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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Fife => Topic started by: Seoras on Tuesday 12 June 12 23:15 BST (UK)
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One of my ancestors is recorded as a tailor in this place (date 1783) and I can't trace it.I know it was in Ceres parish.Googling brings up not a lot apart from some people asking the same question.One of them thinks it may also have been called Hall of Teasses,but I have no idea what they base that on.Anyone have any idea whereabouts this place was/is.
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Hi ,
Found Teasses Ho. on this map -
http://maps.nls.uk/atlas/thomson/view/?rsid=74400166&sid=74400166&mid=544&pdesc=Right%20side
Zoom in 4 times(+ button) and the word Ceres is at the top l/hand side , it's below the first e
ev
Added - Published 1832 , there is no Gray's Hall listed in the index
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Possibly Craighall ?
Margow
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That's in the right area ev,they are still around there 20 years later in Callange,not too far away.
Hi Margow,I had looked at Craighall but discounted it,further along the line are a g and capital C that look unlike the G and y in Gray's.
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Interesting map that ev.I have people in Earlsferry at the same date as the map.I wondered why it was described as in Kilconquhar parish and not Elie which it's joined on to.The parish boundry runs right between them.
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There's a mention in the Edinburgh Courant on April 30, 1884. I found it on Google but you need to subscribe to view the page properly. There is a slightly garbled text version of it, and this is the bit which mentions Gray's Hall (it sounds like part of a farm):
"The FARM of In the ot Ceres as presently possessed by Mr George and o 05 Acres Imperial or thereby Gray's Hall Field adjoining he Farm und containing about 14 Imperial Acres any bn added to tho Farm Tho present Tenant Is not to bo an offerer oml the will bo out by David Taylor Grieve far further particulars apply to John Banker factor on tbo or to Johnston Solicitors Cupar with Uie ormer of whom offers must be lodged on or before the 3d June next"
I'm guessing that it should say something like:
"The farm of, in the lot Ceres as presently possessed by Mr George, and 5 acres imperial or thereby, Gray's Hall Field adjoining the farm and containing about 14 imperial acres any be added to the farm though present tenant is not to be an offerer [garbled] David Taylor, Grieve for further particulars apply to John Banker, factor [garbled] or to Johnston Solicitors, Cupar [garbled] of whom offers must be lodged on or before the 3d June next."
I found this at http://newspaperarchive.com/edinburgh-courant/1884-04-30/page-2
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Hi Archivos,thanks for that,it certainly puts Gray's Hall in the Ceres area.I originally thought I was looking for a village but now wonder if as you say it was all part of a farm or estate.
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David Taylor age 45 , lamb stewart(land steward ?) living Hillteasses Farm House , Ceres in 1881
http://geo.nls.uk/search/#zoom=14&lat=56.26194&lon=-2.94576&layers=B000000FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFTFFFFFFFFFT
ev
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I see that ev and a little to the north Hall Teasses,I wonder if that and Gray's Hall are one and the same but have had a name change.
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Hi all, I realise a lot of time has passed since this discussion, but thought it worth sharing my findings. Thanks to you I pursued the question of Gray's Hall, specifically thanks to Archivos I managed to download the newspaper advert (attached) and thanks to the wonderful National Libraries of Scotland maps, found the Roy military map from mid 18th century which can be found at the link given below (free access). On the map you'll see Ceres (spelt Seerus on this map) and to the south around halfway between Ceres and Largo Law is Grayshall. The map is not especially detailed but together with the description in the notice it does establish that there was a settlement called Gray's Hall nearby Windygates. I've spent a bit of time looking at the other maps on the NLS site but Roy is the only one that I can find mention of Gray's Hall.
Hope this helps
R
https://maps.nls.uk/geo/roy/#zoom=13&lat=56.2767&lon=-2.9460&layers=roy-highlands
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Fabulous! It's these kind of things that niggle away, so it's great when there's a resolution to them. Farm names are so frustrating, as sometimes their in use for such a short period of time, or are so small they don't appear on maps. Brilliant stuff though!
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I looked up Gray's Hall in "The Place-Names of Fife", Volume Two, Central Fife between the Rivers Leven and Eden, under the parish of Ceres -
"GARR HILLS
The Ordnance Survey Name Book describes these as 'small heights on the farm of Hill Teasses', adding 'why they obtained their name is not known in the neighbourhood'. Roy (1753) shows Grayshall in the vicinity, which may be a garbled rendering of the name."
Harry
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Possibly connected to the Gray family who owned Teasses estate for most of the 18th century. The Reverend John Gray, who was minister of Dollar from 1700 until his death in 1745, bought the estate in c.1718. His entry in Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae makes interesting reading e.g. He made a fortune by acting as a banker; being styled "the Baron". His daughter Jean (or Jane) Gray (1741-1792) inherited his estates on his death and sold Teasses estate in c.1787.
Margow
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https://maps.nls.uk/geo/roy/#zoom=15&lat=56.2696&lon=-2.9321&layers=roy-highlands
https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16&lat=56.2648&lon=-2.9610&layers=5&b=1
https://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NO4008
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Hi
Just joined Roots Chat - an excellent forum
I'm researching my family - Cunningham, Cunins - smiths in Hillteasses in the C18th.
Margow, I was wondering where I can find the reference to the c1718 purchase of the Teasses Estate by Rev Gray. I've found a sales advert for the Teasses Estate from 1785, after Miss Jean Gray's passing (The Caledonian Mercury 24 August 1785): it was bought by William Stark.
There are also accounts of Rev Gray's 'banking' activity in the Old and New Statistical Records for Dollar.
Thanks
Peter
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Apologies to cunningp for the delay in replying. I didn't receive the usual notification of this post and only spotted it by chance.
The sasine recording the purchase of Teasses Estate by John Gray from James Holborne of Menstrie is dated 18 November 1718. John Gray's daughter, Jean Gray (died 1792), put the estate up for sale in 1785. The advert in the Caledonian Mercury on 24 August 1785 offers it "To be SOLD by private bargain", but it does not appear to have sold on this occasion, since another advert appeared in the Caledonian Mercury on 14 June 1786 offering it "To be SOLD by public voluntary roup". The purchaser was Henry (Harry) Stark. Teasses Estate remained in the hands of the Stark (later Stark-Christie) family until the 1870s.
I hope this information is helpful.
Margow
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Thank you so much Margow - really useful information and thanks for correcting my errors. Much appreciated.
Peter
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Hi
Just joined Roots Chat - an excellent forum
I'm researching my family - Cunningham, Cunins - smiths in Hillteasses in the C18th.
Margow, I was wondering where I can find the reference to the c1718 purchase of the Teasses Estate by Rev Gray. I've found a sales advert for the Teasses Estate from 1785, after Miss Jean Gray's passing (The Caledonian Mercury 24 August 1785): it was bought by William Stark.
There are also accounts of Rev Gray's 'banking' activity in the Old and New Statistical Records for Dollar.
Thanks
Peter
I was interested to see that you are descended from the Cunningham family of blacksmiths from Ceres parish. One of my aunts, Maggie Watson, married an Alexander Cunningham in 1932. His family can be traced back to William Cunningham and Jane Colville who were married in 1806 in Cameron parish. Their son Wm. Cunningham was a blacksmith and married Margaret Kirkcaldy in 1838. Several generations of the male Cunninghams were blacksmiths.
I got lots of information about the family in 2000 from John Cunningham, former stationmaster at St. Monans, who was a St. Monans Miller on his mother's side. Although John was 29 years older than me we shared the same uncle Alexander Cunningham (uncle-by-marriage in my case).
Harry
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A very late post so hopefully someone is still interested! Anyway,
Gray's Hall is on Teasses Estate next to the area of Hall Teasses Farm, however we now call it Gracehall but this is a derivation of the original Gray's Hall which referred to owner of Teasses in the 18th C. Rev. John Gray and his daughter Miss Jean (Jane) Gray.
I live on Teasses and have explored the history but keen to learn more.