Speybuilt: the story of a forgotten industry" James, along with three of his men, in trying to preserve the timber-yard stock from washing out to sea, were

"swept away by the sudden violence of the stream. Mr Geddie and two of the men fortunately made their way out, after being carried away for 200 yards. But the fourth individual was in deeper water."

The 3 ashore could hear his cries for help but not see him. At a loss to attempt a rescue they listened in horror as his cries for help stopped. The story has a happy ending however. Clearly the cries for help had stopped because the young man

"by an extraordinary exertion, swum ashore, greatly exhausted, but without injury"

James married twice. His first wife was 16 years older than him. He married again within months of her death, but there is no record of him having any children with either wife.

James was present as a witness to the baptism of Janet Sutherland Sutherland-5763, daughter of John Sutherland a wright (carpenter), in 1811

Sources

• Scottish Records Office - 09/07/1780 GEDDIE, JAMES (O.P.R. Births 143/00 0030 0016 SPEYMOUTH)
• Scottish Records Office - 1873 GEDDIE, JAMES (Statutory Deaths 144/00 0025)
• Speybuilt: the Story of a Forgotten Industry, by Jim Skelton, 1995. Published with the assistance of Moray District Council

• "Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X1XH-P87 : accessed 23 February 2016), James Geddie in entry for James Geddie, 07 Jul 1780; citing , reference ; FHL microfilm 990,811.