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Alexander’s biography, partly auto-generated by a GEDCOM import, was supplemented by Alan Runciman Jr, a 2xGreat-Grandson of Alexander. Born in North Berwick, Alexander moved to Edinburgh in his early working years where he met & married his wife Jane. A few years later the couple moved across to Glasgow where they remained. They had 9 children.
24th [April 1803, from earlier page headings] [stated in the margin]: “Runciman” ‘John Runciman Jnr Labr. & Jean Barrie his wife had a son born 17th Inst & baptd the above date in presence of the Congn. Alexander’
That John should be described as ‘Jnr’ when his father’s name is William (and is deceased) comes as a surprise. Perhaps this terminology differs from that era to our present day usage which applies to differentiate between father & son or at least between two people of identical names living at the same address. The cause & significance of describing John this way is more appropriately expanded on John’s Personal Profile here but not yet implemented.
Alexander was baptised on the same day he was born, a custom followed by many parents particularly if baby was considered at risk, though there’s no reason to conclude this was the case. Alexander was christened ‘in the presence of the Congn’ [congregation], implying it was performed at a regular church service but conversely no conclusion on good health may be drawn as by coincidence his birth may have occurred on a day of regular service . Baptism records of 2 of Alexander’s siblings reveal brother John was baptised on a date after birth and sister Elizabeth was baptised on the day of her birth. Records of other siblings have not been viewed.
Alexander & Jane had their banns read in Edinburgh’s St Cuthbert’s Parish Church and were married by Rev James Turnbull who was not the minister there but of the Relief Congregation in Brighton Street. One wonders if this was a sign of early property issues the Brighton Street congregation was later to experience.[7]. (This appears to have been normal practice at the time as the minister himself was married just the previous year with similar wording in the St Cuthbert parish records.)
This reveals an insight into their strong views over the Authorised Church, which during the early years of their marriage went through a turbulent period culminating in the Disruption.
The Relief Church had broken away from the Church of Scotland as long ago as 1761 & finally merged to form the United Presbyterian Church in 1847. The couple's membership outside the Authorised Church affected research on their family’s baptisms. Their first 3 children were baptised in the Martyrs Reformed Presbyterian Church in Edinburgh, whose records survive and are available online. However between the 3rd and 4th children (the couple had 9 in all) the family moved to Glasgow and baptism records have not yet been found for the remaining family. Their places of birth and approximate ages are known only from census records.
Alexander lived during a time of enormous change. Before his birth Scotland was already developing from a largely rural economy to an industrial framework. Emigration from country to town and from Scotland to the New World occurred at a greater pace in Scotland than in any other country in Europe including England[8]. Although the Highland Clearances are more widely known & generally thought of as the prime cause even more people movement was created by the transformation in working practices throughout the rich arable farming areas of the Scottish Lowlands (the ‘Agricultural Revolution’). The area of Haddingtonshire (East Lothians) was in a prime position both geographically and technically to benefit from that progress and to experience the human impact that such changes bring. The East Lothians was an area in the forefront of improved farming methods (resulting in reduced demand for agricultural labour) and as the 1800s progressed had Edinburgh on its doorstep offering attractive employment alternatives. So, like many of his generation, Alexander was the first in his family line to seek his living from paid employment outside the farm sector. The first known written reference to Alexander’s occupation is on his marriage at which he declared he was a wright. By this time he’d moved from rural North Berwick to the better paying industrial opportunities offered by Edinburgh.
Sometime between then and 1841 (census) Alexander chose to become an engineer and followed that path thereafter. By 1851 he was specialising in marine engineering. It seems he continued working until at least 1871:
Alexander’s family appear on the census in the Parish of Barony at 98 Dumbarton Road, Glasgow. Interestingly there are two additional non-immediate family. One is a grand-niece on the Thomson side, Jane Williamson, a scholar. Born in Crawfordjohn, presumably she is living with her great-aunt in Glasgow to see her through her school years. It is interesting that the Thomson family value the education of a daughter so highly that they are prepared to send her to Glasgow for the advantage a city education in an age long before it became accepted practice to place weight on a girl’s education. The other visitor is a Helen Duncan, born Edinburgh; this offers the possibility of a connection of family interest more appropriate in Jane’s Profile. Alexander was not at home and is recorded as being on the 690 Ton Paddle Steamer ‘Leopard’ engaged on the Glasgow-Liverpool route & on the date of the census it was docked at Liverpool. Aged 57, he is the first engineer; there is also a 2nd engineer on board. The Leopard was a modern ship, only built on the Clyde in 1857 (launched 1858) and carried cargo & passengers. According to the census there was a crew of 34 on board which in addition to the 1st & 2nd engineers included 13 firemen so Alexander’s engines required considerable effort to keep stoked. There was also a team of 6 stewards (inc 1 stewardess) and 2 cooks. However Leopard had an extremely short history as in 1862 she was sold to a company as a Blockade Runner in the American Civil War. On the change of ownership she was renamed ‘Stonewall Jackson’ & registered in the Bahamas. She made 8 voyages before running aground off Charleston (the planned destination) and was set on fire by the crew to avoid capture after an engagement with USS VARUNA. Officially noted as burned on 12 April 1863. Leopard’s details & history
Alexander died between the censuses of 1871 and 1881.
Alexander married Jane Thomson descended from John Potter, a Hanged Covenanter, captured in Ayrshire and taken to Edinburgh to be hanged
and
William Runciman of Crail , who drowned at an early age in a fishing tragedy,
plus
some facts and comments about the early Runciman ancestors are summarised in The Early Generations.
There are also 3 other Runciman 'lineages' which thanks to DNA testing are now discovered to be branches of the same lineage with a Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA) in the 1600s, most likely in East Lothian or the Scottish Borders. Lorna Henderson manages a Runciman One Name Study which gives a good insight to our Crail Line's relationship to the other DNA-related lines - as well as the non-related lines.
Runciman Lineage 1b-The Early Generations As the name implies this Profile covers the latest research known of the earliest ancestors on my 'Crail' Line.
Crail Fishing Disaster Alexander is a descendant of William of Crail who drowned with 7 others in the 1765 Crail Fishing Disaster. A 250th anniversary commemoration for the drownings was held in Crail on 16 May 2015. This profile records the known research.
Scotland and Beyond In 2004 a history of the William Runciman of Crail line was published. The latest research & continuing updates are now published on the web rather than in print. As Scotland and Beyond has been out of print for some time Jen Jelley & Diane Middleton, compilers & publishers of the 2004 book, kindly agreed to make their publication available in PDF format. This Profile contains the link.
The Runciman Cradle Tour provides the reader interested in seeing some of Alexander’s early ancestral locations with a suggested itinerary and their association to the family.
Similarily there is a Crail Trail for those who wish to visit where William of Crail spent his married/working life and eventually met his early death from drowning.
Thank you to Alan Runciman for creating WikiTree profile Runciman-526 through the import of RUNCIMANAlansPaternal4WikiTreeAug2013.ged on Aug 29, 2013. Click to the Changes page for the details of edits by Alan and others.
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Categories: Runciman Lineage 1b - William Runciman of Crail
Most census data shows her as Jane - haven't checked which version she was baptized under.