G'day , I wonder if SKS in Dumfries could, at a convenient time, see if there was ever an obituary or other newspaper report on the passing of James GRACIE who died there on 23rd April 1814. It would appear that The Dumfries Commercial Bank was set up by James Gracie in 1804 but failed four years later. The bank was described in Andrew Kerr's "History of Banking in Scotland" as a "wretched attempt" at banking. This bank issued Guinea (21/-) and Five Pound notes until it's ultimate and rather quick sequestering in 1808 with a payout of 10/- on the Pound. Amongst the other details I have already discovered are: He may have been born about 1756 at New Abbey, Kirkcudbright. He married Jean COWAN about 1777 His eldest son was a William GRACIE a Writer to the Signet in Edinburgh. Another son - John Fraser GRACIE was also a writer in Dumfries. He had a number of other children. He was a great friend of BURNS. He was bankrupt. I am trying to find his parents and his date of birth - age at death. Thanks in advance for anything that is forthcoming. Mike CALDER http://members.optusnet.com.au/mikecalder/ Researching: CALDER, DIXON, TUSON, GRACIE D&GFHS #2979

Mike, You will find a short note about James Gracie (1756?-1814) in Maurice Lindsay's `The Burns Encyclopaedia' (1959 and 1980, p148). I think that the text will be available online if you use GOOGLE . It states that Gracie was born in New Abbey and that for 20 years he was a magistrate in Dumfries and a captain of the Dumfries Volunteers. Burns wrote from the Brow eight days before his death thanking Gracie for "an airing in his carriage". He is also mentioned in R. D. Thornton's `William Maxwell to Robert Burns' (pub. 1979., pp 57, 184). There is a comment about Betty Gracie, "daughter of the banker James Gracie who had been born at New Abbey." Later in the text is "James Gracie ... was born at New Abbey within a stone's throw of Sweetheart Abbey, His daughter Betty came to Dr Maxwell, as one of his first patients, after she had aborted herself. James offered his carriage to bring Burns back from Brow, just days before his death ...". There are several Gracies in `McDowall's Memorials of St Michael's' but I have not checked them. Eunice Smith Edinburgh, Scotland

G'day Eunice, Thanks for your reply; it is tending to harden the evidence that New Abbey is the "seat" of this line and that it does not connect with the Morton area. > Maurice Lindsay's `The Burns Encyclopaedia'. Yes - I have found that online. I am beginning to see this line as coming from one Francis GRACIE who had a son in 1726 [OPR]; then "William GRACIE weaver, son to Francis Gracie in Kirkmaho & Margaret McGowan, daughter to the deceased Samuel McGowan both of this place & married 14th December" (1752) [from the Dumfries OPR film]. Although I do not have positive connections it does appear that James could have been a son of this William. There is also an other later Francis GRACIE "who resided at Carse of Newabbey and died upon the first day of January eighteen hundred and seventeen years" [from his testament] but this testament makes no mention of the GRACIE name except his which I found baffling. > He is also mentioned in R. D. Thornton's `William Maxwell to > Robert Burns' (pub. 1979., pp 57, 184). Thanks for that - had not seen that evidence. > There are several Gracies in `McDowall's Memorials of St > Michael's' but I have not checked them. There could be something there. I have not seen anything from that yet. I seem to see very little use of the name "Francis" except for the two mentioned. Do you think "Frazer/Fraser" could have taken its place as a family name? Mike CALDER http://members.optusnet.com.au/mikecalder/ Researching: CALDER, DIXON, TUSON, GRACIE D&GFHS #2979

One of these one guinea notes is in the Savings Banks Museum in Ruthwell. See www.savingsbanksmuseum.co.uk Rene Anderson ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mike Calder" <mikecalder@optusnet.com.au> To: <DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, August 12, 2004 9:11 AM Subject: [D-G LIST] James GRACIE - Died 23rd April 1814. > G'day , > > I wonder if SKS in Dumfries could, at a convenient time, see if there > was ever an obituary or other newspaper report on the passing of James > GRACIE who died there on 23rd April 1814. > > It would appear that The Dumfries Commercial Bank was set up by James > Gracie in 1804 but failed four years later. The bank was described in > Andrew Kerr's "History of Banking in Scotland" as a "wretched attempt" > at banking. This bank issued Guinea (21/-) and Five Pound notes until > it's ultimate and rather quick sequestering in 1808 with a payout of > 10/- on the Pound. > > Amongst the other details I have already discovered are: > > He may have been born about 1756 at New Abbey, Kirkcudbright. > > He married Jean COWAN about 1777 > > His eldest son was a William GRACIE a Writer to the Signet in Edinburgh. > Another son - John Fraser GRACIE was also a writer in Dumfries. > He had a number of other children. > > He was a great friend of BURNS. > > He was bankrupt. > > I am trying to find his parents and his date of birth - age at death. > > Thanks in advance for anything that is forthcoming. > > > Mike CALDER > http://members.optusnet.com.au/mikecalder/ > Researching: CALDER, DIXON, TUSON, GRACIE > D&GFHS #2979 > > > > ==== DUMFRIES-GALLOWAY Mailing List ==== > ********************************** > YOU HAVE ENTERED A FLAME FREE ZONE > ********************************** >