5th Great Grandmother

9th Generation

Born - 6th June 1789, Ayr

Ann Parker was born to John Parker and Mary Henderson on 6th June 1789 in Ayr. Her father was a Dyer (A person whose trade is the dyeing of cloth or other materials). He would have used natural colours from animals, plants etc for this process.

Ann had 4 brothers, Robert, George, David, Peter and a sister Janet. Ann was the eldest, her parents had been married 4 years before any of the birth’s were registered.

Church records show that Ann married John Rae on the 1 September 1810, in Ayr. The image above is a painting of Ayr, New Bridge & Town House in 1790, not longer after Ann was born. A permanent military presence was established in the town with the completion of Ayr Barracks (later known as Churchill Barracks) on the citadel site in 1795. Ayr Town Hall was designed by Thomas Hamilton and completed in 1832.

Other facts include Ayr Racecourse that was established in 1777. The “New Brig” of Ayr was constructed in 1785–88 and rebuilt in 1877 after severe flooding. In 1792 and 1817, Parliament passed acts to deepen and maintain Ayr’s Harbour. During this period Ayr’s population was estimated to be around 4,000. It is also worth noting that Ann was born in 1789 and the famous poet Rabbie Burns (1759-1796) , who was also born in Ayr was still alive.

Most of Ann’s own children were born in the Gorals, Glasgow. She had married a baker and there was much more work in a city for a baker.

Son – Robert Rae

Husband – John Rae