Above is a snapshot of where we left off in Part 1. I managed to trace these 6 members of this story back over 300 years. Below I will summarise what I have found about their parents and grandparents. We are starting this story on the 13th Generation, with 10 people.

13th-15th Generation

13th Generation

Robert Black & Jonet Bane

Robert’s parents were Robert Black and Jonet Baine. Jonet Baine was born in South Leith, Midlothian on 2 July 1647 to Alexander Baine and Catherane Doge.

Only 2 years before her birth Leith suffered a huge loss during the 1645 plague. Over 50% of the population in the southern district died. Archaeological excavations in 2016 found a mass grave of 81 bodies from the 1645 plague. The archaeologists surmised that there was extreme fear of dying from this plague. Many of the bodies were hastily buried in their clothes and still had money and other personal items on them! (indicating that people did not want to touch the bodies, even to remove money).

5 years later, in 1650, Leith then became a battleground. The Army of the Covenant threw up defense’s between Calton Hill and Leith. They aimed to defend Edinburgh against Oliver Cromwell’s forces. This rampart became the line of one of Edinburgh’s longest streets, Leith Walk. Is it any wonder why Jonet Baine’s family left Leith for Inveresk? Janet married Robert in Inveresk and they had at least 5 children, all of whom born in Inveresk.

James Paice & Jeane Melrose

Next we have Jeane Pais’s father was born in Liberton in 1633 to John Paiss and Bessie Selkirk. His birth certificate, barely legible, is almost 400 years old! 400 years ago Liberton wasn’t a part of Edinburgh like it is today – even though it’s only 3 miles from the centre.

For those Military Historians 1633 was also the birth of the Royal Scots Regiment. A royal warrant was issued to Sir John Hepburn to raised a body of men in Scotland for service in France. This regiment became known as the Royal Scots.

Jeane’s mother was Jeane Melrose and she was 15 years younger than her husband. She was born on the 6 December 1648 to Stevin Melrose and Issobel Todd in Inveresk. All roads lead to Inveresk in this story!

John Archibald and Isobel Henderson

Henry Archibald’s father John was born on 19 January 1682 in Niddry and baptised in Inveresk. Inveresk would have been the closest town to Niddry. I am inclined to believe they lived their life in Niddry and went to town only when required, which back then wouldn’t have been very often at all.

His wife, Isobel was born in 1686 to Alexander Henderson and Isobel Gordon in Liberton. Liberton was where they married in 1704 and after Henry died Isobel went back to Liberton. This could be due to poverty laws – if you couldn’t provide for yourself then you returned to the parish of your birth. She died in 1751.

John Dobie and Elpeth Moffat

We are still on the East coast with John who was born to Thomas and Isobell Dobie on 23 Sept 1683 in Dalkeith. He married Elizabeth in May 1715 and died 26 June 1756 in Newton. Elizabeth was born 28 October 1691 in Inveresk to John Moffatt and Maise Cleghorn. how amazing all these years ago to know someone’s birth, marriage and death!

The marriage certificate states John was a Baxter. This was a medieval term for a Baker and life was tough. In 1709, magistrates were given the power to control the price, weight, and type of loaves. Although, luckily, in 1757 Parliament banned additives like alum, lime, chalk, and powdered bones from bread after a report accused bakers of using them to make bread appear white!!!

Walter Somervel & Janet Henderson

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14th Generation

I find it unbelievable that there was so much information for this branch of my family. I have done another recap to include the 14th Generation as I get lost with all the names. There are so many people and so many stories

Alexander Bane & Catharane Doge

Alexander Bane was born 2 May 1619 to John Bane and Isobell Mitchell. He was baptised in St Cuthburts and married Catherine in 1645, in South Leith

It’s hard to imagine life that long ago this was when The Scottish church sets up schools in every parish to teach children “godliness and knowledge”: and to read and write in English and not Gaelic!!

John Pais & Bessie Selkirk

This is the closest I could get to what Edinburgh looked like at this time

Canongate is a street in central Edinburgh. The street forms the main eastern length of the Royal Mile and a section of Edinburgh’s Old Town. When James VI moved to London in 1603, it began the decline of the Canongate. The loss of the royal court from Holyrood Palace inevitably affected the wealth of the surrounding area. Thus I believe would be the behind his move to Inveresk.

Stevin Melrose & Isobell Todd

Issobell Tod was born on the 2 April 1623 in Inveresk to Williame Tod. Yip I’m still talking about Inveresk

Thomas Dobie & Isobel Henderson

Thomas was born on 24 September 1648 to James Dobie and Katherin Edslaw

In the 1600s Dalkeith was a market town with a rich history that included witchcraft trials. In 1648/9, five women were executed in Dalkeith for witchcraft and in 1650 Oliver Cromwell’s army came to Dalkeith. His officer General George Monck was Commander in Scotland, and the government of the country was based out of Dalkeith Castle.

John Moffat & Masie Cleghorn

John was born on 13 Feb 1669 in Inveresk he married Maisie on 6 December 1690. She was also born in Inveresk in 1669. John died on 23 May 1733 in Newton

Newton was originally land owned by the Clan Hamilton, The Hamilton chiefs descend from Walter fitz Gilbert of Hambledon. They appear in a charter to the Monastery of Paisley in about 1294. His lands appears to have originally been in Renfrewshire, however, his support for Robert the Bruce rewarded him with lands in Lanarkshire and the Lothians. These lands also included Cadzow, which later became the town of Hamilton, South Lanarkshire.

The business of a collier seems to be a very lucrative one, with coal miner getting a higher income than most. However, “it is the heavy complaint of all the coalmasters, that a collier will work none, so long as he has any money in his pocket”.

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15th Generation

This bring us to another generation, thus another recap is needed (for me at least!)

John Baine and Isobell Mitchell

John and Isobell married in Edinburgh in 1617. John was a Merchant. In the early 17th century merchants had established trade networks across the Atlantic Ocean and eastward to India and China. These networks allowed them to acquire furs, tea, sugar, spices, and other luxury commodities that were in great demand.

This also means that they were born before Scotland and England were united with James I. This is the time of Mary Queen of Scots and Queen Elizabeth.

James Dobie & Katheren Edglie

James was born in Lasswade on 29 April 1621 to William Dobie and Catherine Sinclaire. He married Katheren in 1642 in Dalkeith.

Katheren was baptised in St Cuthberts in 1619 to Alexander Edglie and Alison Cockburn – The same year as Alexander Bane from the last generation. There were 285 babies baptised in St Cuthbert’s in 1619 and I have connections to 2 of them!

These Scottish roots run deep!!

Legend says that Lasswade, the area got its name from a sturdy local girl called Jenny, who would wade across the river carrying travellers on her back before a bridge was built.

When there was nae Brig to cross the Esk river,
On Jenny’s braid back they a’ gaed the gither,
For Jenny was honest, stout, sober and steady
She carried the Laird, she carried his leddy,
Whin he was richt seated the doggie first gaed,
Then waving his stick he cried “Jenny Lass – Wade!”

James Moffat & Janet Cadgeley

James was born in 1635 in Newton and Married Janet Cadgeley in 1661 in Lasswade. Records indicate they had over 12 children. I wonder the the poem above was about one of their kids

John Cleghorn and Elizabeth Clunies

John was born in Corstorphine, another area that is now part of Edinburgh. Old Corstorphine stood on a piece of dry land, between two lochs, the Gogar Loch and Corstorphine Loch, though both have now been drained.

His wife Elizabeth was from Inveresk and where they married…..

I have gone back 15 generations over 400s and have ended up over the firth of Forth