Robbie Collins - an Eccentric Vendor

Today we have another story from John B. Drylie’s book, “Worthies of Dumfriesshire”

"Poor Robbie Collins, who was known far and near as a vendor of stationery and smallwares, was buried in Troqueer Churchyard in March 1830. Although he had no secret hoard like Wull Steenie [I will tell you more about Wull in another post], his books and clothes, when turned into money after his death, sufficed to lay his head decently in the grave, even to leave a balance, which was handed to the treasurer of the Kirk session, so that in one respect he was on a par with miser Wull, and though a pauper himself, he left a legacy to the poor.

Robbie was a native of Ayrshire, and at one time in his varied and chequered career he taught a small school in some Highland island. He was short of stature, lame of a leg, blind of an eye, and decrepit in mind as well as in body, and it was said that he had a "spice of the knave in him as well as the fool." He migrated to Dumfries about the year 1813, at which time he was possessed of only a few shillings. Gradually acquiring credit, however, with booksellers and other tradespeople, he traded his way so successfully that he at last grew rich, at least comparatively for a man of his grade, and he was able to deposit in the parish bank a sum little short of £70. His "round" was travelled very cheaply. Although most extensive, he visited many thousands of people in the east as well as the south of Scotland, and there were few who grudged him a bed or a meal; indeed there were many who patronised Robbie when they could have purchased more cheaply elsewhere. Robbie had a fawning, winning manner, and as a "character" he was favoured by the rich as well as by the poor.

As times prospered the box slung behind his back was exchanged for a pair of panniers, which, when filled with smallware, were mounted on a donkey's back, and Robbie, who had limped many a weary mile, thenceforward made his rounds more at his ease, and indeed quite like "the gentleman." By some means or other he fastened a printed label in verse on the donkey's forehead, which served for a sign wherever he went, by intimating the owner's name and occupation, and enumerating the various articles he had for sale.

Robbie had many a sore contest with his cuddy, which he designated as "a dour, thrawn, contrary beast," and though he frequently tried to reason with it in set speeches by the wayside, his eloquence was entirely thrown away. Nothing, however, could disabuse Robbie's mind of the notion that the ass understood every word he said. and as he was an enemy to every form of corporal punishment, he endeavoured by gentle and lenient means to train it in the way that cuddies should go. But, like many other reformers, even of the present day, his plans were too Utopian, and in the end he procured a cudgel, and discovered that this argument was the only sort of logic fitted to make an impression on the long-eared tribe.

Robbie's success in some measure "turned his head." Tired of wandering, nothing would serve him but a little shop, and ultimately he secured one in Church Place, Dumfries. This he furnished with all sorts of small gear under the sun, and, as he had the capital to begin with, he obtained plenty of credit. His arrangements being completed, he sent for the cuddy, got it hoisted up the stair of the shop, and then desired the wondering beast to look round on all the grandeur and tell him "what it thought of Collins now?" The speculation, unfortunately, failed, and, but for the kindness of a benevolent gentleman who allowed him a pension of six shillings per week for many years, he would have been reduced to the greatest penury and distress. Thus secured, however, he made long sweeps east and north, and was as well known in Edinburgh as he was in Dumfries. At one time he contemplated visiting France, and talked of drawing his pension on the other side of the Channel, and spending his days tranquilly in some sequestered corner of the finer climates of the south, and where, as he said, provisions were cheap, and the taxes a trifle.

On another occasion he conceived the idea of making his fortune by marriage. He had set his fancy on two fair dames whose merits were on a par, and between whom he was as much divided as his cuddy would have been between two bundles of hay. To both of these ladies he wrote letters filled with all sorts of honeyed words, and determined to be the bearer of his own dispatches, and, as the ladies lived in the country (in the parish of Irongray to be exact), he commenced his wooing as the crow flies - that is, he called at the nearest house first, and delivered his epistle in due form. At first the family took the matter seriously, but speedily relaxing, they merely laughed at Robbie, and instructed the servants to regale him in the kitchen. Collins "took the bite and the bat with it,” and then wended his way a mile or so further. As luck would have it, it so happened that the lady Collins first addressed was invited to tea at his second house of call, and as she travelled faster than her suitor, she got there before him. Of this the "braw wooer" knew nothing, and great was the merriment when the young ladies compared notes (for the first letter had been carried to the home of Robbie's last hope as a curiosity), and found that the second letter was a facsimile of the first. The "Laird o' Cockpen" had only one string to his bow, but Robbie had two, and yet he was unsuccessful. Another meal was all the poor man got for his pains, and he departed as much crestfallen as his great prototype, and perhaps he said or sung, as he walked or rode through the glen, "they were daft tae refuse Robbie Collins.""

Brickwall Service

Our 2-hour brickwall service is proving very popular. Most people find that on one of their lines they hit a brick wall. It may be that our experience or the access we have to Scottish records is just what you need to break through the brick wall and continue with your journey. If you have a brick wall why not give it a try, you could open up a whole new chapter of your family history. Either email me (just reply to this email) or look at our website for more information.

Free Scottish Genealogy Tutorials

We are creating free family history tutorials to help you trace your Scottish family tree.

Our first tutorial will show how to find your ancestors on historical maps, using our website.



Our second tutorial demonstrates how to use 'wildcards' to find those ancestors who never seem to spell their name the same way twice!



Subscribe to our YouTube channel so that you don't miss the next tutorial.

A Hawick Man's Brush with History

Winnie and Bob at home in Hawick

All of our ancestors played a part in history. No matter what they did, where they lived or who else remembers them we want to find out more about them, and the mark they made on their community or the wider world. Sometimes, though, there are certain discoveries that make you stop dead in your tracks.

This happened to me a few days ago. I was researching the Grieve family of Branxholm Braes, near Hawick. If you follow us on Flickr or Facebook you will have seen a lot of photos, postcards and even letters which belonged to this family. I have been going through the family archive and in the process I have come across three identical postcards (see front below) sent by Robert Grieve to his young wife Winnie in 1908. We’ll have to presume that the hotel only had one postcard on offer, either that or our Bob wasn’t very imaginative!

Celerina

These precious postcards are dated January and February 1908 and posted from Celerina (Schlarigna) in Switzerland. Bob writes about curling matches in which he had taken part. On a postcard dated 15 February 1908, he writes ‘We have had a great victory to-day’. This made me curious, what competition was going on?

I headed to the British Newspaper Archive to search their large collection of newspapers. It didn’t take long to locate a reference to the championship. I found in an article in the Dundee Courier of 6 February 1908 (page 3) that our very own R. Grieve was playing in the International Bonspiel. 

There were several other results so I continued my search. Again an article in the Dundee Courier caught my eye, this time it was dated 4 February 1908 (page 6). Entitled ‘Scottish Curlers in Switzerland, Bonspiel at Celerina, Opening Day’s Play’, it begins:

“The great International bonspiel commenced this morning at ten o’clock. His Imperial Highness the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir-apparent to the Austrian throne, threw the first stone amidst the enthusiastic cheering of the curlers. The ice was in excellent condition.”

Another search revealed an article from the Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer dated 4 February 1908 (page 8):

“The fourth annual international curling bonspiel commenced on the Cresta rink here to-day. Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne, who is staying the the same hotel with the curlers, consented to throw the first stone, which he did with great accuracy and speed amid cheers from Scotchmen and Engandiners (sic).”

Today of course we are all too familiar with who the Archduke Franz Ferdinand was and the influence his death would have on the world.  Did ‘our’ Bob see him, did he meet him? We may never know, but this simple research shows that by reading family letters and postcards carefully and comparing these to other sources, such as the newspaper, you can build up a far more exciting picture of your family tree. 

He didn’t win by the way!

Researching Historic Mental Health Records in Scotland

Elmhill House, Royal Cornhill Hospital Aberdeen

Our health is perhaps one of the most precious things we have. Sadly, there are still too many people who suffer without treatment, without understanding and without hope. How did our ancestors, and their families, cope with life-changing health problems?

If an ancestor had a farming accident, for example, you may find a newspaper report. In such cases you may very quickly be able to gain some understanding of what the individual and their loved ones may have experienced.

Mental health, though, is very different. Sometimes, all we know comes from that final column in the census: ‘Lunatic’! Alternatively, we may have searched the census for a missing family member, only for them to turn up in a ‘Lunatic Asylum’. It can be a shocking discovery, and cause us to ask many questions.

This doesn’t have to be the end of the story, though, as you can find out a lot more about mental health problems and their treatment in the past. Some of the stories you may have heard may even be myths. Researching the original records may actually give you answers, and therefore peace.

For example, I had always had the idea that in the Victorian era thousands of people were locked up, and then they threw away the key! From our research here in Scotland we have found this was not always the case. Yes, there were some long term patients, but there also seems to have been many thousands who were in an institution for a short time only, and do not seem to have been re-admitted.

How can you dig deeper? One place to start is at the National Records of Scotland (NRS). There is a particularly useful set of records held there concerning those admitted to mental health institutions throughout Scotland from 1858 onwards.

The first of these is a national register detailing the patient’s name, the institution they were committed to, the date of their admission and the date of their release or transfer. This register even records those already in institutions in Scotland on 1 January 1858. The NRS references this register as MC7. They have kindly granted permission for me to share some example images with you taken from the ‘National Register’: click on the image to enlarge it and you should be able to read the entries on the page clearly. This page is taken from the volume MC7/1.

Secondly, there are individual patient admission forms, giving much more detail on the individual patient and their situation. In almost all cases you should be able to find a patient admission form corresponding to each entry in the ‘National Register’ just described. These admission forms are bound into volumes, one volume for each month from January 1858 onwards. The NRS references this series of volumes as MC2. The best way to understand these records is probably to read an example case for yourself, again click on the image to see a larger version. This example case is taken from volume MC2/47.

This set of records is excellent because it should contain everyone in a mental health institution in Scotland from 1858 onwards. It is possible, though, to dig even deeper and look at locally held records. Highland Archives in Inverness, for example, hold records relating to their area and you can consult these in their search room. Once you know which institution your ancestor was sent to, and the date of admission (information which is always given in the national record sets I referred to above), then you can start with the local archive and ask if they have the records of that particular institution, or know where they are held.

The Scottish Archive Network catalogue can also be used to search a number of archives throughout Scotland. Unfortunately, though, not all archives yet have a comprehensive catalogue available online, and in many cases there is no substitute for contacting the archivist directly.

I would urge you not to hide your ancestor’s mental health issues, as some families may have done in times past. Dig deeper into the records and you can come to a deeper understanding of your family’s history.

Search our existing Scottish records for free at www.scottishindexes.com

The National Records of Scotland - How Many Images are in the Virtual Volumes?

When you think of the National Records of Scotland (NRS), you may conjure up an image of ancient and dusty documents tied up with ribbon. Of course, that is not entirely incorrect, as there is indeed plenty of that to be found! Increasingly though, modern technology is coming to the rescue of these precious documents and the landscape now looks quite different!

When you now enter the Historical Search room you will see on your left a bank of computers, ten in total. These are the computers you use to access the NRS’ Virtual Volumes system.

The Historical Search Room
By kind permission of the National Records of Scotland

For a considerable time now, the NRS have been digitally imaging a wide variety of documents from their holdings. This means that rather than producing the original documents, which can be so easily damaged, you can view full-colour images of them on a computer terminal in the search room. I have noticed that on a number of occasions recently almost every computer desk has been occupied. On glancing towards the busy searchers at the computer desks the other day a question popped into my mind: just how many images are now available on the Virtual Volumes system? Being a curious soul (I think it comes with the job description) I had to ask. Thanks to one of the NRS archivists, Dr Stefanie Metze, I can tell you there are currently the staggering total of 59,324,163 images accessible on Virtual Volumes!

What documents and books are included in these 59,324,163 images, and why have the NRS gone to all this bother?

Stairs to the Historical Search Room
By kind permission of the National Records of Scotland

This figure includes some of the images of some of the documents which are available on www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk, such as the Valuation Rolls, Wills and Testaments. It also includes some of the images available on www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk, including historical tax records such as the Hearth Tax and Farm Horse Tax. It does not, though, include the images of birth, marriages, deaths, OPRs or census records; to view these on site you will need go downstairs to the Scotland’s People Centre and pay an entrance fee to view those images on the Scotland’s People system. The Historical Search room of the NRS is free to use for historical and genealogical searches.

Some of the most popular records which are available on the Virtual Volumes system are the Kirk Session records. The Register of Sasines is also a frequently viewed source (sasines generally record the transfer of heritable property between people) and are therefore a fundamental tool for genealogists. They often name relationships and give other useful information which might be difficult to find anywhere else, especially in early periods where fewer sources may be available. House historians and others with an interest in local history will also utilise these records to find out more about particular pieces of land. Fortunately, there is an index to most sasines which exists from 1780 onwards. Prior to 1780 most of the sasines are available as digital images on the Virtual Volumes system, but the existing indexes are still available in paper form. The archivists will show you where these indexes are and how to use them.

Entrance to the National Records of Scotland
By kind permission of the National Records of Scotland

Other records which have been digitally imaged include some of the Register of Deeds, which is again a fundamental research tool, and also the records of non-Church of Scotland Kirk Sessions, which contain substantial numbers registers of births, marriages and deaths.

By imaging records which are regularly consulted the originals can be better preserved. Another advantage is that you can view documents very quickly, as there is no need to order them and wait for them to be brought to your desk.

It can be useful to know before you go to the Historic Search Room which of the documents you wish to consult are available on Virtual Volumes, and which are not. Check the NRS catalogue: a yellow dot is usually present if the document has been digitally imaged. Click into the item details and look under  ‘Access conditions’, if it has been digitally imaged it will tell you there.

One final thing, once you find what you are looking for, hit the print button and for just 50 pence you will be given an A3 full colour copy of the document!

Researching in the National Records of Scotland

Once you have your basic Scottish family tree, perhaps going back to the early 1800s, it is almost inevitable that you will need the National Archives of Scotland. The documents they preserve on our behalf can help you to trace your ancestors, find out about their character, and the ups and downs of the lives they led.

 If however you are living on the other side of the world, accessing these records may seem impossible; but it’s not!

 We can research on your behalf, searching out the records relating to your ancestors and helping you understand them. In most cases we will also be able to take photographs of them for you, as the National Records of Scotland now allows digital photography of the vast majority of items they hold.

The NRS catalogue

Depending on your experience, we can either advise you on which records to search, or you can give us a reference number from the NRS catalogue and tell us what you would like us to research on your behalf.

If you’re not sure where to start email me or have a rummage around in the NRS catalogue.

In the coming weeks I’ll be writing about how to get the best out of the catalogue so keep an eye on this blog. Follow me on Twitter for regular updates or subscribe to my newsletter. 

New logo

I'm really excited about our new logo. We've used a fairly standard tree for a while, which I do like but felt it was time for a change. Hopefully the new logo will be appearing on our website soon along with some new features and new collections. 

Coming soon:

Global search: At the moment you have to search all our collections separately, which may be what you want but sometimes it's useful to be able to search everything a website has.

New collections: As well as expanding our current collections we plan to add new data sets.

New packages: We'll be adding some basic starter packages, either to kick start your own research or to give as a gift.

New layout: Since designing our site it has grown a lot and it's now difficult to find what we have so we'll reorganise it a bit to make it more user friendly.

What I would like to know is what do you want? What changes can you suggest? What packages do you want to see?

Either add a comment or email me with your ideas, we would love to hear from you!

Dumfries archive's new home in the Ewart Library - user guide.

I was in Dumfries on Friday, using the new archive section of the Ewart Library. It's looking very nice!

As you can see from the photo above they were still setting up on Friday but it's all starting to come together. There is now a door dividing the archive and local studies area from the lending section of the library and within this section there is another room for consulting documents. This creates a very quiet area to concentrate but still close to the reference material on the open shelf. All in all it seems to be a very well designed space.

Ordering documents

It is obvious however that this is the best of a bad situation and not the ideal you (or they) would wish for. Before the move you consulted some material at the Ewart and some at the Archive Centre across town so having just one search room is easier. On-site storage is now very limited, however, as a lot of their holdings are now stored off-site. The recent move means that checking that the documents you wish to consult will be available on the day of your visit is vital, as the catalogue is not clear as to where the documents are stored. Our advice: always contact the archive first to make sure the documents will be available for consultation. They try to get them in very quickly but it is best to give them a few days notice if you possibly can.

Access

Parking is free for two hours on the street outside and I found there were a number of spaces near the door. Dumfries operates a parking disc system: if you don't have one you can get one form the library staff (they are free). There are also a number of disabled spaces outside the library. Being within easy walking distance form the train station too adds to the ease of access of this archive.

Photography

As with most forward-thinking archives in the UK, photography is allowed for your own personal use. There are restrictions on some items though so always ask for permission first. 

Research

If you need some research, but it's too far away for you to visit yourself get in touch with us and we can arrange to carry out the research for you: info@maxwellancestry.com 

Maxwell Ancestry, a member of the Scottish Genealogy Network

Illegitimacy and the Sheriff Court

A few months ago we were approached by an individual researching a child born in 1856. Originally the child was registered as Donald Smith, son of Agnes Smith, illegitimate and no father’s name mentioned. The entry has been amended,however, to say that on the 15th day of August 1859 at the Sheriff Court of Aberdeen it was decreed that Donald Ross of Upper Kirkgate, Aberdeen, was the father.

At first glance this seems great, we can identify the father. Unfortunately, though, an inspection of the census and other records did not successfully identify Donald Ross.

The next step was to look at the decree books for the court. Sadly,however, in Aberdeen for this period they are missing. There are court minute books but these simply gave us the date of the decree (which we knew from the birth certificate anyway) and the solicitor of the pursuer, an interesting detail but not terribly helpful. If we had been able to see the decree books it may have told us enough information to identify the father, and it may also have told us when the court case began.

The only other option is to consult the court processes. In a nutshell the processes are the surviving paperwork for each case, and they would therefore likely give an address and occupation for Donald’s father.

The problem: as indexed by the National Archives there are 11 boxes for 1859! Starting at SC1/11/774 I searched these boxes, but I didn’t find it. In consultation with the client we continued to search back through the boxes, and eventually we reached box number SC1/11/749 (25 boxes later).

This was a time consuming search, and many would have given up. Not only did it cost the customer to pay for us to conduct the search but as any individual can only pre-order 12 items into the National Archives from TTH (where these records are out-stored) on any one day, it took a number of trips.

As I said though, eventually we found the record, and what did it tell us? It gave us the address, occupation and mother’s name of Donald Ross. It also contained statements and witness testimonies which gave a very detailed description of the relationship between Agnes Smith and Donald Ross.

Donald Ross appealed the case but lost. The question is, did the court make the right decision? Our customer is now tracing descendants of Donald so a DNA test can prove it once and for all.

If you need help with your research just get in touch.

www.maxwellancestry.com

Weekly Report By Our Own Policeman

Whilst researching in the National Library of Scotland I was distracted by this report in the Angus and Mearns Register form the 26th of August 1864.

Weekly Report By Our Own Policeman:- I hae often explained that the Bye-Laws is made just till let my ornamental friends ken the things that they needna gie themsells ony trouble till take notice o’. I see the board o’ Bye-Laws that hings at Dummie Ha’s Wynd has had the Laws torn aff, and a lithy graffer’s bill, that’s been made to fit it, battered on in their place. I’m gey concerned aboot this, for fear that, for want o’ the notice till guide them, my friends may aiblins fa’ intil the mistak’ o’ gien themsells trouble about something or ither they micht pass bye gin they ken’t it was in the Bye-Laws. The robbin’ o’ gardens and apple-trees has begun for the season. Ae man that complained was tell’d that he bade in an oot-o’-the-wye place and it couldna be helpit; but I’ wat there’s me difficulty in findin’ out his dwallin’ when the Pollus rate’s to be colleckit, f’r’a’t. There was a baker’s riot the ither nicht in Dummie Ha’s Wynd, an’ they faucht and mischieved ane an’ ither sair; but when there was a seek for some o’ my ornamental friends nane could be gotten, sae the rioters wan aff. The taties at the Townhead was ta’en up yesterday, an’ they look gey an’ gude; but Gordon says he can beat them yet, for as cheap’s they’re raised, - Your Own Pollusman.

A Midnight Adventure

Whilst researching in the National Library of Scotland today I came across this interesting tale:

A Midnight Adventure – A lady and a gentleman were disturbed in their slumbers one night last week by the very unpleasant noise of a slight move under the bed. The lady expressed alarm, but her somewhat sleepy caro sposo said, “Oh it is only one of the dogs,” and, putting his hand down by the side of the bed, his hand being licked, after a moment the pair were satisfied and they soon slumbered again peacefully. In the morning, however, they found that all their money and jewellery had disappeared, and it was clear that the lick had been the dernier ressort of an ingenious biped concealed under the bed – Court Journal.

Source: in the Montrose Standard and Angus And Mearns register, August 26^th 1864, Page 3

Touching up old photos

One of the services we provide is to touch up old photos. I personally tend not to go overboard when I’m doing it as I don’t like them to look too manufactured. It is nice however to get rid of the scratches and as in the example below we can remove the sticky tape that my Granny used to keep it in the album.

If you have a report done with us we do not charge for this service but will touch up a few old photos for you. This is just another thing that makes our genealogy research a little bit more special.

Reopening of the Annandale Distillery

I have been following the Annandale Distillery project with great interest over the last few years. We were asked to research the history of the distillery in 2007. It was a very interesting project, one reason being that although I grew up in Annan and still live nearby I had no idea there had ever been a distillery in Annan. To be fair on me it has been a long time since whisky has been produced around these parts. It is now about 90 years since Johnny Walker’s closed the Annandale distillery.

Since 2007 plans have been underway to restore the historic buildings and start producing the wonderful golden liquid once more. Planning permission has taken time and an archaeological dig has also taken place. Building work should be underway by the autumn and they hope to be producing whisky by 2011, although of course it will take a few years before it will be for sale.

The Annandale Distillery website is very interesting and even includes an interactive archaeological site map with video clips explaining what they have found and what they are planning for the future.

Visit the Annandale Distillery site

Do you live in an old Scottish house and would like to find out more about its past? We can help you with your research, just email me the details and I will have a look into it for you.

Contact Us

Forgot to say: we have updated the site again

It has been so busy this week I forgot to mention the Census database was on Monday (31st May 2010). This update has added 1851 Glasserton, Wigtownshire.

Glasserton had a population of 1487 people in 1851 bringing the total number of entries in our 1851 census database to 215,630!