June 2005 RootsChat Challenge

[Paul E]

http://gdl.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/smihou/smihou084.htm

has information (and a nice piccie) of the property of Ralston in the parish of Paisley and county of Renfrew, about six miles from Glasgow.

Worth quoting the detail from the site:

The Ralstons of that Ilk were a very old family in Renfrewshire. The name is supposed to have originated in one Ralph or Ralf, who is said to have been a son of one of the Earls of Fife. He came to Renfrewshire, and having obtained lands there, named them after himself, "Ralfstoune" or "Ralstoune."

Be their origin, however, what it may, the Ralstons were undoubtedly of great antiquity in this parish and county.

In the chartulary of Paisley "Nicolaus de Ralphston" is mentioned in 1272. In the Ragman Roll, "Hew de Ralstoune", is a subscriber about 1296, and "Jacobus Ralstoune dominus ejusdem" is a witness to a charter in 1346. A John de Ralstoune appears in 1488, and afterwards a Richard. There was a Hugh Ralston of that Ilk in 1560, who "is an subscryver of that solemn bond entered into by many for manteaning the trew evangell." (1)

From the old Ralstons was descended in a direct line Gavin Ralston of that Ilk, who about the beginning of last century sold his lands to John, Earl of Dundonald; and upon the marriage of the Lady Anne Cochrane, eldest daughter of this nobleman, to James, fifth Duke of Hamilton, Ralston passed with her to the house of Hamilton.

In 1755 James, the succeeding Duke, sold Ralston to William M'Dowall of Castlesemple. This gentleman was much connected with Glasgow. His father, Colonel M'Dowall, of an old Galloway family, acquired by marriage large estates in the West Indies, and in 1727 purchased Castlesemple. In the same year he acquired the "Shawfield Mansion" in Glasgow, and was engaged in business there. His house was occupied by Prince Charles Stuart during his residence in Glasgow in 1745. Colonel M'Dowall died in 1748, and was succeeded by his eldest son, who purchased Ralston. He was one of the six enterprising Glasgow merchants who founded the Ship Bank in 1750. This was the first Glasgow Bank, and is now amalgamated with the Union Bank.

In 1800 William M'Dowall sold a considerable part of Ralston to William Orr, (2) who died in 1812, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Robert Orr. After again changing owners, Ralston came into the possession, in 1840, of the late James Richardson, merchant in Glasgow. On his death his eldest son Thomas succeeded. He added to the property by the purchase of Hillington, in the immediate neighbourhood, and dying at Pesth in Hungary in 1872, his son Robert Young Richardson, became the proprietor.

Ralston is described by Wishaw as "the seat of ane old family; a very pleasant place lyand near to Paisley. . . . Bot having their residence att Woodsyde (3) in Cunninghame, westward of this, they neglected this place." About the beginning of this century William Orr built an excellent house upon the property, and in 1864 large additions were made to it from furnished by Campbell Douglas, architect, Glasgow.

(1) Hamilton of Wishaw.

(2) William Orr of Ralston had a brother, whose descendants, John and Robert Orr, John Orr Ewing,* Archibald Orr Ewing M.P., and others, are well known and prominent citizens of Glasgow.

* Mr. John Orr Ewing died while this volume was passing through the press.

(3) "Woodsyde" was acquired by Hew Ralston in 1551, and he built a "strong tower" there, which is part of the present house. He transferred the family residence from Ralston to Woodside, and called it Woodside-Ralston.

Gavin Ralston, who succeeded in 1691, and who sold Ralston, had, with other children, a daughter, Jean, who married in 1732 John Shedden of Ruchwood; the eldest daughter of this marriage married John Patrick of Treehorn. The estate of Woodside is now in the possession of Robert William Cochrane Patrick, the great-great-great-grandson of Gavin Ralston, who sold Ralston.

Gavin Ralston, the grandson of the last laird of Ralston, died at Edinburgh in 1819, aged eighty-five, and as he left no sons, he was the last male representative of this ancient family.

[Paul E]

From the same website, but referring to the property at BALLANCLEROCH - http://gdl.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/smihou/smihou006.htm - with another lovely piccie!

The family connection was further strengthened by the marriage of John M'Farlan's eldest sister Eleanora to William Leckie Ewing of Arngomery in the county of Stirling, and who more than once occupied the mansion house and shootings of Ballancleroch for a considerable time.

Mr. Leckie Ewing was a well known Glasgow merchant, a member of the old firm of Stirling Gordon & Co., and for many years, in connection with his partners, John Gordon of Aikenhead, Charles Stirling of Cadder, and Charles Stirling of Gargunnock, took a leading part in the politics of Glasgow and the West of Scotland on the Tory or Conservative side. He formed one of the deputation who went to Drayton Manor to invite Sir Robert Peel to a public banquet in Glasgow in 1837 on the occasion of his installation as Lord Rector of the University. He died in 1866. His eldest daughter married Archibald Robertson, cashier of the Royal Bank in Glasgow, and another daughter is the wife of Michael Connal, a very well known and esteemed citizen of Glasgow.

(Now that I've copied this I think I recall it being posted before by JoT / JAP or MR so apologies!)

Paul

[Paul E]

Do we have any connection to these Robertsons? 

Banks / Chandlery / West Indies?

In 1783 this property was purchased by John Robertson, merchant in Glasgow. There was then a small dwelling house upon it. Mr. Robertson was a well known citizen. He and his brothers were proprietors of several sugar and cotton plantations in the West Indies, and this induced him to change the name of the property from Craigiehall to that of "Plantation." Mr. Robertson was also many years cashier of "The Glasgow Arms Bank," originally composed of about thirty of the principal merchants in Glasgow, which began in 1750, and ceased in 1793. Mr. Robertson and his brothers were likewise partners in the lucrative business of "The Smithfield Company," for the manufacture of various articles of iron, such as nails, axes, spades, hoes, shovels, &c. This old company began in 1734, and was conducted by descendants of former partners down till within the last forty years. They had slitting rolling and grinding mills on the Kelvin, near the Point-house, and the present "Slit Mill" there derives its name from this old iron-work. They had also a cluster of houses at the "Point-house" mouth of the Kelvin, and established the ferry there across the Clyde. The warehouse was in a large edifice at the Broomielaw, a short way west from the Jamaica Street bridge. Robertson Street was carried through part of the property of these brothers Robertson, and is named after them.

From the same site about Glasgow Landed Gentry at http://gdl.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/smihou/smihou080.htm - this property (Plantations) is situated

about one mile west from Tradeston, near the toll bar where the roads diverge, leading to Govan, and to Paisley

Any views?

Paul

[Keziahemm]

Hi Rambler,

Charles and Alice weren't living in sin 

1863 March qtr.  St. Luke  Vol. 1b  page  679

Charles Macral Robertson

Alice Johnson

Got a copy off the fiche and "blew" it up definitely looks like an L on the end of Macra and not E.

Susan   

[Paul E]

More on the Robertsons of Glasgow - hinting at financial difficulties following the French Revolution - to be found at http://gdl.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/stecit/stecit11.htm#p145

Paul

[Paul E]

http://gdl.cdlr.strath.ac.uk/100men/gm34.htm

for a portrait of WILLIAM Leckie Ewing.

[Boongie Pam]

Just thought I'd let you know that I e-mailed a person in Oz who's related to Rev. Thomas Vial Cornell and is wanting to know more about the Cornell's and (especially) the Molisons.

Just wondered if she could shed any light on ASM.........

Erm - I think that is the chap I've already emailled and got the info from. 

[MaryA]

Wheeeeeeeew I come home from work to find that Paul's potentially connected back to 13th Century!!!!!!

Thank you for finding Charles and Alice, Susan, it still bothers me how the children got the "Robertson" in their names, it wasn't added afterwards as it was in their christening details.

I haven't yet managed to find a Johnson with an Alice marriage, I'm expecting Liverpool, but who knows.

Well there is one, but I wouldn't have thought Alice would get married in Manchester.

Charles Johnson married Alice Duffy 25th October, 1852 Cathedral Manchester

Mary, still looking ........ but after the pub!

[Boongie Pam]

2. JoT (more great work) found (a page or so back) the death of half-brother James, age 53, in 1869 in Nigg, Kincardine; also his Will - "James Molison 10 Dec 1869 Residing at Sydney, thereafter Commission Agent in London, thereafter residing at Craigshaw in County of Kincardine"[/color]

I've got credits left on Scotlandspeople I'll look this death up to confirm Jamess parents.  Unfortunately the Scotlandspeople site is down for maintenance at the mo.

I'm just leaving work & having dinner out so I'll look later tonight.

P