This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: phyltrick Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.britisles.scotland.ayr.general/13824.3.1.1.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Hi, yes there are a lot of Ronalds, I have only focused on the Ronalds in Ayrshire as people tended not to move long distances in those days. Re William Ronald who owned Bennals in the 1700s - our family stories say JJ Ronald was related to them, but we have never been able to find the connection. From what I can tell from reading, they were the only land-owning Ronalds in Ayrshire, but unfortunately, William Ronald of Bennals went bankrupt in 1789. There are some notes from our Ronald history: For some years the the poet Robert Burns lived and worked for his father on Lochlea farm, not too far from the Bennals farm. In 1780, Robert Burns wrote the poem "The Ronalds of the Bennals". The two woman mentioned in this poem were Jean and Anne Ronald, two of William's daughters, considered several of the most desirable belles of the district. Robert Burns' brother Gilbert wooed Jean who rejected him due to his poverty. Robert later took an interest in Anne but it is said that he was too proud to afford her a chance of refusing him. In the poem, Burns satirizes William Ronald's wealth. In later correspondence, Burns appears to relish the misfortune of William's bankruptcy. After William Ronald went bankrupt in 1789. Burns wrote to his brother William: "'Mr. Ronald is bankrupt. You will easily guess, that from his insolent vanity in his sunshine of life, he will feel a little retaliation from those who thought themselves eclipsed by him, for, poor fellow, I do not think he ever intentionally injured anyone. I might indeed perhaps except his wife, whom he certainly has used very ill..'" Another family story is that as a youth, John James Ronald worked as a ploughboy for Robbie burns, about the time R Burns wrote "To a Field Mouse". I believe there was some back and forth between the Ronalds of Mauchline and Kilmarnock. R Burns worked on his father's leased farm, lochlea, from 1777-1784, then he and his brother rented Mossgiel farm. Both were near Tarbolton and mauchline. A William Ronald worked for R Burns father at Lochlea for some time - maybe JJ Ronald's uncle - maybe that was the connection. I think the connection between William Ronald of Bennals and JJ Ronald was not too distant - perhaps cousins, because of the similarity in the names - their children's names are almost identical. The scottish custom was to name the first daughter and second son after the wife's parents, and the first son and second daughter after the father's parents. Phyllis Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.