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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Lanarkshire => Topic started by: Duncan Bennie on Friday 07 March 14 14:02 GMT (UK)
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Hi all,
I am looking for information on the Bennie family from Lanarkshire in the 1700's to early 1800's.
My 5X great grandfather was one John Bennie born in 1796 in Glasgow.
His parents were James and Sarah Bennie. Sarah was born Sarah Scott. They also apparently had another son named Thomas.
John Bennie studied at Glasgow University and became associated with the Glasgow Missionary Society in 1816
He sailed to South Africa on the ship the Woodlark in the 1820s and lived his life out in SA
Any information on his Scottish family would be much appreciated
Duncan Bennie
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Hi Duncan
John's mother Margaret rather than Sarah? www.southafricansettlers.com/?cat=12&paged=35
Brother Thomas that you mention https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X14X-8LK
Monica
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Hi Monica, thank you :)
No idea why I wrote Sarah, I meant to say Margaret :P Must of been a result of writing it in a rush. Thomas' data will be a great help thanks
Duncan
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Hi Duncan
There are two entries on the Wills & Testament section of www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk for a Thomas than be the one born to James and Margaret (Scott). The detail shows:
Thomas Bennie, 6 June 1853, Warehouseman, thereafter Baker, residing at 296 Duke Street Glasgow - GLASGOW SHERIFF COURT - INVENTORIES - SC36/48/39 3 pages.
Thomas Bennie, 6 June 1853, Warehouseman in Glasgow, Spouse of Mary HORN, son of Margaret SCOTT Or BENNIE - TRUST DISPOSITION AND SETTLEMENT - GLASGOW SHERIFF COURT WILLS - SC36/51/32 3 pages.
Possible marriage in the Old Parish Registers in 1838 https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XTYB-89S
Not much to help further on possible census entries:
1841:
Thomas Bennie 40 Shopman
John Bennie 13
Mary Bennie (mrs) 40 born outside of Lanarkshire
1851:
Thomas Bennie 52 Draper b. Glasgow
Mary Bennie 52 b. Fife - Dunfermline
Address: 18 Little Hamilton St, Glasgow
Not sure if this is the correct Thomas though. With this all being pre 1855 and the start of official registration of BMDs, information will be harder to confirm.
Monica
Added: An advertisement for 1844 for the above Thomas I think! www.flickr.com/photos/robertpool/5345376725/
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Thank you once again Monica, ;D
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Hi, Do you know anything about Thomas?
I have a Thomas Bennie in my family tree born 1798 whose parents I believe were James Bennie and Mary Scott
Thomas married Elizabeth Urquhart and had a daughter Catherine Scott Bennie 1823, she was my 3rd great grandmother.
Would be interested to know if this is the Thomas you are looking for?
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Hi, Do you know anything about Thomas?
I have a Thomas Bennie in my family tree born 1798 whose parents I believe were James Bennie and Mary Scott
Thomas married Elizabeth Urquhart and had a daughter Catherine Scott Bennie 1823, she was my 3rd great grandmother.
Would be interested to know if this is the Thomas you are looking for?
Hi Nessie, unfortunately, I only have a name, so have nothing yet that can 100% confirm the link but it is a probable link. Hopefully more information will come to my attention in the future to confirm or disprove this link. Have a great day, and thank you for the reply ;)
Duncan
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Hmmm.
Thomas Bennie and Mary Horn were married in Glasgow on 27 November 1838. So she could be a second wife.
Thomas Bennie and Elizabeth Urquhart were married in Glasgow on 20 May 1821.
Unfortunately the IGI doesn't list any children of either marriage. However it is possible that the Trust Disposition and Settlement names the children of Thomas Bennie, which ought to clarify things. You can download a digital image of the TD&S at www.scotlandspeople,gov.uk at modest cost. (The inventory will tell you what Thomas owned at the time of his death, but it won't give you information about his family.)
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Hi Duncan
I just wondered if you found out anymore information about the Bennie family
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Hi Nessie,
I have discovered a few tidbits of information, but nothing that has led to any major breakthrough. I have managed to unearth a bit more information about my 3X great grandfather, John's, time in Scotland.
I have a couple of accademic articles and thesis, including B. W. Andrzejewski, S. Pilaszewicz, W. Tyloch (1985: 588), Sass, F.W. (1956: 47), and Shell, S.C.T.R. (2006: 206) that state John was born on 26 October 1796 in Glasgow in Lanarkshire in Scotland. His death notice, drawn up by his son, also states that he was born in Glasgow, and that his parents were James Bennie and Margaret Scott.
Scott, H. (1928: 561) states in the Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae the Succession of Ministers in the Church of Scotland From the Reformation - Volume VII, John "was probably the son of James B. merchant, Haddington, educated at Univ. of Glasgow. Of his time in Glasgow it further states that he was set apart in the North Albion Street Chapel on 23 Jan 1821.
I have found no other link to Haddington, although it is possible that his son perhaps presumed that he was born in Glasgow as I do believe that his death notice was the source for many of the academics that wrote about him. I have not been able to find the James Bennie of Haddington and would question why he would be referred to as being from Haddington if he was in Glasgow from at least the time of Thomas' birth.
Sass, F.W. (1956:47) records that in December 1814, John was received as a member of ``the Church in Campbell Street.'' He would have been 18 years of age at the time. Where the rest of his family were at this point is unclear. I have no indication that the family were with him, I doubt it as my understanding is is that the church is near the university, and according to Scott, H. (1928, 561), John was educated at the University of Glasgow. It is thus possible that even if the family was in Glasgow at the time, he was possibly received at a church closer to were he moved to to be near the uni.
According to B. W. Andrzejewski, S. Pilaszewicz, W. Tyloch (1985, 588), John became a member of the Glasgow Missionary Society in 1816. He would have been 20 years old at the time of joining.
John would later cut his studies short so that he could travel to the Cape Colony as a missionary catechist. According to Scott, H (1928, 561), John was "set apart" in the North Albion Street Chapel on 23 January 1821.
Thank you for your continued interest,
Duncan
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Hi Duncan
Mention here of father James being a a metal smith from Glasgow https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bennie_(missionary)
Monica :)
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Thanks Monica ;)
Unfortunately that line is not referenced so I am unable to find where that information was obtained from.
Duncan ;D
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We could wade through some of the early Post Office Directories for Glasgow looking for any sign of James Bennie ::)... See www.nls.uk/family-history/directories/post-office/index.cfm?place=Glasgow
Click on 'view book online' option and then use the scroller button at the bottom to flick through quickly or search box top right. Remember to check for variants to Bennie such as the most common Binnie.
Have you looked this possible OPR death/burial on Scotlands People?:
James BENNIE, age 40 died in Glasgow on 12/02/1800. Ref 644/1640 79
There may also be an occupation showing on the OPR entry for John in 1796 and son Thomas in 1798?
Monica
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Having a quick look through some of the directories (search function works really well). There does not seems to be many /anyJames Bennies showing really (a number of John and Williams showing most years). There is one James in 1813 who shows as a spirit merchant. Also one in 1822 where that James shows as a Beadle at St John's Church www.archive.org/stream/glasgowdirectory1822glas#page/44/mode/2up/search/bennie. A number of sites showing a description of a church beadle, such as here www.victorianlondon.org/professions/beadles.htm
Further referece to Beadle James in 1831, now at St James' Church www.archive.org/stream/postofficeannual183132uns#page/n49/mode/2up/search/bennie
No idea if this James is potentially connected though ;)
Added: Beadle James too young to be father to John. He shows here in 1841:
James Bennie 50 beadle to parish church b. Scotland
Elizabeth Burnstein 20 servant
Address: Glasgow St James
Monica
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Duncan, from all of the research sources you have, has anyone quoted any direct reference to John's time at Glasgow University? I can see a number of Bennies showing in their archives, www.universitystory.gla.ac.uk/people/?start=550&max=50&o=&l=b but no John. (Binnies here http://www.universitystory.gla.ac.uk/people/?start=650&max=50&o=&l=b).
You could contact the Archive Services there via email and make some enquiries?
Monica
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.....the son of James B. merchant, Haddington, educated at Univ. of Glasgow. Of his time in Glasgow it further states that he was set apart in the North Albion Street Chapel on 23 Jan 1821.
I have found no other link to Haddington
John, son of James Bennie, a smith, and Margaret Scott was born/christened (? can't tell which) in Glasgow on 17 October 1796. Sponsors a John Scott and a James Ramage. Full ref from SP OPRs is 644/1190 301 See snip below:
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Thank you for this Monica, does it mention John's brother Thomas? He is my 5 X great grandfather
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Hi Nessie, there is an image from the Old Parish Register for Thomas from 1798 to parents James and Margaret (Scott) on www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk
it is indexed as:
Thomas BENNIE, JAMES BENNIE/MARGARET SCOTT
06/07/1798
Ref: 644/1190 391
Glasgow
Monica :)
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Hi Monica and Nessie,
Sorry for the late reply, but I had been writing exams, so was a bit preoccupied. Thank you for all you assistance, the information that you have found is brilliant.
With regards to John Bennie's time at Glasgow University, it is mentioned in letters and reports of the Glasgow missionary society. It is possible that no record exists because he cut his studies short to move to Africa as a catechist.
The baptism information is enlightening as it confirms to me that the merchant James Bennie is almost certainly not John's father. The sponsors, John Scott and James Ramage, could be useful in tracking down a marriage for James and Margaret and their parents hopefully. although John being a common name, it might not help too much. I have found this in a quick search, although have not had time yet to verify anything in it, but there does seem to have been a James Ramage from Barony in Glasgow who was also a smith, and was born in 1770. http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cowiepatt/cpf1285.html (http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cowiepatt/cpf1285.html)
So he could possibly be someone who James worked with. and John Scott I would assume is likely a brother or father of Margaret.
Hopefully this will allow me to track down a bit more on James and Margaret,
Thanks again for all your trouble :D
It is very much appreciated.
Regards,
Duncan
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smith[/b], and Margaret Scott was born/christened (? can't tell which) in Glasgow on 17 October 1796.
It's born. The Glasgow Parish Register at this time consistently says "bo:" followed by a date.
A James Bennie was a witness to the baptism of Elizabeth Chalmers, daughter of John Chalmers, victualler, and Jean Cleland in Glasgow in 1824.
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With regards to John Bennie's time at Glasgow University, it is mentioned in letters and reports of the Glasgow missionary society. It is possible that no record exists because he cut his studies short to move to Africa as a catechist.
I would not dismiss the possibility that the University has records of him, even if he did not graduate. I got details of the courses attended and academic achievements of a relative of mine who was a student there for only one year, albeit rather later than your John would have done. So it would definitely be worth asking the University of Glasgow archives if they have anything on him.