William Aitchison Runciman1

(13 April 1840 - 13 November 1863)
FatherDavid Runciman D.D.1 (1804 - Sep 1872)
MotherJanet Aitchison1 (cir. 1816 - Feb 1890)
Relationship2nd cousin 4 times removed of Lorna Henderson

BMDB data

     William Aitchison Runciman was born on 13 Apr 1840 Edinburgh, MLN, SCT.2 He was baptized on 17 May 1840 Edinburgh St Cuthberts, MLN, SCT.1
     William Aitchison Runciman died on 13 Nov 1863 Hse of John Brown Esq., Berea, Durban, NAT, SAF, at age 23; According to the Fasti entry for father Dr David R, he died "at Dunbar", but there are no William Runciman deaths registered in Scotland that match around 1862/3, and if he was in Sth Africa Jul 1862, he'd be hard pushed to get back.
The Glasgow University Matriculation Albums show a Gulielmus Aitchison Runciman "filius nat. secund. Davidis Verbi Dei Ministri Glasguensis. Born in 1840. Died at the Berea, D'Urban, Port Natal (in the house of John Brown, Esq.) 13th November, 1863. Brother of 16108, 16951."3,4,5,6

Migration

     William Aitchison Runciman and John Aitchison Runciman left from Glasgow on 10 April 1862 a 95 days voyage on the Olympia arriving Port Natal (Durban) on 10 Jul 1862 notes from a grandson saying "Two brothers, John and William RUNCIMAN emigrated to South Africa in 1862. They hailed from Glasgow, and after 95 days at sea in the 224 ton vessel "Olympia" disembarked at Port Natal (Durban) on July 10th . William was sickly and was most likely coming to South Africa for health reasons. He survived the wet and uncomfortable voyage but died soon after his arrival."7,2

Census/Where lived/Occupations

     The census of 1841 showed David and William and their sister Mary in the household of their parents David and Janet Runciman 8 Salisbury Pl, Edinburgh St Cuthberts, Canongate, MLN, SCT, enumerated as RUNCIMAN: David 36 Min. of Newington Parish, Janet, 25, both b outside county. David W 4, Mary 2, William 1 all b MLN; Also Elizabeth Smith, 20 Independent, b outside cty; and three female servants: Euphemia McCaw, 22, b MLN; Janet Baxter, 24; Jane McKenzie 24, both b outside county.8
     The census of 1851 showed David, William, John, Robert and Alexander and their sisters Mary and Janet in the household of their parents David and Janet Runciman Annfield Pl (13), Glasgow, Dist of High Church, LKS, SCT, enumerated as RUNCIMAN: David D.D. 47, Minister of St Andrew b nr Lauder, Berwick; wife Janet 35 b Edin; Children: David W 13, Mary K (ancestry indexed as R) 12, William A 10, John A 8 all scholars all b Edin; Janet L (ancestry indexed as B) scholar, Robert Peel 2, Alexander E 3mths all b Glasgow; Servants: LANDES, HENNESY; BOWNER.9
     The census of 1861 showed David, William, John, Robert and Alexander and their sisters Mary, Janet and Elizabeth in the household of their parents David and Janet Runciman Duke St (317), Srpingburn, Glasgow, LKS, SCT, enumerated as RUNCIMAN: David D.D. 57, Minister of St Andrew Parish, Glasgow, b Lauder, BEW; wife Janet 45 b Peebles; Children: David W 23 (ancestry has 28) Mat student, Mary K 21, William 20 calico printer clerk, John A 18 merchants clerk, all b Edin; Janet L 15, Robert 12, Alexander 10, all scholars b Glasgow; Elizabeth N 5 b Glasgow; Servants: McNEILLAGE, McCULLICK.10

All the other info

     A report in the Sunday Tribune newspaper back in 1962 records the diary of John and William RUNCIMAN, who emigrated to Sth Africa as being donated to the Natal Archives.
Extracts include:
     April 13th was William's birthday; April 18th was Mamma's birthday and April 23rd Janet's. Young Lizzie is mentioned and David is wished success in his future career on his birthday 26 May. David and the boys came to see the brothers off at Gourock (Greenock?) on April 10 1862 - the last farewell to members of their family - and there is an entry, 'Now a month since left Annfield Place.11'

External links

     Click here to see William's page on WikiTree, a (free) collaborative on-line tree.12
ChartsRUNCIMAN of Earlston/Wanton Walls
FAMILTON
Last Edited15 Jun 2016

Citations

  1. Online search: assorted surnames, International Genealogical Index (IGI), RUNCIMAN/AITCHISON births/baptisms, batch C119905, extracted Sep 2005.
  2. Rootsweb Msge Board online at http://boards.rootsweb.com, RUNCIMAN mailing list resources, (http://www.guernsey.net/~sgibbs/runciman/) diary of brothers John and William RUNCIMAN, posted in Aug 2002 by Mrs Mary RUNCIMAN, extracted Sep 2005, (the diary had just been donated to the Natal Archives, and the donation reported, in the Sunday Tribune in 1962).
  3. Rootsweb Msge Board online at http://boards.rootsweb.com, Dth "after Jul 1862" William Aitchison RUNCIMAN, from RUNCIMAN mailing list resources, (http://www.guernsey.net/~sgibbs/runciman/) pdf file on brothers John and William RUNCIMAN in Sth Africa, written by Mrs Mary RUNCIMAN, extracted Sep 2005.
  4. RUNCIMAN Misc. web searches & correspondence Dth 1862 Dunbar, William Aitchison s/o Dr David RUNCIMAN, from Fasti ecclesiae scoticanae; the succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland from the reformation (1915), online at http://www.archive.org/details/fastiecclesiasco03scotuoft, extracted May 2007.
  5. The University of Glasgow Story online at http://www.universitystory.gla.ac.uk/, Dth 13 Nov 1863 Gulielmus Aitchison RUNCIMAN, Berea, D'Urban, Port Natal, from 1728-1858 Glasgow University Matriculation Albums via TheGenealogist, extracted Jun 2016.
  6. Hew SCOTT, Fasti, David RUNCIMAN b. 1804 Wanton Walls, Lauder, from St Andrews, Glasgow, p 434 of Fasti ecclesiæ scoticanæ; the succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland from the reformation by Scott, Hew, 1791-1872; Macdonald, D. F. (Donald Farquhar), 1906-
    Published 1915, rechecked Jun 2016.
  7. Rootsweb Msge Board online at http://boards.rootsweb.com, RUNCIMAN mailing list resources, (http://www.guernsey.net/~sgibbs/runciman/) pdf file on brothers John and William RUNCIMAN in Sth Africa, written by Mrs Mary RUNCIMAN, extracted Sep 2005, (Mary's husband being a descendant of the Dunbar RUNCIMAN families).
  8. FreeCensus, UK online at http://www.freecen.org.uk/, 1841 Canongate, Par. of St Cuthberts, Edin, MLN SCT1841/685 ED 4 Folio 223 Page 5, hsehold of David & Janet RUNCIMAN, extracted Sep 2005.
  9. 1851 Census transcripts, Scotland, via Ancestry.com, Barony, LKS, Par. 622 ED 2C Pg 16 Sched 73, hsehold of David & Janet RUNCIMAN, extracted May 2007.
  10. 1861 Census transcripts, Scotland, via Ancestry.com, Springburn, High Church, Glasgow, LKS, Par. 644/2 ED 121 Pg 7 Sched 36, hsehold of David & Janet RUNCIMAN, extracted May 2007.
  11. Rootsweb Msge Board online at http://boards.rootsweb.com, RUNCIMAN mailing list resources, (http://www.guernsey.net/~sgibbs/runciman/) diary of brothers John and William RUNCIMAN, posted in Aug 2002 by Mrs Mary RUNCIMAN, extracted Sep 2005, (the diary had just been donated to the Natal Archives, and the donation reported in the Sunday Tribune in 1962).
  12. WikiTree online at http://WikiTree.com/, Oct 2011.

E. & O. E. Some/most parish records are rather hard to read and names, places hard to interpret, particularly if you are unfamiliar with an area.