I do have some Balleny records from the liberton area, I'll send them here in case they assist you. --------------------- BALLENY, William Christening Gender: Male Christening Date: 10 Apr 1659 Recorded in: Liberton, Midlothian, Scotland Father: Archbald BALLENY Mother: Issobell COUDOUN Source: FHL Film 1067782 Dates: 1624 - 1771 --------------------- BALLENY, William Christening Gender: Male Birth Date: 23 Sep 1749 Birthplace: , Liberton, Midlothian, Scotland Recorded in: Liberton, Midlothian, Scotland Father: David BALLENY Mother: Elizabeth VEITCH Source: FHL Film 1067782 Dates: 1624 - 1771 ---------------------- BALLENY, William Christening Gender: Male Birth Date: 26 Mar 1751 Birthplace: , Liberton, Midlothian, Scotland Recorded in: Liberton, Midlothian, Scotland Father: Thomas BALLENY Mother: Jacobina SMART Source: FHL Film 1067782 Dates: 1624 - 1771 ---------------------------- Perhaps nameing patterns will help you. There were a lot in midlothian my records are not complete. I found another when I searched 5 years either side of 1749 midlothian here BALLENY, William Christening Gender: Male Birth Date: 21 Mar 1748 Christening Date: 29 Mar 1748 Recorded in: Dalkeith, Midlothian, Scotland Father: Adam BALLENY Father's Father: William BALLENY Mother: Elizabeth GRAY Source: FHL Film 1066679 Dates: 1740 - 1755 Note: Additional Data in Original Record Hope some of these might help. Tammy Thomas Simpson wrote: > Hi Listers > > I'm new to the list and am hoping someone can assist/advise with their local nous and know-how. > > I've been researching a Balleny family in County Durham, whose founding father, William Balleny (born around 1749) may have hailed from Midlothian, possibly Liberton, on the southern fringes of Edinburgh. > > The first sighting of the name Balleny, spelt in this particular manner in County Durham church records, appears in 1774, when William Balleny, surgeon, and Jane Barass, married at Chester-le-Street on August 23rd 1774. > > Eight of his nine children's baptisms were registered at Presbyterian churches in Newcastle and South Shields. This rather reinforces his probable Scottish background. General searches have revealed that in the 1700s quite a large cluster of Ballenys, spelling their name in this particular manner, hailed from the Midlothian area. > > With his surgeon's profession, is it possible that he attended the famous Royal College of Surgeons, in Edinburgh, or were there other avenues he could have taken to become a surgeon? Does the Royal College have any accessible records for around 1768-74ish? > > "Founding father William", in later life, went on to become a fairly prosperous ship and land owner, he resided and died at Little Greencroft Hall, his estate to the west of Lanchester, County Durham. Lanchester Burial records note he was buried at Lanchester, County Durham, on March 2nd 1826, aged 78. > > Regards > Thomas Simpson, South Shields. > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MIDLOTHIAN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

hi Thomas. You could do with getting a look at the book listed below. It's a mine of info on medical folk at the very time your William was practising. However, with the amount of data it covers, it is all in columns, coded for economy of space, so you really need to spend some time studying the introductory chapter to get the best of it and cross-referencing the entries to find out everything there is to know about any one individual. Very many of the entries include where and when the medic served his apprenticeship, who his father was, his fees &c &c. "Eighteenth Century Medics - Subscriptions, Licenses, Apprenticeships" by PJ & RV Wallis. ISBN 1-871768-00-4. It written as a Historical Biography Project from Newcastle upon Tyne in 1988 so since you're living in South Shields you should be able to access a copy in your nearest main public library, perhaps in Newcastle itself. Your own librarian should be able to track down where a reference edition is based for you to consult and photocopy It's an enormous great tome but absolutely fascinating :-) good luck le durachd Fionnghal > > The first sighting of the name Balleny, spelt in this > particular manner in County Durham church records, appears > in 1774, when William Balleny, surgeon, and Jane Barass, > married at Chester-le-Street on August 23rd 1774. > >  > > With his surgeon's profession, is it possible that > he  attended the famous Royal College of Surgeons, in > Edinburgh, or were there other avenues he could have taken > to become a surgeon? Does the Royal College have any > accessible records for around 1768-74ish? > >