James Nasmyth 2nd Bt. (abt. 1704 - 1779)

Born about 1704 in Dawyck, Peeblesshire, Scotland

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 4 Feb 1779 at about age 75 in Dawyck, Peeblesshire, Scotland [uncertain]

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Chris Rickerd [send private message]

Sir James Nasmyth was a member of the aristocracy in British Isles.

Biography

Eldest son and heir of Sir James Nasmyth of Dawyck and Posso, 1st Bt., by Barbara, da. of Andrew Pringle of Clifton, Roxburgh. m. Jean, da. of Thomas Keith. They had two sons. He succeeded his father 20 July 1720.

A Scottish botanist of considerable repute. His paternal estates were at Dawyck (or Dalwick) and Posso, Peebles-shire, Scotland. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1767. He was described by Sir Thomas Dick Lauder as "a gentleman of much scientific acquirement. He was a pupil of Linnaeus, and studied under him in Norway. In addition to his own ordinary gardens, he created others for extensive botanical collections, with greenhouses for rare plants; and on these he put the strikingly appropriate motto: 'Soloman, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these.'"^[1] Also a politician he sat in the House of Commons between 28 April 1732 to 1734 and 7th Feb 1735 to 1741 for Peebles-shire. Sir James Nasmyth first contested the county unsuccessfully in 1727 against John Douglas, a brother of the hereditary sheriff, the Earl of March, who died, leaving an infant son, in 1731. When Douglas died a year later, Nasmyth, with the support of the deputy sheriff, defeated a former Member for the shire, Sir Alexander Murray of Stanhope, 3rd Bt., whose petition was rejected by the House of Commons. At the 1734 election, when another deputy sheriff was apparently neutral, Nasmyth and Murray were involved in a double return; on petition Murray withdrew, leaving the seat to Nasmyth. He voted with the Administration in all recorded divisions till he retired in 1741. A botanist of some repute, he died 4 Feb. 1779.^[2]

Died 4 FEB 1779. Dawyck, Peebleshire, Scotland. 4 FEB 1779. New Hampshire, USA. Map: Latitude: N43.9833. Longitude: W70.3833. ^{[3] [4]}

Nesmith Number S1-3-1-2-1-1

Occupation: He was a botonist.

Marriage Marriage 1 APR 1778. ^[5]

Notes

Nasmyth Naesmyth Family

While most would think that the Baronet title would be fairly simple to trace because most assume that the title of Baronet simply passes from father to son. This would be true if all fathers had sons and those sons all outlived their fathers. That situation didn't happen in this family because the title passed once from a Nephew to an Uncle (5th to 6th Baronet) and once from an Uncle to a Nephew (7th to 8th Baronet). If you pay attention to births along with birth and death dates in my family tree where this is attached you will understand the situation.

Only 8 Baronets in this family line have been found because it appears that the Baronet line was extinguished with the untimely death of Sir Douglas Arthur Naesmyth, 8th Baronet at age 23 in 1928. There were two, maybe three Lady Naesmyth widows who outlived the 8th Baronet of Posso.

The 8 Baronets of Posso:

1. Sir James Nasmyth, died 1720, title passed to his son

2. Sir James Nasmyth, died 1779, title passed to his son

3. Sir James Nasmyth, died 1829, title passed to his son

4. Sir John Murray Nasmyth (changed name to Naesmyth), died 1876, title passed to his son

5. Sir James Murray Naesmyth, died 1896, no son, title passed to his Uncle

6. Sir Michael George Naesmyth, died 1907, title passed to his son

7. Sir James Tolme Naesmyth, died 1922, no son, title passed to his Nephew

8. Sir Douglas Arthur Naesmyth, died 1928, no son, no apparent male heirs.

Research and writeup by: Larry W Johnson, Grapevine, Texas,

October 31, 2015, Researcher is not a Nasmyth/Naesmyth descendant.

Sources

1. ↑ The Scottish Nation by William Anderson, Edinburgh, 1867, vol.viii, p.246.
2. ↑ http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1715-1754/member/nasmyth-sir-james-1704-79
3. ↑ Source: #S3643 London, England: Oxford University Press; Volume: Vol 22; Page: 930
4. ↑ Source: #S2919 Gale Research Company; Detroit, Michigan; Accession Number: 3334226
5. ↑ Source: #S51

See also:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_James_Nasmyth,_2nd_Baronet
• http://www.thepeerage.com/p49109.htm#i491086

• Source: S2919 Ancestry.com Biography & Genealogy Master Index (BGMI) Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.;

• Ancestry.com Scotland, Select Marriages, 1561-1910 Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.;

• Source: S3643 Ancestry.com Dictionary of National Biography, Volumes 1-22 Publication: Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Dictionary of National Biography, 1921–1922

• Source: S51 Howard Horner; HHorner Publication: Name: Received from Howard Horner 7/6/99 (http://pages.prodigy.net/hhorner/surnames; entering info 4/00dpw; homepages of Howard Horner: ww.geocities/Heartland/Plains/8513/ naesmith.htm; also: http//pages.prodigy.net/hhorner/surnames

• John W. NesSmith Naesmyth Descendants of GA, USA Publication: Name: C 1990 First Edition and C 2001 2nd Edition; Call Number: 90-60126 NOTESource Medium: Book excellent