William Scott - Sailor

[CG07]

I have a William Scott that was a Sailor from Fife, I was hoping that someone could help me translate his marriage certificate that states what service he was in.

From what i can read it says,
William Scott in this Parish and Lilly Scott in the
Parish of Pittemweem were contracted November 1st and
after due proclamation married November 4th 1794 being three
times in one Sabbath also a Sailor in the Service.

I know they had one son, William Scott born 1797, also a Sailor but he died before any censuses so don't know much about him, presumably at sea as i can't find a death record for him, or perhaps it had been lost/not made.

William and Lilly were married in St Monace and Pittemweem, the above is the St Monace transcription.

Thanks,
Callum

[Little Nell]

King's service - i e in the Royal Navy

Nell

[Forfarian]

They were married only once, most likely in Pittenweem as that was her parish of residence. The reason why the event is recorded twice is that the banns had to be called in both parishes, so you get two records of the same event.

[hdw]

Callum, you should read the marriage notice for William and Lily Scott in conjunction with the one above, for John Drummond and Barbara Elder. It was usual for banns to be proclaimed in church on three successive Sundays before the marriage took place, but the clerk feels it incumbent on him to explain that John and Barbara's banns were proclaimed three times in one day "because he was not sure how soon he might go on board the Cutter". That would usually mean the revenue cutter, the naval vessel sent to chase smugglers.
Your William and Lily also had their banns proclaimed thrice in one day, William being "also a sailor in the King's service". I think William Scott and John Drummond were both sailors on the revenue cutter, and they had been told they might be putting to sea again at any moment, so the weddings had to be rushed!
Harry

[CG07]

Well spotted, thanks everyone for your replies. I can’t find a lot about the King’s service etc in Fife, but I wouldn’t expect too given how long ago it was.

[hdw]

The Scottish Excise Board had two cutters, the Royal Charlotte, with 16 guns and 50 men, and the Royal George, with 20 guns and 60 men. There was also the customs yacht, Prince of Wales, and I'm not sure if that was maybe smaller than a cutter. These terms are a bit ambiguous. The headstone of Captain David Henderson of the Prince of Wales can be seen in Anstruther Easter churchyard, with a carving of the ship.

I should think that a berth on one of those ships would be highly prized, compared to the chancy life of a fisherman in those days.

Harry

[hdw]

Sorry this isn't a bit clearer. A lot of East Neuk of Fife men sailed on the revenue cutters.

Harry

[nepean]

Hi Callum
William SCOTT and Lilias SCOTT were my husband's 3g grandparents. William died before 1841, likely at sea, and Lilias died in Dec 1846 in Anstruther Easter. Their only son William SCOTT, b 1797 in A.E., was a master mariner and died between 1837 and 1851,  married Mary BROWN, b 1797 A.E. to James BROWN, tailor, and Anne ANDERSON. Anne died between 1841 and 1851 and James died between 1851 and 1855.

William SCOTT and Mary BROWN, 2g grandparents of my husband, had 6 children in A.E.
    Anne 1826 -1856
    Mary    1828 - 1862    married Capt. John NICOL, lost at sea 1866, and had 4 children
        Lillie  1830-1858
        William 1832 - 1903   was a grocer in Juniper Green and had 13 children with Annie RENNIE
    James Brown 1836 - ?    
    Thomas   1837 - 1857    
Some descendants of Mary SCOTT and of William SCOTT emigrated to  Canada.
 
I have more info re this SCOTT/BROWN/NICOL/RENNIE family if you are interested.

nepean

   

[CG07]

Hi, Nepean

Sorry for the late reply, I must have missed it when I had originally posted this. I’ve come back to it upon doing further research on the Scott’s.

I’m interested in the fact that you have found Lilly Scott’s death. This was unknown to me and would be interested to know the source of this.

I descend from William Scott of Juniper Green who had a large family as you stated. His son, Thomas Scott is my gt gt grandfather. He was a Grocer like his father and had a shop on Easter Road in Leith.

I have a Family Bible that has been passed down 5 generations so far to my grandmother. It first belonged James Brown and Ann Anderson of Anstruther who you mentioned. The significance of the bible was not known until I recently discovered it and found James and Ann’s name inscribed on the inner front cover.

I’m currently looking at a clockmaker named George Lumsden from Pittenweem. Not a relation as far as I’m aware. However, my grandmother has one of his grandfather clocks that was built around 1830’s.
I suspect that it may have come from that side of the family and am looking to see if they were connected in anyway. One thing I found about George was that the artistic effects on his clock faces were done by a man named James Brown who was a joiner in Pittenweem. Definitely clutching at straws to find a connection most likely whoever bought it just liked it.

Callum