This could also mean that the first name is Menzies (pronounced, probably, MING-iss) and her married name is Baillie, and she was daughter to Robert and Elisabeth, with the announcement being that SHE - Menzies - had a son baptised on the 30th. Then it would be to find HER birthdate and see if she has the same parents then as now. But it could also be that the announcement is that the daughter of Robert and Elizabeth, without her name being given, has given birth to a son named Menzies Baillie on Sept. 8. Myself, I gather from the way this is worded that Menzies Baillie is the daughter of Robert and Elizabeth, and her son is unnamed. Since John Baillie is mentioned as a witness, not sure if he is the baby's father or another older male relative. I'm far from being a genealogical expert, but am used to reading "old-fashioned" language. Good luck - Muff On Tuesday, September 21, 2004, at 11:05 AM, DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY-D-request@rootsweb.com wrote: >> From: "Fiona Garrett" <fionak2009@yahoo.com.au> >> To: DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY-L@rootsweb.com >> Subject: [D-G LIST] Baptism Entry >> Date: 15, Wed Sep, 2004, 9:02 pm >> > >> Hi Everyone, >> Could one of the expert genealogists give there views on this entry >> made in >> Canongate, Midlothian on 29th October,1785 please. >> >> BAILLIE - Menzies Baillie Daughter Robert Keneday Merchant and >> Ellisabeth >> Alviso his spouse had a son born the 8th of September and baptized >> the 30th >> current. Witnesses William Dalrymple in Edinburgh and Mr John Baillie. >> >> Muff Worden Ranargata 3 710 Seydisfjordur Iceland Phone: +354-472-1775 Mobile/Cell/GSM: +354-849-2744 Web: www.geocities.com/mworden.geo/

Not unless one can prove paternity which is quite impossible whether it be 1100 or 1900. The recent trend using DNA to establish relationship is revealing surprises for many and some of those thought to be kin cannot possibly be. I doubt if human nature has changed much. That is why " family history" seems more acceptable than "genealogy". Adrian Verry May wrote: >Hi - > >After a discussion with a group of friends today one of them announced her >uncle had traced their family tree back to the 1100's. For some reason, I >don't think this is possible. Can anyone explain to me how one can go that >far back and actually 'claim' that everything is factual? I believe there >was a discussion about this once before but I can't recall the outcome. Any >suggestions? > >May > > > >==== DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY Mailing List ==== >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >If your line involves the surname BRUCE why not join >CLAN-BRUCE-L@rootsweb.com and find out more. >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > > >

This was posted on the Cheshire List and I felt D-G members might also be interested to read it. Helen, NSW, Australia This "Why" from a newsletter called "Sons of Norway" GENEALOGY . . . . . . . . WHY??? We are the chosen. My feeling is that in each family there is one who seems called to find the ancestors. To put flesh on their bones and make them live again. To tell the family story and to feel that somehow those who went before know and approve. To me, doing genealogy is not a cold gathering of facts but, instead, breathing life into all who have gone before. We are the storytellers of the tribe. All tribes have one. We have been called as if it were in our genes. Those who have gone before cry out to us: Tell our story. So, we do. In finding them, we somehow find ourselves. How many graves have I stood before now and cried? I have lost count. How many times have I told my ancestors, "You have a wonderful family; you would be proud of us."? How many times have I walked up to a grave and felt somehow there was love there for me? I cannot say. It goes beyond just documenting the facts. It goes to who I am, and why I do the things I do. It goes to seeing a cemetery about to be lost forever to weeds and indifference, and saying I can't let this happen. The bones here are bones of my bone and flesh of my flesh. It goes to doing something about it. It goes to pride in what our ancestors were able to accomplish. How they contributed to what we are today. It goes to respecting their hardships and losses, their never giving in or giving up, their resoluteness to go on and build a life for their family. It goes to deep pride that they fought to make and keep us a nation. It goes to a deep and immense understanding that they were doing it for us, that we might be born who we are, that we might remember them. So we do. With love and caring and scribing each fact of their existence, because we are them and they are us. I tell the story of my family. It is up to that one called in the next generation, to answer the call and take their place in the long line of family storytellers. That is why I do my family genealogy, and that is what call those, young and old, to step up and put flesh on the bones.

And for anyone wondering if you receive them as prompt as five days in Australia - you do! Ruth (Sydney) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kathy Nemaric" <knemaric1@cfl.rr.com> To: <DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2004 8:01 AM Subject: RE: [D-G LIST] Buying BDM certs from Scotland > The official GRO site for Scotland is http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk, > where you can order certificates online. You can also view scanned images > instantly, for a fee that is less than ordering a hard copy. Not all images > have been scanned (older ones especially), but many are. I can't tell you > how much I have spent on this site - it's addicting! You can also keep your > purchased images to view over and over, and even set them up in your account > in a 'timeline' fashion, chronologically. > > For births, however, you can only go up to 1903; marriages to 1928; deaths > to 1953. Starting years for each of these vary, including OPRs back to 1553! > > I am sure there are other methods, but this (for me in the U.S.) is by far > the easiest and most successful. > > Kathy > Orlando, FL > > -----Original Message----- > From: Pamela Marshall [mailto:pansy_28@yahoo.com] > Sent: Monday, September 20, 2004 5:47 PM > To: DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: [D-G LIST] Buying BDM certs from Scotland > > > can someone point me in the right direction on where to order BDM > certificates online from Scotland, I am after certs from D&G area. > Hopefully a similar site to the "General Register Office for England and > Wales" where I can order pay by credit card and recieve in Australia 5 days > later by post. > > Kind regards Pamela > > > > Pamela Thorburn Marshall, Qld, Australia > > > > > --------------------------------- > Do you Yahoo!? > New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - Send 10MB messages! > > > ==== DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY Mailing List ==== > FIND YOUR ANCESTORS > http://www.directcon.net/tomas/Ancestry/index.html/ > > > ==== DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY Mailing List ==== > <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> > If your line involves the surname GRAHAM why not join > CLAN-GRAHAM-L@rootsweb.com and find out more. > <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> >

I'm looking at a card that has been pinned to my notice board since I started researching my ancestors. "First Axiom: Follow the distaff line, for the blood runs through us. Second Axiom: Only the ladies knew for certain, and sometimes they were not too sure." I agree that one cannot prove paternity. When we find certificates stating a child is born to Mr. & Mrs. So and So we can only assume parentage. Even our history books which go back hundreds of years exposed royalty and the gentry as being less than faithful to their spouses. Perhaps, if we go back far enough, we really are all related...but how to prove it! May > Not unless one can prove paternity which is quite impossible whether it > be 1100 or 1900. The recent trend using DNA to establish relationship is > revealing surprises for many and some of those thought to be kin cannot > possibly be. I doubt if human nature has changed much. That is why " > family history" seems more acceptable than "genealogy". > > Adrian Verry

Most who claim of such a feat give genealogists a bad name, and give reputable historians something to laugh about. Dean -----Original Message----- From: May [mailto:schultem@telusplanet.net] Sent: September 20, 2004 6:05 PM To: DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [D-G LIST] Tracing family tree Hi - After a discussion with a group of friends today one of them announced her uncle had traced their family tree back to the 1100's. For some reason, I don't think this is possible. Can anyone explain to me how one can go that far back and actually 'claim' that everything is factual? I believe there was a discussion about this once before but I can't recall the outcome. Any suggestions? May ==== DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY Mailing List ==== ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If your line involves the surname BRUCE why not join CLAN-BRUCE-L@rootsweb.com and find out more. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Looking for info on Henry Mccall of Ayrshire. Have been able to find his naval record from Naval Attache during the Graf Spee Incident til his death in 1980. What was his ancestry and does his coat of arms include a fighting whale? May be related to EARL Edgar Mccall in 1124? Thanks, Ron Mccall www.clanmccall.org

The official GRO site for Scotland is http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk, where you can order certificates online. You can also view scanned images instantly, for a fee that is less than ordering a hard copy. Not all images have been scanned (older ones especially), but many are. I can't tell you how much I have spent on this site - it's addicting! You can also keep your purchased images to view over and over, and even set them up in your account in a 'timeline' fashion, chronologically. For births, however, you can only go up to 1903; marriages to 1928; deaths to 1953. Starting years for each of these vary, including OPRs back to 1553! I am sure there are other methods, but this (for me in the U.S.) is by far the easiest and most successful. Kathy Orlando, FL -----Original Message----- From: Pamela Marshall [mailto:pansy_28@yahoo.com] Sent: Monday, September 20, 2004 5:47 PM To: DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY-L@rootsweb.com Subject: [D-G LIST] Buying BDM certs from Scotland can someone point me in the right direction on where to order BDM certificates online from Scotland, I am after certs from D&G area. Hopefully a similar site to the "General Register Office for England and Wales" where I can order pay by credit card and recieve in Australia 5 days later by post. Kind regards Pamela Pamela Thorburn Marshall, Qld, Australia --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - Send 10MB messages! ==== DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY Mailing List ==== FIND YOUR ANCESTORS http://www.directcon.net/tomas/Ancestry/index.html/

Hi - After a discussion with a group of friends today one of them announced her uncle had traced their family tree back to the 1100's. For some reason, I don't think this is possible. Can anyone explain to me how one can go that far back and actually 'claim' that everything is factual? I believe there was a discussion about this once before but I can't recall the outcome. Any suggestions? May

can someone point me in the right direction on where to order BDM certificates online from Scotland, I am after certs from D&G area. Hopefully a similar site to the "General Register Office for England and Wales" where I can order pay by credit card and recieve in Australia 5 days later by post. Kind regards Pamela Pamela Thorburn Marshall, Qld, Australia --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - Send 10MB messages!

Fiona, Have you tried to find these on www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk? Maybe there are viewable images, or even just the index can help sort this out. Kathy Orlando, FL Researching BLACKLOCK and BEEBY in Dumfriesshire and Cumberland -----Original Message----- From: J A Olsen [mailto:Copywriter@tesco.net] Sent: Monday, September 20, 2004 2:38 AM To: DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: [D-G LIST] Baptism Entry that really is a puzzler. without appointing myself an expert, I would say that the IGI people have just done their best to interpret what is a very confusing entry. so 2 questions really. are you looking at a copy or a transcription? If it is a copy of the original, is it at all hard to read? Judy ---------- >From: "Fiona Garrett" <fionak2009@yahoo.com.au> >To: DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY-L@rootsweb.com >Subject: [D-G LIST] Baptism Entry >Date: 15, Wed Sep, 2004, 9:02 pm > > Hi Everyone, > Could one of the expert genealogists give there views on this entry made in > Canongate, Midlothian on 29th October,1785 please. > > BAILLIE - Menzies Baillie Daughter Robert Keneday Merchant and Ellisabeth > Alviso his spouse had a son born the 8th of September and baptized the 30th > current. Witnesses William Dalrymple in Edinburgh and Mr John Baillie. > > Other entries on the page read as follows - > > SUTHERLAND - Jannet Daughter to William Sutherland shoemaker and Cathrine > Menzies his spouse had a daughter born the 28th Oct and baptized the 30th > current. Witnesses William Gordon and William Pringle both residenters. > > My queries are: > Do you think Menzies is a male or female child? > Do you think that it could be the son of the daughter of Robert Keneday and > Ellisabeth? > On the IGI this entry is recorded as Menzies_Baillie Keneday, could this > mean that the grandparents raised this child as the daughter was too young? > Children of Robert and Ellisabeth are 2 females, one male. The oldest female > would have been 14 at this time. > > Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. > Thanks > Fiona > Down Under > RESEARCHING KENNEDY & COWAN in Dumfrieshire > > > ==== DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY Mailing List ==== > FIND YOUR ANCESTORS > http://www.directcon.net/tomas/Ancestry/index.html/ > ==== DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY Mailing List ==== @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ To reach every member of the list : Send Email to ....... DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY-L@rootsweb.com

G'day Sandra, > Does anyone know where I could obtain a pretty detailed plan > of Kirkpatrick Durham in the mid 19th Century? Go to Old Maps at: http://www.old-maps.co.uk/ And search for kirkpatrick durham and you will get the town itself and the immediate surrounds. The date of that map is 1854. If that does not have it you can expand outward from that point. If you know the name of the property or I gather it is a village in the parish of KD you could get lucky by putting that in the search. You say you visited the village so that name should work OK. BTW you can save the image (and the surrounds) to build your own map for offline use later. Good luck! Mike CALDER EMAIL: mikecalder@optusnet.com.au WEB: http://members.optusnet.com.au/mikecalder/

that really is a puzzler. without appointing myself an expert, I would say that the IGI people have just done their best to interpret what is a very confusing entry. so 2 questions really. are you looking at a copy or a transcription? If it is a copy of the original, is it at all hard to read? Judy ---------- >From: "Fiona Garrett" <fionak2009@yahoo.com.au> >To: DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY-L@rootsweb.com >Subject: [D-G LIST] Baptism Entry >Date: 15, Wed Sep, 2004, 9:02 pm > > Hi Everyone, > Could one of the expert genealogists give there views on this entry made in > Canongate, Midlothian on 29th October,1785 please. > > BAILLIE - Menzies Baillie Daughter Robert Keneday Merchant and Ellisabeth > Alviso his spouse had a son born the 8th of September and baptized the 30th > current. Witnesses William Dalrymple in Edinburgh and Mr John Baillie. > > Other entries on the page read as follows - > > SUTHERLAND - Jannet Daughter to William Sutherland shoemaker and Cathrine > Menzies his spouse had a daughter born the 28th Oct and baptized the 30th > current. Witnesses William Gordon and William Pringle both residenters. > > My queries are: > Do you think Menzies is a male or female child? > Do you think that it could be the son of the daughter of Robert Keneday and > Ellisabeth? > On the IGI this entry is recorded as Menzies_Baillie Keneday, could this > mean that the grandparents raised this child as the daughter was too young? > Children of Robert and Ellisabeth are 2 females, one male. The oldest female > would have been 14 at this time. > > Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. > Thanks > Fiona > Down Under > RESEARCHING KENNEDY & COWAN in Dumfrieshire > > > ==== DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY Mailing List ==== > FIND YOUR ANCESTORS > http://www.directcon.net/tomas/Ancestry/index.html/ >

Does anyone know where I could obtain a pretty detailed plan of Kirkpatrick Durham in the mid 19th Century? I recently downloaded the will of my gt gt gt grandparents, Alexander GEDDES and Helen MCMILLAN GEDDES, from Scottish Wills and it gives the boundarys of their land. As I have visited the village and taked lots of photos, I`d love to attempt to discover exactly where their property was situated. Many thanks Cassandra

Look forward to the Closeburn/Dalgarnock graveyard publications. Would any one be researching the following families from Dumfriesshire all interconnected but I have bunched together the closer related ones for ease of reference. CARRUTHERS, Wield/Weild,Aitken. CARRUTHERS, Murray,Seaton,Wightman. CARRUTHERS, Mc Cubbin,Neilson,Swan. CARRUTHERS, Crawford,Lockhart,Kilpatrick,Lister. Will gladly trade Ged or Paf / Acrobat trees with any one interested. Many Thanks Ian L H Carruthers (Zimbabwe) home@zim.co.zw

Incidentally [but perhaps not very helpful now!] this trial site did include free access to Ancestry, until it was pulled on Wednesday Regards David ----- Original Message ----- From: "Thomas Thomson" <tandj.thomson@btinternet.com> To: <DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, September 15, 2004 6:26 AM Subject: [D-G LIST] London Times free trial > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Lynette Benton" <lbenton@melbpc.org.au> > To: <SCT-SHETLAND-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Wednesday, September 15, 2004 4:37 AM > Subject: Re: [SHETLAND] Web Site > > > > > > I received this information on another list. > > The fantastic London Times digital database and other data bases of > > interest to genealogists are on free trial on the Gale site until the end > > of September. There are lots of articles referring to Shetland events and > > people. > > > > http://trials.gale.com/pubacd/index.html > > > > The user name is: pubacd17 > > Password : durable > > > > Enjoy, > > Lynette Benton > > > > > > > ==== DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY Mailing List ==== > %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% > DO NOT send files as Email attachments to the list. > Send them privately - person to person. > %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% >

I seem to recall that early this year someone was transcribing the monumental inscription for Dunscore - if this is correct are they available to buy? Thank you Cheryl Australia

The story of the first use of ether in Dumfries is in the excellent publication "The Dumfries Ether Diary" by TW Baillie MD. This book is available from DGFHS. See http://www.dgfhs.org.uk/dgfhs/pubs/pubaug.pdf Rene Anderson ----- Original Message ----- From: "Peter Didsbury" <pdconsarch@yahoo.co.uk> To: <DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, September 17, 2004 9:14 AM Subject: [D-G LIST] Surgeon James McLauchlan again > Dear All > > I've put the account below together as a matter of > public interest and record, and especially for > "McBrucie", who asked for details. Thanks are due to > Eunice Smith, Florence Denning, and Linda Watson, as > previously mentioned. If anyone should know anything > of the Scottish origins of William Corson McGowan > (mentioned below), or come across him in their > genealogical travels, I'd be grateful for the > information. > > JAMES McLAUCHLAN, SURGEON, DUMFRIES > > The following details are taken from a transcription > of a family gravestone in Kirkgunzeon churchyard (MIs, > stone 29): > > Father: James McLachlan, d. Lochfoot 6.10.1832, aged > 72. > Mother: Mary Carruthers, d. 1.10.1838, aged 73. > Son: James McLachlan,surgeon, Dumfries, > 14.3.1799-10.12.1848. > Daughter: Margaret, d.Dumfries 15.4.1891, husband > William Corson McGowan. > > McDowell, Memorials of St Michael's Churchyard of > Dumfries, p. 357: > > "As a medical practitioner, no one was more popular in > Dumfries than he,whose amiable character, general > professional attainments, and greatservices during a > season of special calamity, are faithfully depicted on > another graceful tablet, which reminds us also that he > perished at the post of duty when the Burgh was > attacked by cholera in 1848. The memorial record runs > as follows: > > `Sacred to the memory of James Mclauchlan, surgeon, > Dumfries. His youth was spent in the successful > pursuit of professional knowledge; his manhood was > devoted to the unwearied, faithful, and benevolent > exercise of his high art. His life was signalised by > the virtues of the Christian. His death followed his > ministrations amid a plague-stricken people, and bore > the evidence of that faith in which he lived. Born > 14th March 1798; died 10th December 1848.'" > > Note the 1798/1799 discrepancy in birth year - > McDowell clearly repeats the data from the memorial > tablet (which is located in the porch of St Michael's > church - I have a photo if anyone requires one). The > "plague" was the second cholera epidemic. > > William Corson McGowan, married to the surgeon's > sister, is my own ancestor. He was born in Scotland > c. 1808 and was already a draper and tea-dealer of > Penrith at the time of his marriage to Margaret in > Dumfries on 3.1.1854. He died in Penrith 18.6.1879, > after which Margaret seems to have returned, at least > eventually, to Scotland. > > Surgeon McLauchlan's other claim to fame is that he > was one of two doctors who performed the first > surgical procedure under anaesthetic to take place in > the British Isles, as the following makes clear: > > Spreading the News of Anesthesia: > >From W.T.G. Morton to the World Wide Web > George S. Bause, M.D., Trustee > Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology > > October 16, 1996, marks the sesquicentennial of > William T.G. Morton's public demonstration of ether > for surgical anesthesia. Though not the first to > etherize, Morton was a successful communicator. > Newspaper accounts and letters spread the news of > anesthesia, shipped throughout the civilized world > largely by steamship. > > A fruitful voyage of one steamship, the Acadia, shared > Dr. Morton's achievement serially with Canadians, > Scots and the English. Departing Boston on December 1, > 1846, this wooden paddle steamer harbored in Halifax > on December 3 before arriving in Liverpool on December > 16. The Acadia's surgeon, Dr. Fraser, took a steamer > and connecting coach to reach his mother in Dumfries, > Scotland, by December 17. Two days later, his surgical > friends Drs M'Lauchlan and Scott administered ether to > a patient there in Dumfries. That same Royal Mail > steamer, Acadia, brought Bostonian Jacob Bigelow's > letter and his son's Boston Daily Advertiser story to > Dr. Boott at Gower Street, London. Robinson etherized > Dr. Boott's niece for a molar extraction on December > 19, 1846. In contrast, the Canadian effort did not > begin until January 18, 1847, when surgeon Dr. Peters > excised Beatteay's arm tumor under Fiske and Adams' > ether at St. John, New Brunswick. > > [American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) > Newsletter Vol. 60, no. 9, September 1996] > > Hope this is of interest. > > Peter > > > > > > ===== > There is a striking resemblance between the casual advice of the learned and the crackling of thorns under a pot (Evelyn Underhill) > > > > > > ___________________________________________________________ALL-NEW Yahoo! Messenger - all new features - even more fun! http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com > > > ==== DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY Mailing List ==== > ******************************************************************** > To UNSUBSCRIBE > send a message to DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY-L-request@rootsweb.com (for mail > mode) or DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY-D-request@rootsweb.com (for digest mode) with > only the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the message body. NO subject, NO signature. > ************************************************************************ >

Peter, You mention the discrepancy in the date of birth (see excerpts from your message below). I have recently visited St Michael's graveyard to search for a stone to try to resolve a similar issue. I had 1744 (from a document) as the date of death for a man. However McDowall gave it as 1774 and there was no mention of the man's wife. It was very difficult to find the stone and even then there were considerable (both physical and sight) difficulties in reading it. I eventually found that the date of the man's death on the memorial stone was in fact 1744 was followed by a note of his wife's death in 1774. It was a most satisfactory resolution of the disjunction of dates and has given me added information. Eunice Smith Edinburgh, Scotland ----- Original Message ----- From: "Peter Didsbury" <pdconsarch@yahoo.co.uk> To: <DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY-L@rootsweb.com> | JAMES McLAUCHLAN, SURGEON, DUMFRIES | | The following details are taken from a transcription | of a family gravestone in Kirkgunzeon churchyard (MIs, | stone 29): | Son: James McLachlan,surgeon, Dumfries, | 14.3.1799-10.12.1848. | McDowell, Memorials of St Michael's Churchyard of | Dumfries, p. 357: The memorial record runs as follows: Born 14th March 1798; died 10th December 1848.'" | | Note the 1798/1799 discrepancy in birth year - | McDowell clearly repeats the data from the memorial | tablet (which is located in the porch of St Michael's | church - I have a photo if anyone requires one).

Dear All I've put the account below together as a matter of public interest and record, and especially for "McBrucie", who asked for details. Thanks are due to Eunice Smith, Florence Denning, and Linda Watson, as previously mentioned. If anyone should know anything of the Scottish origins of William Corson McGowan (mentioned below), or come across him in their genealogical travels, I'd be grateful for the information. JAMES McLAUCHLAN, SURGEON, DUMFRIES The following details are taken from a transcription of a family gravestone in Kirkgunzeon churchyard (MIs, stone 29): Father: James McLachlan, d. Lochfoot 6.10.1832, aged 72. Mother: Mary Carruthers, d. 1.10.1838, aged 73. Son: James McLachlan,surgeon, Dumfries, 14.3.1799-10.12.1848. Daughter: Margaret, d.Dumfries 15.4.1891, husband William Corson McGowan. McDowell, Memorials of St Michael's Churchyard of Dumfries, p. 357: "As a medical practitioner, no one was more popular in Dumfries than he,whose amiable character, general professional attainments, and greatservices during a season of special calamity, are faithfully depicted on another graceful tablet, which reminds us also that he perished at the post of duty when the Burgh was attacked by cholera in 1848. The memorial record runs as follows: `Sacred to the memory of James Mclauchlan, surgeon, Dumfries. His youth was spent in the successful pursuit of professional knowledge; his manhood was devoted to the unwearied, faithful, and benevolent exercise of his high art. His life was signalised by the virtues of the Christian. His death followed his ministrations amid a plague-stricken people, and bore the evidence of that faith in which he lived. Born 14th March 1798; died 10th December 1848.'" Note the 1798/1799 discrepancy in birth year - McDowell clearly repeats the data from the memorial tablet (which is located in the porch of St Michael's church - I have a photo if anyone requires one). The "plague" was the second cholera epidemic. William Corson McGowan, married to the surgeon's sister, is my own ancestor. He was born in Scotland c. 1808 and was already a draper and tea-dealer of Penrith at the time of his marriage to Margaret in Dumfries on 3.1.1854. He died in Penrith 18.6.1879, after which Margaret seems to have returned, at least eventually, to Scotland. Surgeon McLauchlan's other claim to fame is that he was one of two doctors who performed the first surgical procedure under anaesthetic to take place in the British Isles, as the following makes clear: Spreading the News of Anesthesia: From W.T.G. Morton to the World Wide Web George S. Bause, M.D., Trustee Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology October 16, 1996, marks the sesquicentennial of William T.G. Morton's public demonstration of ether for surgical anesthesia. Though not the first to etherize, Morton was a successful communicator. Newspaper accounts and letters spread the news of anesthesia, shipped throughout the civilized world largely by steamship. A fruitful voyage of one steamship, the Acadia, shared Dr. Morton's achievement serially with Canadians, Scots and the English. Departing Boston on December 1, 1846, this wooden paddle steamer harbored in Halifax on December 3 before arriving in Liverpool on December 16. The Acadia's surgeon, Dr. Fraser, took a steamer and connecting coach to reach his mother in Dumfries, Scotland, by December 17. Two days later, his surgical friends Drs M'Lauchlan and Scott administered ether to a patient there in Dumfries. That same Royal Mail steamer, Acadia, brought Bostonian Jacob Bigelow's letter and his son's Boston Daily Advertiser story to Dr. Boott at Gower Street, London. Robinson etherized Dr. Boott's niece for a molar extraction on December 19, 1846. In contrast, the Canadian effort did not begin until January 18, 1847, when surgeon Dr. Peters excised Beatteay's arm tumor under Fiske and Adams' ether at St. John, New Brunswick. [American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Newsletter Vol. 60, no. 9, September 1996] Hope this is of interest. Peter ===== There is a striking resemblance between the casual advice of the learned and the crackling of thorns under a pot (Evelyn Underhill) ___________________________________________________________ALL-NEW Yahoo! Messenger - all new features - even more fun! http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com